“Most people don’t understand what it’s like to be a business owner,” Anh-Tai Vuong says.
“You don’t just run into other CEOs at the grocery store who understand what it means to carry that kind of responsibility.”
“Most people don’t understand what it’s like to be a business owner,” Anh-Tai Vuong says.
“You don’t just run into other CEOs at the grocery store who understand what it means to carry that kind of responsibility.”
For years, Anh-Tai had built his success on instinct and determination. As CEO of DuroVac, he transformed a niche industrial vacuum provider into a multi-million-dollar powerhouse. The numbers were strong, and the company was thriving, but the solitary nature of leadership brought its own challenges.
Every major decision—hiring executives, transitioning shareholders, repositioning the brand—landed on his shoulders. There was no roadmap, no sounding board, and no one who understood the weight of the choices he faced.
As DuroVac scaled, so did the complexity of leadership. He had built his business by trusting himself, but he needed something more if he wanted to take it to the next level.
“I thought I was supposed to have all the answers,”
In 2021, TEC Chair Suzie Beaudoin reached out to Anh-Tai about a potential seat in her TEC CEO group. She saw him as a leader with the vision and drive to grow beyond his current limits—and one who was navigating those challenges alone.
At first, Anh-Tai hesitated. Time was already in short supply, and stepping away from day-to-day operations felt like a risk, but deep down, he knew something had to change.
“I thought I was supposed to have all the answers,” he admits. “What I really needed was the right people to challenge me—to ask me the tough questions I wasn’t asking myself.”
A Seat at the Right Table
Walking into his first TEC Canada peer group meeting, he expected to sit back, listen, and take notes. Instead, he found himself in a room full of battle-tested leaders—people who weren’t just talking about business theory but were actively leading, problem-solving, and making high-stakes decisions every day.
They didn’t hold back.
Early in his TEC Canada member journey, he presented a problem that had been consuming him: a major leadership restructuring at DuroVac. He was overanalyzing every move, unsure of how to proceed. One of his peers listened, then cut straight through the noise.
“You’re overcomplicating this. Here’s what you need to do.”
That clarity saved him months of indecision.
“You sit at a table with people who have battle scars,” Anh-Tai says. “They don’t sugarcoat. They challenge you in ways that force you to see your blind spots. And that’s what makes the biggest impact.”
From Insight to Action
TEC Canada wasn’t just about gaining new perspectives—it was about execution. Every meeting sparked real, tangible action. With the support of his group, Anh-Tai led three major initiatives that reshaped DuroVac’s future:
- Profit-Sharing Program: Rewarded employees and reinforced long-term commitment in a volatile labour market.
- Founder Transition: Successfully navigated the retirement of three out of four company founders, ensuring stability, preserving institutional knowledge, and maintaining company culture.
- Leadership Restructure: Shifted DuroVac from a flat hierarchy to a six-manager leadership team, allowing the company to scale beyond him.
“Before TEC, I thought being a leader meant carrying everything alone,” he says.
“Now, I have a team that runs the business with me, not just for me.”
The Transformation of a Leader
Since joining TEC, Anh-Tai has led DuroVac through its most transformative years. The company has doubled sales in five years, tripled EBITDA, and solidified its position as a top North American industrial vacuum provider.
Beyond the numbers, the biggest shift is in how he leads.
“Before TEC, I was a creative leader—I had big ideas, but I lacked structure. Now, I’m an impactful leader. I don’t just have the vision—I have execution, and my team feels that shift.”
With a stronger leadership team, a clearer strategy, and the confidence to make high-stakes decisions, Anh-Tai is no longer leading from a place of isolation. He’s leading with vision, clarity, and support.
A Message to CEOs at a Crossroads
For business owners and CEOs weighing whether joining TEC Canada is worth it, Anh-Tai has one simple message.
“If you’re even thinking about it, it probably means you need it.”
Leadership doesn’t get easier, but it gets better when you surround yourself with the right people.
“Great leaders don’t have all the answers. They know where to find them. You can’t afford to make every decision in a vacuum.
Find the right people. Get out of your own head. And when you get good advice, act on it. That’s what TEC Canada taught me.”
Anh-Tai Vuong’s story demonstrates the power of shared wisdom, real accountability, and stepping out of isolation to make smarter, stronger decisions.
No CEO, no matter how successful, should have to go it alone.
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