RICHARD ALLEN SCOTT - Through the Years

RICHARD ALLEN SCOTT
THROUGH THE YEARS
2001
In January, I received a phone call from the Ottawa office of Siemens Business Services (SBS)
Canada Inc., who wanted to engage me as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in the establishment
of the Police and Public Safety practice for SBS Canada. The salary being offered was, for that
time, phenomenal, ($100,000) so I jumped at it, and started work in February.
In January, Sharon and I had our first holiday in the Caribbean, a week in Puerto Plata. That
was the start of annual winter treks to the heat.
Immediately upon our return, we jumped on a plane from Ottawa to Toronto, then to Zurich,
Switzerland, as SBS had arranged for me to visit a software company there to evaluate a
program they were developing for policing in Europe and elsewhere. There was no rest…from
the airport in Zurich, after an overnight flight, I had to attend their office for a full day of talks.
Sharon got to see all of the sights during the day, accompanying my boss’s husband. We did,
however, get shown around to places like Lucerne, by our host in Switzerland, and got to enjoy
local sightseeing and meals at company expense. A grand trip that was. Later that year we got
to go to a resort at Stone Mountain just outside Atlanta, Georgia, for an SBS ‘retreat’ with the
U.S. office. Bit of a joke that was, but we were entertained very well. I avoided the ‘bonding’
games.
SBS was not to survive in Canada. It closed its doors later in the year and left me out on the
street. Not really. I was on a contract at Foreign Affairs, having established a good relationship
with that Department from a previous contract (with HVR). I simply got them to cancel the
contract with SBS and then continued with the work they needed me for under the auspices of
another company.
Robyne began her flying career as a flight attendant
with Skyservice airlines.
Robyne and I
went shopping
for her first car
and came home
with a lovely
2002 Mazda
Protege5. She
had some
choices to make,
get her own apartment and ride the bus, or live at
home and buy a car. Couldn’t afford to do both…so
the car won. Unfortunately, the monthly payments
became overwhelming, so it had to go…traded in for a
cheaper vehicle a few years later. A sad day for
Robyne.
In March, Tim was appointed Ontario Distribution
Manager for Nestlé.
June 2017
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