Patrick Doyle
Director, HR Transformation and HR Business Partner, Technology and Innovation
Vancouver Office
Excellence Award winner, Mentor category 

When did you start at the company, and at which site/office?

I started with Teck in May 2007 as an HR Coordinator in the Vancouver office.

Could you provide a brief description of what you do in your role?

Currently, I help support the RACE21™, TDS and Innovation groups from the HR side of things. I have only been in this role for a couple of months, so I’m actually still learning everything the job entails, but there is an amazing HR team already doing fantastic work, so that has made the transition really fun and easy!

What did it mean to you to be nominated by your peers for an Excellence Award?

Quite honestly, I still find it hard to believe! It is an incredible honour and truly humbling to be nominated for this award, and it means so much more that my co-workers would even think I deserve this—and then to go and take the time to submit a nomination for me. Without a doubt, this is, and will continue to be, one of the top highlights of my professional career, no matter what else happens.

Can you describe the moment you found out you won?

It was an unusual experience. I was on the SkyTrain going home after work, and I was reading the latest issue of Connect on my phone when I realized the train hadn’t moved for a while and we were stuck at a station. I happened to notice that I missed a phone call during the day and there was a voicemail. It was Don Lindsay asking me to call him back.

Other people have told me that when they have received this call, your brain instantly figures this is either really good or really bad, and that was exactly what happened to me. Don sounded pretty cheerful, and I knew he was likely calling the Excellence Award winners around that time, so as I sat on the stalled SkyTrain with 100 of my closest strangers, it was pretty exciting to think that might be what the call was about. I phoned him when I got off the SkyTrain and when he told me I had been selected for an Excellence Award, I still couldn’t believe it, despite having had about 45 minutes to contemplate the possibility!

What is your favourite part about your job?

Without a doubt, my favourite part of the job is getting to work with amazing people in all sorts of disciplines and to support and help them achieve their full potential.

What is your most memorable moment working at Teck to date?

There have been so many amazing experiences working at Teck that it’s difficult to choose. One unique experience that stands out is when Teck started its Olympic partnership. We sponsored a Canadian triathlete named Simon Whitfield who had won a gold medal in 2000 and was about to compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Simon had visited Teck to speak to employees and I had the good fortune of meeting him, so I had a personal connection when I watched his Olympic race in 2008. He pulled off an unbelievably dramatic silver-medal performance and I was so proud of him, so proud of Canada and so proud of Teck for being part of the journey that helped him there. I felt like I had helped contribute to that silver medal for Canada. The story never tells well to anyone who didn’t see the race, but it was a true peak experience in my life and an early moment in my career in which I knew I was working for a special company.

What is your favourite activity outside of work, and why?

I’ve always been a sports person, so running and playing soccer have been lifelong passions, but in recent years my time outside of work has been joyfully dominated by spending time with my two young daughters. My goal is to merge the two passions and to instill the love of sports in my daughters.

Sri Lanka
Nishadi Liyanage
Specialist, Sustainability Reporting
Vancouver Office

When did you start at the company, and at which site/office? 

I started in September 2019 at the Vancouver office.  

Could you provide a brief description of what you do in your role? 

In my role, I develop and produce some of Teck’s external reports, including our annual Sustainability Report. This involves wearing many hats, from research and writing to project management and working with outside assurance providers. I also support the implementation of Teck’s new sustainability strategy and related goals, and help enhance Teck’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure—helping to keep Teck at or near the top of the lists of the most sustainable companies. 

What is special to you about Sri Lanka?  

It’s called a paradise island for a reason. You get to relax on beautiful beaches, go whale-watching, explore historic sites, visit parks packed with wildlife, get lost in a rainforest or head to the mountains for some stunning landscapes—all within 65,610 kilometres (which is about twice the size of Vancouver Island).  

I am obviously quite biased because I was born and raised in Sri Lanka. Canada is home now, but Sri Lanka will always hold a very special place in my heart. 

What is Sri Lanka famous for? 

