While acknowledging that the world has changed profoundly in the 46 years since he graduated, John Barford’s speech to Ivey’s Class of 2024 focused on the one constant during his meandering path in life: staying true to himself.
Whether creating value as a business leader in the first part of his career, or earning a reward more valuable than money during his most recent time in the non-profit sector, Barford said finding his motivation made extraordinary things happen.
“The most important thing is you need to live a life – a personal and a business life – that is true to you and not what others might expect of you,” he said. “You need to take advantage of the moments and the opportunities as they present themselves. And, to do that, you need to tap into what inspires you.”
Barford shared highlights from his journey of inspiration while addressing Ivey’s MBA, MSc, EMBA, AMBA, and PhD graduates at Western University’s convocation ceremony on June 19 where he received an honorary Doctor of Laws for his contributions as a business and community leader. Barford is a Western graduate, president of private investment holding company Valleydene Corporation, lead director of the advisory board of the KingSett Canadian Real Estate Income Fund, and a well-known community leader and philanthropist. He and his wife, Jocelyn, were instrumental in supporting and leading a campaign to establish the BARLO Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Centre in Toronto, which is the largest specialized MS facility in North America.
The power of inspiration
Barford discussed the BARLO Centre’s creation as an example of the power of chasing big, lofty, dreams. Motivated to help find a cure for MS since his mother suffered from the disease, he told of visiting Barcelona, Spain with his good friends Jon Love, HBA ’76, LLD ’16, and Nancy Yeomans Love, HBA ’76, LLD ’22 – both Western honorary degree recipients – to tour one of the leading MS Centres. While discussing the centre at dinner that night, they challenged each other to think bigger and reimagine what could be done to deliver better care for MS patients in Canada.
“We kept asking, ‘What if?’ – constantly raising the bar for what we felt might be possible … We left that night with our sights set on something greater: A dream to build the top MS Centre in the world,” he said.
Inspiration. Motivation. Action. Barford described how the three words are linked, revealing how that Barcelona trip led to the BARLO Centre opening its doors four years later, ushering in a new level of MS care in Canada and globally.
“A lot had to happen between that dinner in Barcelona and opening the doors to be sure, but it had to start somewhere. So, for each of you, don’t be afraid to dream big and ask yourself, ‘What if?’ That question can have a profound impact,” he said.
Finding value in a higher cause
Encouraging the graduates to say yes to more, take on more challenges, and to give back, Barford said his business career was exciting, but his work in the non-profit sector has been infinitely more rewarding. That work has given him what he calls “psychic income,” meaning earning a reward beyond money.
“For the first 30 years of my career that (the bottom line) drove me … I’m now driven by something different, but equally powerful: psychic income,” he said. “I recognize that at this stage of my career, I have the luxury of giving my time selectively and earning greater psychic income, but the experience nevertheless reminds me that the need to find your calling never leaves you. I’m grateful that I found it during the second act of my career.”
Noting that the graduates are entering a world marked by greater complexity that will demand extraordinary leadership, Barford said their ability to think critically, combined with a source of inspiration, will help them to persevere.
“Find your source of inspiration and meet these challenges head-on, no matter how insurmountable. That is when remarkable things happen,” he said. “Go find your path. Get inspired. Dream big. And do extraordinary things.”
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