Vanguard Magazine

gamE ChANgeR 42 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 www.vanguardcanada.com See the full interview online Abir Kazan has over 20 years of diverse management experience in the defence and aerospace industry. In April 2018, she was nominated as the capture man- ager for SkyAlyne – a partnership be- tween Canadian aerospace and defence companies CAE and KF Aerospace; formed to compete for the Future Air- crew Training (FAcT) Program. FAcT is Canada's ambitious, next-generation training and support program for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The contract is expected to be awarded in 2023. Q How did you start out in this industry and how has it brought you to where you are today? After a brief stint in telecoms, I started my journey in the defence and security industry with CAE in 2001. I've held roles as a proposal manager, project manager and now as the capture man- ager for SkyAlyne – CAE's partnership with KF Aerospace formed to compete for the Royal Canadian Air Force's Fu- ture Aircrew Training (FAcT) Program. Along the way, I've found my ex- perience has highlighted my inherent strengths, namely my customer-focus and my organizational and communica- tions skills. It has further broadened my ability to comprehend, recommend, re- view and challenge the overall solution in support of the costing and the author- ing of a winning government proposal. Q What is your role at your organization today? As the capture manager for SkyAlyne, I lead a team of experts from across Can- ada to prepare our proposal for FAcT. The FAcT program will be the most ex- tensive service contract in RCAF history (and one of the largest in Canadian his- tory). In addition to being responsible for leading our capture team, I serve as our interface with the Canadian government as we go through the process. Q What was your most challenging moment? Every phase in a career has its challenges; I've always embraced these as opportu- nities to step out of my comfort zone and learn, adapt, create and grow. After I switched industries early in my career and stepped into the unchartered terri- tory of defence, I focused on building relationships and surrounding myself with experts to gain the knowledge I needed. Q What was your "aha" moment or epiphany that you think will resonate most with our reader, tell us that story? I realized early on during my career that driving results comes from proper stake- holder management and engagement. When stakeholders understand the con- text and the importance of a request and how it relates to their objectives, they will be positively engaged and motivated to deliver results. Q What is the one thing that has you most fired up today? With SkyAlyne and the FAcT program, we have a chance to do something very special in the world of Canadian defence. Not only are we presenting a truly Cana- dian option for aircrew training to DND, but I'm thrilled to see the investment and advancement in technologies. Exciting in- novations in Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality (VR/AR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), data analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT) will be integrated into our programs and improve aircrew training throughput for the RCAF. Q What is a habit that contributes to your success? Having a positive attitude and energy keeps me motivated and productive and affects my co-workers and team. I truly believe that people are drawn to positive energy. That is key to building solid re- lationships based on respect, trust, open- ness, transparency, and ultimately, being successful at working together and bid- ding on large and complex government procurements. Q How has innovation become engrained in your organization's culture and how is it being optimized? Innovation is well-ingrained in the cul- tures of our parent companies KF Aero- space and CAE. For example, in 2018, CAE announced a $1 billion, 5-year in- vestment program in innovation to stay at the forefront of the global training indus- try. In October 2020, CAE also became Canada's first carbon-neutral aerospace company. This culture of innovation will flow into SkyAlyne as we build a Canadi- an-based solution to the RCAF's future aircrew training needs. Q What is your parting piece of advice? Be courageous and don't shy away from challenges! Overcoming the challenges helps you grow and be a better version of yourself. Abir KAzAn cAPTure mAnAger SkyAlyne

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