Sri Lanka is famous for stunning beaches, ancient ruins, and its friendly people and great hospitality. It’s also one of 34 biodiversity hot spots in the world—in fact, it’s one of the few places in the world where you can see both the largest sea mammal (the blue whale) and one of the largest land mammals (the Sri Lankan elephant) within a span of a few hours. Sri Lanka is also famous for Ceylon tea (colonial name), cinnamon and gems.  

What is Sri Lanka’s best-kept secret?  

If you go off the beaten path, you’ll come across many hidden beaches. In 2009, the north and east parts of Sri Lanka opened up to outsiders after decades of civil war. These parts are still refreshingly non-commercial and definitely worth a visit, especially the east coast. 

Another little-known fact is that the word serendipity comes from the word Serendib, an archaic name for Sri Lanka. Horace Walpole coined the word in 1754 and was inspired by the fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip (1554), an adaptation of the Persian poem Hasht-Bihisht (1302). 

What is your favourite activity to do in Sri Lanka?   

I love to explore and take photos. Sri Lanka’s documented history spans 3,000 years and there’s evidence of prehistoric human settlements dating back 125,000 years. Recently, archeological excavations in Sri Lanka unearthed the earliest evidence for hunting with bows and arrows outside of Africa. Every nook and cranny of the country has a story behind it, so there is so much to explore and learn about! 

What is the food specialty from this city/region?  

The staple meal in Sri Lanka is rice and curry. Rice is usually served with at least three or four different curries. Sri Lankan curries are to die for—think Indian-Thai fusion. And since it’s an island, Sri Lanka has an amazing variety of seafood, including giant lagoon crabs that can weigh up to 2 kilograms each! 

Then there is the famous “kottu roti”, everyone’s go-to fast food when craving something tasty and greasy. It is somewhat like fried rice but instead of rice, a type of roti called “godamba roti” is used and served with a spicy curry, which you can either use as a dip or pour over the chopped roti. 

Georgia
Vivien Anayian
UX Designer, RACE21™

When did you start at the company, and at which site/office?

I started at Teck in May of 2020, at the RACE21™ office in Vancouver.

Could you provide a brief description of what you do in your role?

As a User Experience (UX) Designer, I liaise between product owners, stakeholders, developers and end users, focusing on the why, what and how of product use—starting with the why before determining the what and only then the how, in order to create products that are not just value-driven but also user- centred. User experience is not just about design, it is about the strategic understanding of the users and the business problems that need to be solved.

What is special to you about Georgia?

It is a unique place with an ancient and fascinating history—there are many interesting things to know about Georgia, from its language to its food, dance and culture. But beyond that, Georgia is also a very welcoming and friendly nation. They love to gather together and treat everyone like family. 

What is Georgia famous for?

Georgia is a very small, old country with a rich history extending back to Babylonian times. Geographically, it’s right in between Europe and Asia. Because of this position, it has been influenced by the surrounding areas such as Armenia, Russia, Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan. Historically, Georgia has often had to fight for independence due to occupation and conflicts with neighbouring countries. So, the country has done a lot to keep its culture strong—for example, the Georgian language is alive and well, despite being such a small country.  

Georgia is a country of wine. It might even be the oldest winemaking country—there were barrels of wine found buried in the ground that are evidence of Georgia being one of the earliest countries to make wine.  

What is Georgia’s little-known fact?

The word Caucasian comes from the prevalent view in the 18th century that the human species had its origin in the region of the Caucasus Mountains that surround Georgia.

What is your favourite activity to do in Georgia?  

Even though I’m from Georgia, there is so much to see there that when I go back, I still take the time to go sightseeing. There are a lot of old buildings with beautiful architecture, as well as landmarks like the Narikala Fortress, which is an iconic castle in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital. I also like to explore the outdoors in Georgia. It has a beautiful natural landscape with lots of mountains—it’s quite similar to British Columbia in that way. 

What is the food specialty from Georgia?

Georgia’s timeless signature dish is khachapuri, a cheese-filled pastry. There are many varieties from different regions, but they all share four simple ingredients: flour, butter, eggs and cheese. The most popular kind is the Adjarian khachapuri that's shaped like a boat and filled with cheese and egg in the middle, which you can dip the crust into.