In the Air - HRAI Industry News

Days after a second hip replacement and days before his scheduled retirement, Ray Newstead reflects on a fulfilling career and looks forward to a bright future. 

After decades spent navigating balance sheets, building teams, and shaping some of Canada’s leading HVAC distribution businesses, Ray Newstead is preparing to step away from the daily grind. But if you ask him, “retirement” doesn’t quite capture what comes next. 

“I still love what I do, don’t get me wrong,” Ray says. “However, it’s time for a change for me.” 

That change comes at the end of a long and varied career; one that began in accounting and steadily expanded into something much broader. A CPA by training, Ray built his early career in industrial manufacturing, working with companies producing chemicals like chlorine and caustic soda. “So being involved with the manufacturing side of the business… that gave me a lot of understanding,” he recalls. That grounding would later shape how he approached the HVAC and distribution world. 

By the mid-1990s, Ray had moved into wholesale distribution, eventually joining what became Sonepar Canada. There, and through subsequent roles, he developed a reputation not just as a financial leader, but as someone deeply curious about how businesses truly function. 

“I had a hunger for operations and other aspects of the business, sales included,” he says with a laugh. “I always stuck my nose in other people’s business and had my fingers in everybody’s pie.” 

That curiosity became a defining trait. Rather than staying siloed, Ray sought to understand the full lifecycle of a business, from supplier constraints to customer expectations. “Understanding, really, from start to finish of a transaction and the importance of that,” he says, “that’s been key.” 

It also shaped his philosophy of leadership. Early in his career, a lesson from the sales side stuck with him: “If you’re here, bring value. Otherwise, you’re nothing but cost.” It’s a mindset he carried forward, emphasizing that every role contributes to the customer experience. “Whether it’s accounts payable, purchasing, or sales, we all have to serve that customer,” he says. “That’s who pays our bills.” 

Ray’s entry into HVAC came with Independent Supply, where he rose to CFO and helped guide the company through a period of rapid growth and eventual sale. From there, leadership roles followed, including senior positions at Refrigerative Supply and EMCO, where he oversaw broad operations across the wholesale business. 

Looking back, Ray doesn’t point to a single achievement, but rather the people and organizations that shaped him. “I’ve been fortunate… to work with a number of different organizations,” he says. “And to work with some really good leaders and people who took me under their wings.” 

He also found purpose in helping businesses improve. “What I love to do is get in and help good companies be better,” he says. “Good comes in different forms… taking a piece of that good and bringing it together can make it excellence.” 

Now, as retirement approaches, his focus is shifting, though not disappearing. With grandchildren in the picture, time has taken on new meaning. “My time is… I don’t want to sound depressing, but my time is fleeting,” he says candidly. “So it’s time now to think about where you put your hours.” 

That doesn’t mean stepping away entirely. Ray envisions continuing to contribute in a more flexible way. “I’d like to see myself help companies improve on a more part-time basis,” he says. “Come in and help them with specific things, rather than the 60-plus hour weeks.” 

He’s equally committed to giving back, something that has long been part of his life. From industry associations like HRAI to charitable work, including a decade with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of BC, Ray sees volunteering as essential. “We work to deliver a lifestyle for ourselves and our family,” he says, “but we also have a lot to offer back.” 

As he looks ahead to time at the family cabin, to consulting, to community work, Ray’s tone is not one of departure, but of continuation. 

“Absolutely,” he says, when asked if he’ll stay connected to the industry. “Wherever I can help.” 

For someone who has spent a career building, improving, and connecting, it’s clear that while one chapter is closing, the story is still being written and the future, much like Ray himself, remains full of possibility.