In the mid-1990s, an enterprising California kid began working part-time as a data entry assistant for Q-Plus Labs, when it was still based in the owner’s garage in Rancho Santa Margarita. Little did Mike Lyons know that his side gig in high school would lead to a rewarding career as a respected metrology expert.

Not so long ago, you would have found Seong Ah Jo working behind the scenes in Korea’s fast-paced world of sports broadcasting. These days, cranes are her comfort zone — and Canada’s crane operators could not be happier about that.