Punjabi Business Man Garry Sangha awarded at the House of Lords in the construction and development industry by WCRC

On a glittering night at the House of Lords, in the historic Palace of Westminster, London, Indo-Canadian entrepreneur Garry Sangha was awarded the WCRC Leaders Asia, Leader of the Year – World’s Best Emerging Leader award in the industry category “Construction and Real Estate”.

The annual WCRC Leaders Asia awards are presented by the prestigious WCRCINT Group to business leaders who, through their leadership and foresight, have found extraordinary success in their respective domains. The award is a recognition of Garry Sangha’s leadership of the CCI Group, currently one of the most prestigious names in the Canadian construction industry.

Sangha’s story is in many ways inspiring and extraordinary. While examples of successful Indian origin people abroad are aplenty, what sets Sangha apart is the speed and the manner of his success. Born in the small village of Chahalpur, in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, Sangha immigrated to Canada with his family for better economic opportunities in 1996. A raw 18-year-old with next to no capital, Sangha had to face many hardships and heartbreaks. An avid student, Sangha had dreamt of continuing his studies at the prestigious British Columbia Institute of Technology, to which he had even secured an admission. Like the overwhelming majority of Indian origin immigrants, Sangha wanted to succeed academically which would then pave a path for a comfortable life in Canada. However, economic realities put paid to that dream, and Sangha had to take up work full time.

Lacking any formal skills or qualifications, but well-built and fit, thanks to a youth spent playing lots of football, Sangha was able to find employment in the construction sector. Perhaps it was pure chance that he landed up in that sector. But it set into motion a chain of events that would ensure that instead of being yet another predictable success story of the atypical Indian immigrant, Sangha would have to embark on a completely different, and much more challenging path to find success.

When Garry Sangha entered the construction sector, there weren’t too many people of colour in the industry, let alone people of Indian origin. Hence, as he freely admits, Sangha faced instances of racism as a worker, and resentment as he kept climbing the ladder. Despite the challenges, Sangha had, perhaps inadvertently found his calling. By 2005, less than a decade of having arrived in Canada, Sangha founded Crystal Construction Inc. (CCI), along with his brother-in-law Kuldeep Chohan, and father Ajit Sangha.

Under Garry’s leadership, CCI would go on to become one of the most respected names in the construction industry in Canada, and what started as a single entity, would end up becoming a group, with multiple divisions and companies. Garry’s company has already worked on some of the most landmark projects in Canada, including the Telus Tower in Alberta, Vancouver House, and Rogers Arena Tower in Vancouver. It currently employs more than 1800 people.

However, Sangha has also forged another identity- that of being a serial philanthropist and community leader in the city of Surrey, British Columbia where he lives.  Having lost a close relative to mental health issues, he has freely donated to the tune of a million dollars, to help organizations working for mental health. In an industry as “macho” as construction, talk about mental health is often considered taboo. With a prominent name like Garry Sangha actively talking about it and campaigning to sensitize construction industry members about the issue, there has been a marked change in attitudes and greater acceptance and awareness about the cause. A football lover since childhood, he has also been involved in football administration in Canada, helming one of Surrey’s oldest clubs during its worst crisis and turning around its fortunes. He has also helped start the largest invitational football tournament in North America, the Mayor’s Cup. Garry would go on to serve on the board of British Columbia Provincial Football Association.

Garry Sangha beat serious competition while securing the award in his category, with the elite jury panel having had to consider many eminent and well-known names in the construction industry. In response to winning the award, Sangha stated that he is …”extremely humbled by the honour and while he accepts it with humility, would also give a shout out to the many who are doing wonderful work in their domains, including construction. “

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