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Born in Montréal on March 28, 1962, Steven Elefant was educated
at Boston University and at Babson College. He holds a Bachelor
of Arts degree and his Masters of Business Administration. Like
his father, Steven grew up in the wood industry and was groomed
for the position of president from an early age. Even while completing
his university studies, he was deeply immersed by both his father
and grandfather in the running of the family company. Fortunately
Isidore Elefant would live to see his grandson assume the reins
of the international corporation he had built from a small sales
office some forty years before.
Like his father and grandfather before him, the
-year-old Steven
Elefant is a man of intellect and dynamic personality. His natural
intuition and life-long experience within the wood industry has
been even further enhanced by his training under probably the two
most qualified industry leaders in the world.
For ten years before assuming the role of President, Steven undertook
rigorous training at the request of both Isidore and Marcel Elefant.
Working at various stages of the operation, Steven became fully
acquainted with operations, log procurement, production management
and domestic and international marketing.
During the first years of his administration Steven Elefant worked
closely with his father in the continued development of new market
opportunities and in the establishment of state-of-the-art manufacturing
facilities in Hungary.
With formal training in advanced management, Elefant has developed
an administration style with strong emphasis on self-initiative
and team work. Employees at all levels are empowered to contribute
to the advancement of the corporate goals of increased efficiency
in both the manufacturing and customer service areas, as well as
enhanced quality and an improved working environment. This open-door
policy has contributed to a greater delegation of responsibilities
throughout the network, establishing a strong communication link
between staff and management at all levels.
Fundamental to Elefant's administration has been a sensitivity
to the needs and concerns of GWV's varied customer base. Increased
focus has been placed on added-benefit and customer service through
sophisticated communications technologies, a rapid customer-response
program, efficient, timely delivery systems, improved manufacturing
techniques, and sensitivity to the diverse professional and cultural
requirements of the company's broad, international customer base.
Travelling extensively, Steven Elefant dedicates substantial amounts
of his time to both develop new international clients and maintain
an ever-vigilant stewardship over the world-wide operations of the
company.
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