Dave Hancin has had two important mentors who influenced him - his stepfather who taught him integrity, generosity, patience and energy, and his former boss Charles Schustermann, a tough and successful entrepreneur. Hancin believes effective deal making requires both sides to find a mutually beneficial outcome where both sides can win. He develops strategy by starting with the ultimate goal in mind and creating actions to achieve that goal, ensuring the people and culture support the strategy. While he has experienced some painful business losses, maintaining family, friends, and their health has helped him keep losses in perspective. Hancin finds the most rewarding part of his job is seeing the people at DENTSPLY happy in their work.

1. 12 Spectrum dialogue – Vol. 12 No. 8 – September/October 2013
One Minute With...
Q.Who are your mentors?
A. My step father was a great positive influence on me when
I was 9-18. He had all the right stuff – integrity, a giving
heart, patience, and energy. I grew up in a working middle
class family where we always felt we had what we needed.
Also Charles Schustermann was a highly successful
entrepreneur whom I worked for between 1995 and 2002.
He built a private company that was an oil and gas
empire. Toughest, smartest, and fairest person I ever met.
His motto: “Dave, don’t tell me what is going well, tell me
what is not going well so that we can discuss how we
fix it.”
Q. You do not seem like a very still person….What is
the key to effective deal making?
A. I believe effective deal making starts with the
understanding that, for long term success to happen, both
sides must win. Understand the “win requirement” of your
partner, and work toward that and the optimization of
your own position. Always be willing to walk away if
there is not an opportunity for a mutually beneficial
outcome.
Q. How does one develop strategy?
A. I think a sound strategy starts with the ultimate goal in
mind. From there, we work toward developing a set of
actions, that if effectively executed will lead toward the
achievement of the goal. People and culture are the
foundation for any good strategy. You can have the most
exquisite plan ever devised, but if the people and the
culture do not support and sustain it, it is bound to fail.
The converse is also true. An average s t r a t e g y , i s
supported by the people and the culture, can lead to
achievement of the goal.
Q. You have had many big wins but also some
painful losses, How did you cope with them
later?
A. Age has helped. Really some of life’s twists and turns have
helped to put business losses in perspective. Family,
friends, and their health are the most important things
you can have.
Q. How do you maintain confidence?
A. By remembering where I have come from. I ate a lot of
Hamburger Helper as a kid. All of my good fortune has
Dave Hancin, Vice President & General Manager
DENTSPLY Canada
The globalization of the economy, the changing markets, the
shortening of the innovation cycle are all factors that have had
consequences for the dental laboratory business. Only those
individuals with the capability to accept change and be
innovative can thrive over the long-term in such evolving market
place.To successfully manage change, quality management needs
to be addressed in a timely manner; with this in mind in 2009
DENTSPLY Canada hired Mr. David Hancin as Vice President &
General Manager
Spectrum dialogue caught with Mr. Hancin during attendance at
a dental meeting and enjoyed a few minutes with him.

2. Spectrum dialogue – Vol. 12 No. 8 – September/October 2013 13
come as a result of the family that supports me, and the
people at DENTSPLY. Quality begets quality. I will also
say that I work hard at preparation. When I am prepared,
I feel very confident.
Q. To manage so well, do you delegate?
A. I believe that effective delegation is a core responsibility
of any good leader. My belief is that you judge leadership
by how well the business performs when the leader is not
around. If the culture remains intact, the strategy is
executed, and the goals are attained, one has built a high
performance organization. At DENTSPLY, we have a
team that owns the culture. They do not need me, they
need the culture.
Q. What is the secret of working so quickly
and productively?
A. Like the people I work with... I feel responsible to them.
Because of that, I stay fit and energized. I feel that I can
give “whatever it takes”. I love the industry, the company,
and the people I work with. In 4 years, I have only had 3-
4 “bad days”. Those were when I had to do Corporate
Budget Presentations.
Q. What is your biggest frustration?
A. My own limitations. “ I wish I knew then what I know
now”.
Q. What part of your job do you find most
challenging?
A. Balancing long term achievement of DENTSPLY business
goals, with short term expectations of the financial
markets. You have to deliver both.
Q. What part of your job do you find most
rewarding?
A. Seeing people happy to work at DENTSPLY. If they stay,
work hard, and enjoy being around each other, I have
been successful.
Q. What do you drive? What drives you?
A. A 10 year old Volkswagen Touareg. It is like your
favourite “old recliner”. To me a car is no more than a way
to get from point A to point B. What drives me is the
thrill of seeing my team happy and successful, and
secondly, the fear of failure – it is a powerful motivator for
any “type A”.
Q. Favourite holiday destination?
A. Whistler, or San Francisco and the rest of Northern
California.
Q. What really annoys you?
A. Lying and half truths, people who are p h o n e y , a n d
business politics. Each wastes time, money, careers, and
character.
Q. What gets you up in the morning?
A. My family – they are the reason I try to be the best I can
be. The team at DENTSPLY Canada, who are some great
people who are extraordinarily dedicated to each other,
our customers, and the company.

3. 14 Spectrum dialogue – Vol. 12 No. 8 – September/October 2013
Q. What do you do to relax?
A. I workout very hard every day. I watch cable news and
sports. I read whatever interests me. At times, I am a
“couch potato”.
Q. How do you create and balance success?
A. By ensuring that we have the culture in place to support
the long term success of our customers and DENTSPLY
Canada. It is all about making sure that each person on
the team understands and believes in the business goal,
and clearly sees how their job supports that goals
achievement – Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Operations
all play equal roles.
Q. Favourite book?
A. “All Quiet on the Western Front”. It is the truth about
war, young men and women sent to fight and die for the
fault of the senior leaders. If you read it, you will never
forget it.
Q. Who inspires you? Why?
A. Nancy, my wife. She possesses amazing courage and
positive attitude. My co-workers at DENTSPLY – they are
a very special group that are living the DENTSPLY values
every day – primarily hard work, the “Golden Rule”, and
taking care of customers.They are really GOOD people.
Q. Best characteristic?
A. Loyalty to everything I believe in, dedication to those I
love and work with, and a strong work ethic.
Q. Worst fault?
A. Impatience.
Q. Motto in life?
A. “The only shot you will never make, is the shot that you
never take” and, “Treat other people the way you expect
and want to be treated by them.”