Vanguard Magazine

42 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021 www.vanguardcanada.com GAME CHANGER See the full interview online Q How did you start out in the indus- try and how has it brought you to where you are today? When I started, it was all about network- ing and connectivity. I was interested in the foundational components of technol- ogy, a perspective that saw the network as the basis for easily connecting everything together. At that time, the industry was not product- or consumer-centric. It was more about the availability of network con- nections and having robust architectures. More recently, the industry has become focused on the customer and the product. Q What is your role at your organization today? As CTO, I wear many hats. Primarily, I en- sure our engineers design and implement what our clients are looking for. Bench- mark Corp is closing the gap between spe- cific solutions and open-source software. Our customer-centric background is de- rived from many different industries and allows us to quickly recognize customer needs. Our approach requires a different perspective from that of a software vendor. My role is two-fold: one, ensure we provide solutions to the challenges customers have; and two, articulate this to the customer in a clear and understandable manner. Q What was your "aha" moment or epiphany that you think will resonate most with our readers? The "aha" moment was realizing all cus- tomers, from healthcare to banking to the military and the federal government, face the same digital transformation chal- lenges. They may be at different points in their journey to the Cloud, but existing solutions don't appear to work for them. Most failures in digital transformation are due to practices that don't deliver ex- pected benefits. We need to focus more on the challenges people are facing and change practices to motivate the people who create and scale the solutions. Q What is the best advice you received? It relates to career growth and getting people motivated to transform and inno- vate. When people think of career growth they think of promotions. Earlier in my career, I felt the same. But I was advised to focus on the value you create for the organization, and the rewards will come based upon your impact. I feel that's im- portant. When people are motivated to transform rather than aim for the next promotion, the foundation for innova- tion and digital transformation is laid. Q What is a habit that pivots to your success? I have two habits. One, always treat ev- eryone with respect and with a supportive attitude. Take time to say hello, and see what you can do for them. Second, pri- oritize your own mental health. You can't empathize with others unless you are in equilibrium. I walk my daughter through the park every morning and laugh when she finds the mud puddles. Every eve- ning, I go for trail rides to expend energy and clear my head. This helps maintain my own balance and stability and I am better equipped to support others. Q What people or organizations do you believe best embody the innova- tion mindset? In an organization committed to re- inventing systems and offering unique solutions, ironically this works best if no one works a full day. Innovation will occur if people have enough time for self-development and innovation. Very few organizations mandate self-develop- ment. I meet with my team to ensure they spend time on innovation and self-devel- opment rather than overworking them- selves. This is key in innovative companies and is what should be measured. Q How has innovation become ingrained in your organization's culture and how is it being more optimized? Benchmark Corp has a two-step process. First, leadership advocates for innovation, and second, ensures people have time to do it. The key component is excitement, but excitement must translate into suc- cessful action. With supportive leadership, people come up with genuinely creative ideas. Individuals who receive this support work with greater enthusiasm. At Bench- mark Corp, we encourage leaders to use their experience to clear the path for in- novation and creativity. Leaders advocate for innovation and guide its creation, to reinforce the excitement. It becomes a cy- cle of innovation and production. Valuing research and development leads directly to new products, services, and outcomes. For example, our R&D team is currently pioneering a framework to orchestrate agility and automation for DevSecOps so- lutions. Q What is your parting piece of advice? Thinking a ship is so big it can't change direction needs to be challenged. It is not the ship that needs to change, but some practices in the market. Benchmark Corp is working to change global best practices for DevOps and DevSecOps by shaping the best-engineered solutions for clients and the Government of Canada. It takes years to improve best practices. We can ensure the ship is headed in the right direction and will avoid collisions. Our focus right now is contributing to the knowledge base in the marketplace, so practices are based on en- gineered methods measured in quantitative terms. When the ship is as large as the fed- eral government, it needs to be stable but sufficiently agile that every Canadian has confidence in their digital interactions with government and government can quickly adapt to the needs of the population. SHLOMO BIELAK CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER BENCHMARK CORP

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