Meet Andrew Mushore

Andrew got his pilot’s license before starting university, but it wasn’t really his idea at the time. “My Dad knew I was afraid of heights and thought flight school was the solution.” However, Andrew took on the challenge—not just the airborne part, but all the theory, navigation, and meteorology. “It was all worth it in the end,” he surmises. But he says it didn’t cure his fear of heights! It just distracted him, while worrying about his flight checklist, the rudder and everything else. “The best thing about flying is that you’re basically assigned a three-dimensional air space to do and see whatever you want—it’s the ultimate freedom.”

On the move, but settled now

“I’ve moved around a fair bit,” Andrew recalls. “I grew up in southern Africa but decided to move away for university and settled on New York City.” His education there led to work on Wall Street. As if that wasn’t a big enough culture shock, he then moved to Colorado to work as an art dealer. “I dealt with Zimbabwean stone sculptures—some pieces as tall as 20 feet—which made them rather hard to move around.” Along the way, Andrew married a Canadian he had met while living in Zimbabwe, and—long story short—is now a happy family man living in Canada.

A good walk spoiled

Andrew loves sports and has succumbed to the lure of golf, complete with all its frustrations. “Somehow, those few shots I get during a round are enough to bring me back and do it all again,” he jokes. “I’d like to become a better golfer,” he claims, “and so far, I’m at the stage where I can make it around the course and not embarrass myself.” He is an avid soccer fan and a passionate supporter of Liverpool Football club. He also enjoys basketball and tennis, but mostly as a spectator. And baseball? Well, not so much. “I find it a bit boring,” he confesses. “And I used to play cricket so believe me, I know what boring is.”

What’s the news?

Andrew is a bit of a news fanatic. “I watch and read a lot of news, sometimes to my wife’s dismay,” he quips. It’s rarely Canadian news, he admits, and mostly international, opting for CNN, BBC, or Al Jazeera. “American news is like a soap opera,” says Andrew. “And I like the provocative stuff on Fox—I think some of it is designed to stoke anger rather than provide real news, which is why I find it so fascinating.”

Home life at an easy pace

Weekends and weeknights are for family, according to Andrew. “I try to spend as much time as I can with my daughters, who are six and two. I feel like they may have been spoiled by all the family time during the lockdowns, especially now that our two-year-old is adjusting to daycare away from home.” Andrew reflects on the pandemic as a time to recalibrate and decide what is important in life. “Nowadays people will ask me if a I had a good weekend, I’ll say I did because I just spent the whole time with my family.”

Inclusive and tolerant

“I heard great things about the B. Riley Farber culture before I joined, and then found out it’s true,” says Andrew. “Everyone is invested in each other’s success, and that goes from top to bottom.” He sums up the culture as inclusive open-minded and innovative. “It all promotes good work habits and ethics and I’m proud to be part of it.”

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