Ep 508 - Generously Giving Guest: Megan Owen-Evans

Conversations That Matter

Ep 508 - Generously Giving

Guest: Megan Owen-Evans

By Stuart McNish

In the book “Why Good Things Happen to Good People,” Stephen Post writes that “giving to others” has been shown to increase health benefits. A separate study by Michael Norton from Harvard Business School revealed that “people are happier when they spend money on others versus themselves.” Megan Owen-Evans went far beyond the giving of money – she donated a kidney and part of her liver to two different anonymous recipients.

“Donating a kidney or a part of your liver is an enormous undertaking,” says Owen-Evans. “Not only do you need to take time for the surgery and recovery, [but] you also undergo a plethora of tests that consume vast amounts of time” – time that takes the donor away from work and family. “The cost in lost salary is significant.”

Fully aware of the impact on donors, Owen-Evans set out to change the financial impact on these generous souls who give of themselves. As President of Neptune Terminals, Owen-Evans established a new policy: “paid time off for donors.” It's a concept that is gaining support from other major employers in British Columbia, such as Beedie Development and the David Foster Foundation.

We invited Megan Owen-Evans to join us for a Conversation That Matters about corporate giving that supports employees and offers the gift of life to people in desperate need.

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca