No one can say that Steve Bourassa hasn’t earned his dues. Starting out as a delivery driver for a distributor, hard work has propelled his career on an upward trajectory, leading him to his current role as director of product and pricing for Nokian Tyres North America.

Bourassa balances his time between working in the abstract world of products and pricing and working with the customers that he directly supports. Though his day starts with several hours in what he calls “Excel Hell,” the opportunity to get into the field helps to invigorate him, balancing his workload between the real world and the one on the computer screen.

When asked, Bourassa’s super-power of choice reflects the work ethic that got him to where he is in his career.

“I’d like the ability to teleport from one location to another,” he says. “This would give me the ability to travel for work and make it back in time for dinner with my family.”

Fun Fact: Bourassa wanted to be a marine biologist when he was a child and has often thought that he might have made a good engineer.

The advice that Bourassa cites as being most responsible for his success is simple, effective and no-nonsense: “Nobody cares about excuses so work harder! “

“The people in the tire industry are good, hard-working people. Jobs in the industry are plentiful and varied and can accommodate nearly all skill levels and expertise,” Bourassa says. “Early in my career, I came to notice that the tire industry was able to sustain a small entrepreneur, a mid-sized family business or a large multinational corporation. I found this to be very appealing and welcoming aspect of the industry that keeps me engaged.”

As for the future of the industry, Bourassa sees a change coming, not just in what the tires look like or how they are purchased, but who it is that’s doing the buying.

“Growth in car sharing and autonomous driving will change who is purchasing tires. The shift will move away from individual consumers and move towards large fleet companies.”