This book turned out to be much harder to write than I thought it would be, and I would not have been able to complete it without the help and encouragement of so many people.
The team at Business Expert Press was a pleasure to work with. I appreciate the faith they showed in me from the very beginning of this project. Scott Isenberg was helpful and encouraging from the moment I submitted my proposal, and Vilma Barr offered expert edits and feedback during the pre-production phase. Charlene Kronstedt and her team contributed many improvements through the various stages of the production process.
I am thankful to Scott Wahl, an outstanding technology leader and colleague who I admire tremendously. Scott was the first person I contacted to provide feedback on early drafts of this book. I also appreciate the input of Merelle Rodrigo and Jack Garramone. They volunteered their time and talents and provided numerous insights and recommendations, which made the book better.
I would like to thank Dr. Emily Moore, the Director of the Troost Institute for Leadership Education in Engineering at the University of Toronto. Her professional accomplishments are truly impressive, and I can’t thank her enough for reviewing my manuscript and for agreeing to write the foreword. I would also like to express my gratitude to Miguel Pinilla, Jim Stollberg, David Yach, and Robert LeBlanc for their feedback and words of encouragement. I have immense respect for their collective achievements in the fields of engineering and computer science.
My mom and dad were always my biggest supporters. No one was prouder than they were the day I graduated from the engineering program at the University of Toronto. Over the years, they instilled a sense of confidence in me, which enabled me to be the best that I could be. I would not have been able to achieve any level of success without their love, support, and guidance. I only wish my father was with us today to read this book. I know he would be proud.
My two brothers, Rob and Tom, are my two greatest role models. Rob is a retina surgeon in Toronto, and he taught me from a very early age to shoot for the stars. I have always looked up to him, and there is no one I admire more. My younger brother Tom has Down syndrome. From Tom, I learned about basic humanity, how to show genuine kindness without judgment, and to appreciate the simpler things in life. I believe we can all learn a lot from the Down syndrome community.
My kids, Brittany, Josh, and Cassie, have been a source of encouragement throughout my career. I learn from them every day. Whatever success I achieved was done with them in mind. As time passed, I began to realize that I was learning more from them than they were from me. I don’t know exactly when that changed, but I know it means we must have done something right. No father could be prouder of their kids than me. They also offered very valuable input and edits as I was writing this book, for which I am so grateful.
Finally, there is my wife, Sue. She has been my partner in life for 40 years and has been by my side through all the good times and bad. She is the one I share my triumphs and failures with first. I am thankful for her encouragement, for being the rock of our family, and for going on this journey together with me. No one offered more honest feedback to make this book better than she did. She is an extremely talented author of children’s books, and through her own work, she inspired me to write this book.
My hope is that I succeeded in conveying a number of important lessons to engineers and technologists as they navigate their own careers. I feel fortunate to have met so many incredible people throughout my journey. I am thankful for their talent, kindness, and generosity.
—Pete Devenyi