Amber Kanwar first walked into Business News Network (BNN) six years ago. Starting as an intern bringing coffee to guests and running around the newsroom helping producers, she worked her way up to segment producer, and now as a well-known anchor on BNN and host to the technology show, The Disruptors. BNN’s homegrown product, Kanwar specializes in equity markets and is a master at financial reporting.
Enjoying the opportunities and success that have come her way, Kanwar defines her journey as being unexpected and thrilling. “Unexpected because I never thought I had an aptitude for finance; thrilling because I’ve come much farther than I thought I would,” elaborates Kanwar, who left Business School for Journalism School believing she would write about social injustice and inequality when she got out. “But that is a crowded field. There are fewer people in journalism who want to report on finance,” she adds.
So how did the talented Kanwar get interested in finance, equity and stock markets – topics which are far from being called interesting? “That’s been the biggest surprise of all,” she exclaims, “I love financial reporting. I get excited when it’s a central bank decision day. I love going through a financial statement trying to find a story.”
She points out that the best part about financial reporting is that it’s not all about bad news. “A lot of news reporting focuses on what’s going wrong in the world. But in business you get to look at triumphs and innovation.” Kanwar balances the good and the bad by speaking with people who literally had nothing but an idea and weaved that into a billion dollar business. “It’s contagious to be around that kind of energy.”
The young anchor reads a lot to keep herself updated about the market. “I try to listen more than I talk,” she adds. Each morning she spends an hour reading economist notes, equity research, and trader commentary. Throughout the day, she speaks to traders, investors and analysts who can tell her what is happening that day.
“Importantly, I get out of the newsroom. I have lunch and dinner with sources. That is where the real insight comes from. Reading notes gives you an understanding of what’s happening but going out and talking to people gives you the full picture of what is happening and why,” Kanwar says, revealing her work strategies.
Viewers love listening to Kanwar’s inputs and findings as she addresses them in simpler terms. “My goal every day is to make sure that even someone who has no financial knowledge understands what I am saying. I am vigilant against jargon. I don’t talk about “solutions” or “synergizing” or “shifting paradigms.”
One can see her passion towards technology when Kanwar declares that the tech sector is the most exciting part of business right now. “Canada is experiencing a tech renaissance,” she expresses, “Hundreds of dynamic and innovative companies are popping up across the country. These are Canadian companies that aren’t just national players, but global in dominance. The best part is that it is just beginning.”
In fact, it was this renaissance-like feeling that got her pitching the idea of a tech show (The Disruptors) to her boss. “I saw a resurgence in Canada’s tech sector and I wanted to make sure BNN was on the ground floor of it. It was important to be with these companies from scrappy startups to billion dollar titans,” she explains.
A few months after pitching it, entrepreneur Bruce Croxon walked in and said he’d like to do a show with BNN. “Our general manager naturally put the two of us together,” quips Kanwar.
The Disruptors is about how the world we are living in is changing at a breakneck pace. You can order a taxi, groceries and even your morning coffee all through your smartphone. Soon your fridge and your car will be hooked up to the internet. “Now, more than ever before in history, industries that have done business a certain way for decades will have to instantly adapt or risk extinction. Our show is about making sure the viewer is on top of all these changes,” states Kanwar.
Before parting we ask what her motto for success is. “Don’t let your failures define you, let them drive you,” answers Kanwar summing up.
