Shaped by Montreal and Concordia, Luke Pelosi built a foundation for career success

Although it was more than two decades ago, Luke Pelosi, BComm 03, GrDip 08, still remembers his first visit to Montreal.

“It was one of those spring days when everyone emerges from inside,” he says.

Born and raised in Toronto, he found the city remarkably compact and walkable, considering its large population. He noticed there were four universities — two with instruction in French and two in English — that had some facilities in relatively close proximity.

“It almost felt like there was one giant campus with different pockets of folks,” he recalls. “It struck me as a very vibrant place to be a student. In fact, if you want an urban setting, I don’t think there’s any comparison to Montreal for student life.”

A little while later, Pelosi returned, enrolling in the Department of Accountancy at Concordia’s John Molson School of Business.

He soon realized that by going home between the winter and fall terms, he was missing out on what he considers the best time of all to be in Montreal. So, he took a summer internship at KPMG, a major professional-services firm with an office downtown.

Once Pelosi completed his BComm, the company hired him for its auditing team and gave him the practical experience he needed to become a certified professional accountant.

It was through KPMG that Pelosi first came into contact with his current employer, GFL Environmental. At the time, it was scrappy young company, growing fast.

Today, it’s a waste-management giant that earns around $8 billion in annual revenue and employs more than 19,500 people across Canada and the United States.

Waste management may be unsexy, but it is not dull, according to Pelosi. Environmental services such as recycling collection and soil remediation are evolving, as is their market landscape.

Since Pelosi came aboard as GFL’s director of mergers and acquisitions in 2014, it has completed more than 250 acquisitions.

“It’s been an exciting ride!” he says.

Nowadays, much of Pelosi’s effort goes towards guiding and supporting others in rising to challenges and doing the best work they can. It doesn’t offer the same adrenaline rushes as the early days, he laughs, but it’s rewarding.

From the office where he serves as the company’s chief financial officer and an executive vice-president, Pelosi considers his contributions to GFL’s success.

“Some of it is timing, some is luck and it’s all underpinned by a solid foundation of education and capabilities,” he says. “Grit is probably a big component, too. But there’s also something about having been able to develop as an adult in a unique cultural environment.”

Pelosi can get by in French, even though he communicates more clearly in English. During his time in Quebec, he worked with people in the opposite situation.

“Navigating that challenge was a great opportunity for development,” he says. “I have a daughter now, and I extol the virtues of leaving Toronto — at least temporarily — to experience somewhere with different characteristics and dynamics.

“It’s particularly valuable in this multicultural world we’re living in.”