Vanguard Magazine

GAME CHANGER 40 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 www.vanguardcanada.com See the full interview online Q What is your role at your organization today? As CEO, my role is to build and drive the organization, to modernize process- es to make us faster and more efficient, and to allow us to adapt and respond to changing customer requirements. We have a great interface with military and law enforcement teams, which acceler- ates our business development strategy. Q What was your most challenging moment? Aside from convincing my young fam- ily to relocate to the U.K. from Canada, my biggest challenge was buying the business, while still running business development. It was critical to keep the business performing and delivering for customers. The acquisition was tough but working with a great partner like the Pasqua First Nation Group (PFN) ensured the acquisition ran smoothly and I was able to focus on growing the business. PFN was able to provide sup- port and guide us through the process while we concentrated on the mechanics of running the business. (NP Aerospace was jointly acquired by the PFN Group of Companies and James Kempston, a former NP Aerospace Executive. PFN is 100 per cent owned by Pasqua First Na- tion in Canada). Q What was your "aha" moment or epiphany that you think will resonate most with our reader? Tell us that story? There was a point during the acquisi- tion where I had to consider whether I wanted to continue to work for someone else or take a leap of faith and run it as an independent business. It was by far the harder option but was the right one for the end-users, the staff and for me. There are other moments when I hear from servicemen and women whose lives have been saved by our products, that's when I realize the value of what we do every day. Q What is the one thing that has you most fired up today? The ability to use technology and advanc- es in materials manufacturing to save the lives of soldiers and law enforcement and ultimately to bring our loved ones home. This is by far the most valuable aspect of being a CEO in this business. Q What is the best advice you received? Do what you love. The money will come after. Listen 70 per cent of the time and talk for only 30 per cent of the time. This is critical in an industry where the end-user needs are the difference be- tween life or death. Q What people or organizations do you believe best embody the innovation mindset? Companies that have a strong founda- tion and an ability to modernize and adapt quickly to changing market needs are the ones that best embody innova- tion. Q What are some of the biggest impediments to innovation in your industry sector? The ability for governments to commu- nicate openly on what they need or what they want is a challenge for industry. Con- tractor rules have an impact on govern- ment to industry communication making it harder for companies to innovate. Q How has innovation become engrained in your organization's culture and how is it being optimized? We have a strong technology roadmap driven by customer demands, a solid busi- ness development strategy and a continual program of manufacturing technology en- hancements. It's not just about products, it's about how you build the business and deliver products in the fastest and most cost-effective way. The Amazon effect of 'buy today receive tomorrow' is just as important in defence and security, as it is in consumer markets. We are fully focused on enhancing our capabilities to ensure our products are better and the customer experience is better. Q What technologies, business models, and trends will drive the biggest changes in your industry over the next two years? E-commerce and the drive to acceler- ate the speed of response are the factors that will push the biggest change in our market. It's no good to develop the lat- est technologies if your business processes are not adapting. As an independent SME with extensive on-site R&D capabilities and ISO approved ballistic testing, we are able to shorten cycle time through rapid prototyping and testing. Q What is your parting piece of advice? I will repeat, do what you love. The mon- ey will come after. Often you are better off delivering 100 per cent of the 80 per cent solution rather than striving for the 100 per cent solution, which is never realized. Achieving perfection is a good thing but it can impact speed to market, which is criti- cal in this industry. James Kempston chief executive Officer NP AerosPAce

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