June 16th, 2016 marks the celebration for this year’s prestigious forty under 40-award recipients gala. The awards are organized by the Ottawa Business Journal and the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce to recognize distinguished business leaders in the capital under the age of 40. Ottawa At home Giving Back columnist Catherine Clark is one of the receivers for this year’s honour.
Catherine has a strong background in television journalism and is now president of Catherine Clark Communications, a company specializing in corporate video production, helping businesses tell their story through their website. She believes in the power of humanizing a business and says, “When the public identifies a company as being human and approachable, the trust factor grows exponentially, which is good news for any company.”
Her Giving Back column with Ottawa At Home offers her the opportunity to showcase community minded locals. Community has always been a significant part of Catherine’s life. She grew up in a well-known political family as the daughter of former Prime Minister Joe Clark and author and lawyer Maureen McTeer and was reared to believe in the value of community service.
Her business sense and caring approach to life have contributed to her success. Catherine is married to Chad Schella and is the mother of two young children, which she states as a catalyst to starting her own business. “I am building a business, and I will control its growth to suit the changing needs of my family. The purpose of having my own company is to do what I love, with clients I respect, while still living the kind of life I want to live with my family.”
Catherine culminates all of the qualities that make for a viable forty under 40 candidate. Michael Curran, publisher of the Ottawa Business Journal (OBJ) and a member of the forty under 40 nominating committee says "Catherine is a very deserving recipient. We are always looking for that balance of business success, expertise and community giving. And with her successful media career, the launch of her new communications business and her extensive community work, she was an obvious choice. OBJ considers it a privilege to continue to recognize young entrepreneurs of this caliber."
Catherine sums up her experience being included in this prestigious group of Ottawa business frontrunners with a positive note stating “Ottawa is a wonderful community for many reasons, notably for its strong, supportive business community which I am proud and pleased to be part of.”
Mary Taggart
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