Two words capture the essence of Chris Martin — challenge and impact.
That explains Martin’s move a year ago from the oilpatch to Alternative Fuel Systems as chief financial officer.
As a small company probing international markets with products designed to curb pollution caused by diesel engines in trucks and buses, AFS is all about challenge and impact.
As the dynamic graduate of Bishop Grandin High School quips in this interview: “I’m an impact guy. That’s why I’m here.”
1. Was it a natural fit following in the footsteps of your father (Neil Martin) as a business leader? (Neil Martin owns DNS Petroleum Consultants and teaches marketing courses at the University of Calgary.)
“I’m doing exactly what I was meant to do. I’ve got some friends who go to their eight-to-five jobs and they’re mediocre on the happy scale, but I’m very happy. I like to be in the financial vein. And growing a company is fun.”
2. How has your father impacted your career?
“My dad has been a really good resource. He keeps saying: ‘When you’re young, this is a time to work the long hours and get all the experience.’ I always joke with him that he’s been saying that for 14 years and I’m tired of working the long hours.”
3. What has he taught you?
“He has taught me patience. But the No. 1 thing he has taught me is prudent spending. He manages his personal life like he manages his business — very conservatively.”
4. Do you lead an extravagant lifestyle?
“No. I’m the simplest person you’ll ever meet.”
5. In what respect?
“Well, for example, we’re moving into this new building soon and Wendy (Kruse, the executive assistant) was talking about getting some new office furniture. I said I’d be happy sitting on the floor with my PC (personal computer). I’m such a low-maintenance guy and very easy to please.”
6. Your first work experience?
“I taught tennis lessons to kids and adults as a teenager in high school (while at Bishop Grandin). I still play some tennis and golf. And I play basketball once a week in a men’s league with a bunch of chartered accountants.”
7. After several years in the oilpatch, what motivated you to join Alternative Fuel Systems?
“I saw a lot of growth in this area. In North America, especially in the States, the environmental legislation is getting to be very strict. So they’re going to mandate that vehicles start using cleaner-burning fuel. But also around the world you’ve got countries like Iran, Mexico and India that have a lot of people, they have cheap natural gas and they have a lot of pollution problems. So I thought the potential of the company was enormous and I liked the challenge of helping turn a company around.”
8. What has it been like working for a seasoned turnaround CEO like John Anderson?
“John Anderson has done an incredible job of turning this company around and he’s the one who sold me on this company. John’s attitude is, when people buy our products, regardless of what products they are, we’re going to make money. We’re here to make money. We’re a public company. So the culture has changed here quite a bit.”
9. How has Anderson’s recent leave of absence due to illness affected operations?
“John still comes in every day. There’s more responsibility for some of us and Walter Brooks has come in as interim CEO. The team is still intact and doing very well.”
10. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in business?
“Be very conservative in your spending. Your spending should be commensurate with your growth. A lot of people go out there and they want to spend, spend, spend and in the oilpatch they drill, drill, drill. When times turn bad and you have a lot of debt, you’re stuck. You have to be very conservative and prudent in financing. Here, we’ve raised a lot of money but we’re spending it very slowly and very carefully.”
11. Are those lessons even more crucial in sagging markets?
“Yes. We don’t know when the public markets will be receptive again for raising money.”
12. When do you anticipate breaking even?
“We are hoping and targeting that we can be cash-flow break-even some time in the year 2002. Next year, we hope to take our sales to $8-$10 million.”
13. What about the share price that hasn’t done well even with the recent graduation from the CDNX to TSE?
“Hopefully, our stock (currently in the 80-cent range) goes to $10 or $20 and I’m rich (laughter).”
14. Where do you see Alternative Fuel Systems in 2005?
“I see us ramping up our revenue and being earnings positive. We are the market leader in our engine-management systems. We’re going to start targeting new markets, particularly the U.S. which is a huge market we haven’t touched. We’re also going to target countries like Pakistan that are new to us, countries where legislation is coming down hard in forcing people to convert to natural gas. We think we’re going to have a bigger global presence and a bigger share of the market in natural-gas vehicles.”
15. Has too little attention been paid to pollution from engine exhaust emissions?
“Oh, definitely. I would say it’s more of a problem internationally. I’m told that when you walk through a city like Tehran or Mexico City, people are literally getting sick. There’s a terrible pollution problem. These are real health problems that have been proven to cause a higher mortality rate. The trouble is that in some of these developing nations, that hasn’t been the top priority. But now it is a top priority with governments.”
16. Are the regulations tough enough in Canada?
“They’re going to get tougher, I think, because there are a lot of environmentalists out there who realize the problem in downtown centres like Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, where studies show people are ingesting this stuff.”
17. With the demands of this job, how do you strike a balance between work and play?
“I like to play hard and work hard. I don’t think you can enjoy your work too much if it’s all-encompassing so I like to play sports on the side and I’ve got a wonderful family life, a wonderful wife and a child. But it is a hard balancing act because of demands of a small company. As we grow bigger, things will get better.
” 18. How do you define success?
“A lot of people might make a lot of money in an eight-to-five job and not have a lot of impact. I like to have a lot of impact in a company and that’s one reason why I like working with a smaller company. So success is growing a company successfully, being happy with what you’re doing, both personally and in business, and being an impact player.”
19. Do you aspire to run your own company?
“Definitely. I think the experience I’ve attained in various jobs have all been good. I’ve learned so much from different managing styles working for five different companies.”
20. God taps you on the shoulder and says you can change one thing in your life?
“I’ve been blessed. I’ve got a wonderful wife and child. I have great parents and great family. One thing I would ask God to do is to nurse John Anderson back to health as soon as possible. He’s been a wonderful mentor.”
IN PROFILE: Chris Martin
* Title: Chief financial officer/vice-president, finance, Alternative Fuel Systems.
* Education: Bachelor of Commerce, University of Calgary; Chartered Accountant, 1990 (articled at Price Waterhouse).
* Family: Wife Michelle, daughter Tiffany, 1.
* Resume: Formerly employed by Bovar Inc., Calvalley Petroleum (CFO) and Jet Energy (manager of finance).
* Role model: Father, Neil Martin.
* Claim to fame: At 12, won provincial boys age-group tennis championship.
* Passions: Fishing, tennis, basketball, golf, beach volleyball.
THE COMPANY: Alternative Fuel Systems
* Profile: AFS is an environmental technology company focused on solutions to the problem of global engine exhaust emissions. The company develops and supplies fuel-management and exhaust after-treatment systems for natural gas and diesel engines.
* Slogan: Clean Transportation for the 21st Century.
* Recent stock price (ATF-TSE): 0.76.
* Web site: www.afsglobal.com
* Phone/Fax: 262-1833, 237-7441.
* Address: 420,1207 11th Ave. S.W., Calgary, T3C OM5.
