Vanguard Magazine

gAme CHANGER 42 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 www.vanguardcanada.com See the full interview online Q How did you start out in this field and how has it brought you to where you are today? About 30 years ago while still serving in the Canadian Armed Forces, I became a member of the Royal Canadian Legion. At that time, a family member was serv- ing as the branch president and needed help sorting out some project issues. As a non-commissioned officer I was fortu- nate to have solid problem-solving skills and organizational abilities related to event planning. I was able to combine these things with my management ex- pertise and put them to good use at the branch. The rest is history. I served the Legion locally, provincially and then nationally. My Legion back- ground and my military history created the perfect mix of experience that led me to my current role. Q What is your role at your organi- zation today? As Dominion President, I must ensure our continued role as a strong advocate for our veterans and communities, as well as our national promotion of remem- brance. I am helping to drive increased membership, open to all Canadians, and the modernization of our infrastructure and branch activities to better serve our audiences. I will oversee increased inter- action with our government and com- munity partners, to share more about what we do and what our veterans need. I want more Canadians to understand we are not only this country's largest veteran and community service organization, we are the best at what we do – and our as- sistance doesn't cost a thing. Q What was your most challenging moment? My jump from the provincial level to the national level in 2004. I went from chairman of a small Legion Command to the chairman of Dominion Command. I went from running meetings as large as 300 members to those involving 2,000 members. It was overwhelming, and truly tested my skills. In many ways it was foundational to the work that was to come – we have 275,000 members across the country and interacting with large crowds is an integral part of my role. Q What is the one thing that has you most fired up today? The interconnectivity of moderniza- tion and membership. Admittedly, some members of the Legion are living in the past and don't like change, but we must in order to fulfill our mission. I know that doing things the way we've always done them will lead to obsolescence. Many Canadian industries and organiza- tions are facing similar struggles. I want to see us welcome an increasing number of members, both everyday Canadians and today's veterans. We have so much to offer them. Our 1,400 branches re- main a source of comradeship, fun, and assistance. We also have service officers in all our branches who can help veterans (currently serving and retired) access the support they need. At our recent Dominion Convention in August, our members liked some as- pects of modernization, such as online membership processing, and this bodes well for the future. The challenge of forging a new path is energizing. Q What is the best advice you received? When it comes to this organization: lis- ten to your members. As a bottom up organization, our members are the true decision-makers. I have spent 25 years talking with them and listening directly to their concerns which is a "must do" for leaders of any large organization. Since our branches and Commands are able to initiate change within the Legion, I firmly believe that the best way for us to serve our veterans and our communi- ties, is to pay close attention to our base, composed primarily of veterans and their family members. Q What are some of the biggest impediments to innovation in your organization? Age, and the accompanying reluctance to change parts of an important institu- tion that has been around for nearly 100 years. The majority of our members are over 60 years old and are not comfort- able with modern online systems, wheth- er computers or social media. Their social interests and views on what defines a vet- eran are also much different than those of today's veterans and families. Our hope is that by letting more Canadians know that anyone who supports our mission is welcome to come on board, young and old can work together and learn from one another. Q What is your parting piece of advice? Take the time to observe closely. Listen to your members, your industry experts and your staff. No single person can run a large organization alone and do it well – teamwork is fundamental. Also, surround yourself with like-minded individuals – those who believe in your vision – to get the job done. tHomaS D. IrvIne, CD DoMinion PresiDent the royaL Canadian Legion

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