Vanguard Magazine

42 APRIL/MAY 2021 www.vanguardcanada.com GAME CHANGER See the full interview online Q What is your role at your organization today? Currently, I am Vice President of Serco Canada Inc. Serco is a global company with over 55,000 employees across four main geographies: North America, The United Kingdom, and Europe, the Mid- dle East, and Australia. We are a full- service solutions company serving the defence, transport, and citizen services sectors. I manage our Canadian services- based business. This includes overseeing the 5 Wing Goose Bay contract (which we just recently secured for another 10- 20 years), air navigation support ser- vices in Moose Jaw, Drive Test Centers in Ontario, Security Guard testing, and most recently, Integrated Logistics Sup- port services. Serco is also interested in growing our presence in Canada, and we are currently looking at a number of exciting new opportunities. Q What was your most challenging moment? In this fast-paced environment, it seems like every day brings a new challenge! Serco is a leading provider of government services, and it's an absolute necessity to always be reimagining how we deliver services, how we bring value to the cus- tomer, and how we ensure our military, government or the citizens we serve are pleased with their experience. We chal- lenge ourselves to always question the status quo, to deliver process changes, and introduce enabling technologies that improve the value we bring to our customers. It is always looking to the fu- ture, staying abreast of emerging trends, and being innovative in our approach. It's exhilarating and rewarding to be able to work through those challenges and continue to bring service to life. Q What is the best advice you received? A piece of advice I received early on in my career and one that has really stuck with me is to own up to my mistakes. Easier said than done sometimes, this advice has guided me through some tough situations. Not only has it enabled me to gracefully accept the mistakes I've made over the years, but it taught me early on that it's okay to make mistakes. In business, you have to take risks sometimes to make a change, which means mistakes are inevitable. As a team leader, I work hard to cultivate an en- vironment where mistakes are okay be- cause if I can do that, I can cultivate a culture of innovation. Q What is a habit that contributes to your success? I would definitely say that listening has been the one habit/skill that has helped me the most in my career. Perhaps most importantly, it has allowed me to build trust with those around me in that they trust that I HEAR what they are saying. The simple act of consciously listening has enabled me to collect valuable infor- mation from employees, customers, and stakeholders over the years. Actively lis- tening has allowed me to draw insights and ultimately solve complex operational challenges faster than any other business skill/tool. The worst thing you can do as a leader is cut yourself off from what is really happening in your business. Q What are some of the biggest impediments to innovation in your industry sector? One of the biggest impediments to inno- vation in the defence sector is time – both too much of it in some instances and not enough of it in others. At Serco, our big- gest customer by far is Government. It's no great secret that when you're dealing with Government and Government pro- curement, things take time. But Innova- tion happens quickly – change is measured in days and months, not years. Bringing innovation to Government contracts can be challenging as a result. Persistence is the name of the game. Q How has innovation become engrained in your organization's culture and how is it being optimized? Strength through diversity is a long-stand- ing core tenant at Serco. Our company's success depends upon our people. Our main purpose is "to be a trusted partner of governments, delivering superb pub- lic services, that transform outcomes and make a positive difference for our fellow citizens". To truly impact our fellow citi- zens, we need to understand them which is why we view differences as strengths. Every team at Serco reflects the commu- nities in which we work. At 5 Wing Goose Bay, Serco has provided critical Site Sup- port Services to the Royal Canadian Air Force for over 21 years. We have fostered an environment where our entire team is encouraged to bring their whole selves to work - we embrace different ideas, cultures, genders, backgrounds, and pas- sions. Strength through diversity isn't just a throw-away corporate tagline. At Serco, it is supported by policies and procedures that are woven into the very fabric of our day-to-day work. Our team's unique per- spectives, experiences, and backgrounds ultimately result in innovative approaches to meeting our customer's needs. Q What is your parting piece of advice? Never be afraid to be your authentic self in the workplace. I believe authenticity is the foundation of strong teams and further- more, strong companies. NATASHA MCLEAN VICE PRESIDENT SERCO CANADA INC.

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