Vanguard Magazine

GAME CHANGER 44 APRIL/MAY 2021 www.vanguardcanada.com See the full interview online Q What is your role at your organi- zation today? As Vice President of the Aerospace Plat- forms Business Unit, my role is to pro- vide strategic vision, enable the team to achieve that vision, and provide day-to- day operational leadership, ensuring that the organization continues to provide in- novative, robust solutions to the mainte- nance, productivity, and safety challenges of critical equipment used in the industry. None of this would be possible without prioritizing an achievement-oriented cul- ture that emphasizes collaboration, diver- sity, and customer service. Q What was your most challenging moment? Without a doubt, my most challeng- ing 'moment' continues to be the CO- VID-19 pandemic. Aside from the significant impact on various industries and organizations, the biggest impact by far has been felt by individuals, and our employees are our greatest asset. Gastops has been through many difficult times over the years and has not only persevered but has emerged from the challenges in a stronger position. En- suring the safety and well-being of our team differentiates this one, but due to the passion, dedication, and character of the people within our organization, I have no doubt that this will also be the case when the world emerges from this pandemic. Q What was your "aha" moment or epiphany that you think will resonate most with our reader, tell us that story? Recently I have learned that to build a strong and enduring business, you need to build a strong, resilient, accountable team. A team that is motivated and en- couraged to trust and rely on each other, as well as call each other out, to ensure that the desired goals are attained. It will get messy at times, but messy can be a good thing. Messy will force the team to learn, adapt, grow, and ultimately suc- ceed. In the end, that is what we are all striving for; to be successful, whether it be in the workplace and/or life. Success comes in many forms and is not "one size fits all". Q What is the one thing that has you most fired up today? When I look around at the staff within our organization, across all four of our locations, I am excited about what the future holds for Gastops. The talent that we have is second to none. But, more importantly, we have a group of individuals, working collaboratively to form a cohesive team. When I look at the programs that we are currently a part of, and programs that we are developing solutions for, the sky is the limit. Q What is a habit that contributes to your success? Often, I find myself in situations that did not go the way I had envision. Self-re- flection is a habit/practice that has done me well over the years. Taking the time to reflect on various situations and the outcome achieved; followed by an as- sessment of what I could have done dif- ferently to achieve an ideal outcome. This ultimately leads to a conscious decision to change how I approach situations moving forward, implementing the learnings from past experiences. This comes from a place of continuously wanting to evolve; to do and be a better person, son, father, hus- band, employee, and leader. Q How has innovation become engrained in your organization's culture and how is it being optimized? There is a history of innovation at Gas- tops that is recognized and reflected in our culture. In addition to our Engineer- ing team, we have a dedicated Research and Innovation department constantly working on potential next-generation technologies. That said, our leadership team regularly looks for ways to better in- spire and operationalize innovation. We believe that innovation should be core to every aspect of the business as we strive for the revolutionary improvement in pro- cess effectiveness, efficiency, and technol- ogy with the goal of continually increasing the value we provide to our current and future customers. Q What technologies, business models, and trends will drive the biggest changes in your industry over the next two years? The biggest trend to monitor is the return of commercial air travel and when that triggers a return to pre-COVID aircraft engine manufacturing levels. Gastops will continue to explore emerging sensing technologies, but over the next years, the evolving landscape of digitization, IIOT, big data, cybersecurity, and the emer- gence of digital twins is expected to drive the biggest changes in the industry. In terms of business models, where SaaS has become commonplace for companies all over the world, the concept is now evolv- ing to include exploring opportunities for capital equipment as a service. KIDUIKA DANIEL OBEDI VICE PRESIDENT, AEROSPACE PLATFORMS BUSINESS UNIT GASTOPS LTD.

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