But he must be patient within the tobacco industry where things move carefully, hinged on pending legislation, unclear government regulations and plans, litigation, and a lack of tools to market new products in any traditional way or even to help develop longterm strategies. Barnett has one of the more challenging jobs in Canada, beset with significant problems such as frustrating anti-tobacco protests, lack of opportunities for dialogue with government representatives, and ethical considerations. On the other hand, the search for products and innovations is stimulating and the staff rapport, enjoyable. While most of his career has been spent in the beer business, with Carling O'Keefe breweries of Canada and Molson in both Canada and the U.S., it's his second sojourn with Rothmans. He worked at Rothmans of Pall Mall Canada as controller for eight months in the early 1970s, recruited by Rothmans, a client, from Price Waterhouse.
Every business needs a scorekeeper.
I had no idea of what I wanted to do or where I wanted to live, so I looked for a profession that would give flexibility both in geography and type of business. Chartered accountancy is a training ground no matter what product or service you sell. During the auditing training process, you see a lot of businesses, which helps you figure out your goals and ambitions. And it wanted someone whose past experience would give some empathy for smokers and brand loyalty. There are a lot of similarities between beer and cigarettes.