Executives free to live where they want – with a tradeoff

Executives are increasingly free to live anywhere, if they’re willing to accept epic commutes — Boston to Edmonton, anyone?

When Rich Allen was offered the job as chief operating officer at Stantec, a design consulting firm based in Edmonton, Alberta, he made one thing clear: He wasn’t going to move.

Allen, who lives with his wife and eighth-grade daughter in a suburb south of Boston, wasn’t willing to uproot his family and knew that he would be on the road a lot regardless of where he lived, visiting the company’s 130 offices and handling mergers and acquisitions around the globe.

Allen isn’t the only Stantec executive based off-site. Of the 12-member leadership team at the 10,000-employee company, only three people are based in Edmonton.

“We have to be in a lot of locations,’’ said Allen, 55. “It would be unworkable if we were all in Edmonton.’’

By Katie Johnston Chase

Full Story: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/03/14/executives_free_to_live_where_they_want___with_a_tradeoff/