Inspirations Entrepreneurial Award | Selwood wins award for trailblazing work at the Fairmont

by Nicole Proano

The setting where Derek Selwood found out he’d been nominated and won the Inspirations Entrepreneurial Award was fitting given the nature of it. The award, sponsored by Henry Zavriyev, recognizes outstanding individuals in the special needs community who are excelling at their job, provide a valuable service or who have demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit.

Selwood, 52, was on break from his job in the laundry department at the hotel Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth when he pulled out his phone to discover the happy news in an email. “It was quite the surprise,” he said. “It was something I really wasn’t expecting, but it was nice to get the recognition that I really did play quite the role in the whole program.”

Selwood became the first Polaris Enterprise program employee at the Fairmont in June 2022. His trailblazing tenure has been such a hit that the hotel hired more autistic people, with plans to continue the hiring. The assistant director of housekeeping at the Fairmont, Sylvie Brkovic, said it’s all because of Selwood. “It was a huge success in our department, in our hotel,” she said. “It’s because of him, his character, the way he is. He showed us that we can all do it. We can all adapt to help each other.”

When Selwood first joined Polaris, an employment readiness and vocational program, run by Giant Steps in collaboration with Loblaws, he was pleasantly surprised to discover Fabienne Presentey would be his job coach. Selwood and Presentey had met 10 years prior, when he was first diagnosed with autism. The two worked together closely throughout some of that time, including when Selwood endeavored to start his own furniture refurbishing company.

Now, Presentey says she’s thrilled to witness how far Selwood has come since they first met. “Honest, humility and hard work,” she said is how she would describe him. “This man has harnessed all of that and he continues to be determined. I’m just really thrilled that this worked out for him.”

In his free time, Selwood enjoys reading books about automobiles, watching Formula 1 races, taking long walks along the canal and spending time with friends. Refurbishing remains a favourite hobby and, in the future, he hopes to put his Diploma of Vocational Studies certificate in furniture finishing from Rosemount Technology Centre back to use on a part-time basis. And with a bit of his own advice, it’s only a matter of time. “Believe in yourself and surround yourself with people who really believe in your abilities,” Selwood said. “If you can think it, you can do it.”

Nominate your entrepreneur at info@inspirationsnews.com.