George Gosbee
Chairman, President and CEO, Tristone Capital Inc.

George Gosbee started Tristone Capital Inc. with \"a game plan and no staff\" five years ago. In 2005, the 35-year-old investment banker - who sold more than $4 billion in oil and gas properties, completed more than $5 billion in mergers-and-acquisitions assignments and participated in financings worth $7 billion for energy companies in the past three years - sold his fledgling business for $101 million to Denver-based Petroleum Place Inc. Part of the deal included Gosbee and his 65 employees remaining with the new company and opening a new office in London, England. Gosbee also wants to spend some time south of the 49th parallel, where he believes Canadian royalty trusts are ready to make some acquisitions. The University of Calgary commerce graduate cut his teeth in the industry at Calgary energy boutique Peters & Co., where he became the investment bank\'s youngest managing director. After three years at Newcrest Capital, Gosbee founded Tristone and quickly established himself as one of Calgary\'s best young dealmakers before attracting the attention of Petroleum Place. - WG

What is the most important advice you\'d give to business owners selling their own company?
I\'d make sure it\'s the right fit by taking your time and doing your due diligence and making sure you understand the motives behind the acquirer. Too many people fail to see that. Too many times, the company just looks at the price tag rather than trying to understand the big picture.

Who do you think is the greatest Albertan ever?
Peter Lougheed, without a doubt. I don\'t think Alberta would have the same high standard of living that we enjoy today without his hard work.

In 100 years, will you warrant your own chapter in the history books, a footnote to great events or a single Google hit?
For me personally, none of the above although I think Tristone will have a footnote in this new energy environment.