SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The new executive director for the NWT Chamber of Commerce may not have a formal education in business, but he doesn't see this as a hindrance in his new job.

Peter Long is the new executive director for the NWT Chamber of Commerce. - Terrence McEachern/NNSL Photo

"I've always had a business mind," said Peter Long, who was appointed to the position on July 5. "I don't think its of the utmost importance to have a business degree, and that a person with a business degree is that much further off than me. I think it all has to do with experience, and what you've learned through actually being in the workforce and doing things."

Long, 28, moved from Thompson, Man., to Antigonish, N.S., when he was 13. He graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish in 2003 with a bachelor of arts degree in English and History.

After graduating, Long worked as a branch manager with the Royal Canadian Legion Arras Branch 59 in Antigonish. While there, he was in charge of five employees and turned around the organization's $30,000 deficit into a profit within six months, he said.

He left this position in 2006, and came to Yellowknife to "find something new, challenging and exciting." His first job in here was with Northern Properties, as a customer service representative. In this role, he was responsible for leasing, starting new accounts and keeping existing accounts.

After six months, he joined the GNWT Public Health as an office supervisor for three years. In his final year with the government, he was responsible for co-ordinating flu clinics in the area during the H1N1 flu outbreak.

He said his past experiences reporting to a board of directors at the Legion and his managerial experience with the GNWT Public Health have prepared him for the challenges of a high-profile executive director position for the NWT Chamber of Commerce. In this role, he said, Long is the "face of the Chamber's" 865 members at events and conferences, as well as the organization's general responsibilities lobbying the government on behalf of its members.

Even though he doesn't have a university degree in business, he said this might help him in the position.

"I can do what the organization requires of me, I'm not stuck into a particular way of doing things that may perhaps not work in this setting," said Long.

The business knowledge he does have is largely self-taught and gained through his previous work experiences. He also considers himself to be an effective public speaker and communicator, even though he admitted during the interview for this article in his third-floor office at the NWT Commerce Place Aug. 4 that he was "a little nervous."

Leon Johnson was not a member of the hiring committee that approved Long, but he has been a board member with the NWT Chamber of Commerce for the last seven years. He said he's only been involved in a couple of meetings with Long, and so far he is impressed with Long's progress at "getting up to speed" in the role of executive director.

Johnson, a corporate and international sales manager with Matco Transportation Systems Ltd., also said he wasn't concerned with Long being nervous in an interview with a reporter.

"Nervous energy can be a good thing as long as you convert it into the positives that you need to do," he said.

These days, Long is busy preparing for an upcoming roundtable meeting in Whitehorse with other chambers of commerce in the NWT, which takes place Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. He is also involved organizing the Prospects North conference, which takes place Oct. 4 to 6.

Despite the hard work, he said he has found the position rewarding so far.

"It's been everything I thought it was going to be," he said. "I was looking for an opportunity to help businesses in the North and I feel that with this position I'm very able to find out the concerns of Northern businesses and be able to help them with their concerns."

Long added that he is even considering returning to school at some point to complete a master's in either business administration or public service administration, which would better suit his current position.

"Those are always on my back-burner of things I perhaps want to do, but I'd like to get a little working experience as well, and find out exactly if this is actually something I want to do for the rest of my life," he said.