Vanguard Magazine

46 APRIL/MAY 2022 www.vanguardcanada.com GAME CHANGER See the full interview online Q How did you start out in this industry and how has it brought you to where you are today? After completing an honours business de- gree at the University of Windsor I went on to do an MBA with a focus on account- ing/finance and human resources. It was never my plan to join the defence indus- try but right out of MBA School a family friend told me about a great opportunity at General Motors Defence in London, Ontario - now known as General Dynam- ics Land systems–Canada - and I never looked back. I have been fortunate to work in many disciplines across the busi- ness including Human Resources, Pro- duction Management, Strategy, Supply Chain, Finance, and IT. Q What is your role at your organiza- tion today? My current role is Director of Finance and IT for General Dynamics Land Systems– Canada. I have been in this role since 2019 and lead a team of over 100 Finance and IT professionals. Q What was your most challenging moment? Several years ago, I had a personal health trauma that kept me away from my job for just over a year. Overcoming the challenges of that period in my life and making my way back into the work force was difficult. The experience definitely re-defined me personally and profession- ally, in a positive way. Although not an easy subject to talk about, I share my ex- perience to perhaps give hope to others who might be going through a difficult time. Q What was your A-HA moment or epiphany that you think will resonate most with our readers, tell us that story? Early in my career I worked on the pro- duction floor responsible for more than 90 welders. At that time, I felt the need to change and adjust my personality in order to get the job done. Looking back on this I recognize how important it is to bring my holistic, authentic self to work each day allowing my coworkers and my team to see my various sides. I'm a working mom of a 12-year-old and 10-year-old twins, I manage an ac- tive household, my career keeps me busy, and all these things make up who I am. I have always been an open, honest, and transparent person so knowing that I can shatter the glass ceiling by bring- ing my entire self to work is incredibly important to me. Q What is the one thing that has you most fired up today? I am fired up about our people, inter- acting with them, listening to their con- cerns and ideas, seeing them persevere through a difficult business decision, watching them set goals and exceed, both professionally and personally. There's nothing I love more than seeing someone on my team succeed and get- ting the spotlight when they do. At a training course some years ago, it was suggested that I do more of what gives me energy and I took that to heart. Every week I have time in my schedule to have one on one "catch up meetings" with individual team members. I want to provide a safe space for people to con- nect with me, so I can understand their goals, understand the work they are do- ing, because sometimes as time goes on it is easy to get further away from those things. But I also do it for myself because that half hour gives me energy for the day. It's my favorite thing to do in the week and it is sacred time in my calendar. Earlier in my career I was more focussed on my own achievements. Now, part of my job is to help the people on my team reach their maximum potential, help them become future leaders. I am also a big advocate for diversity equity and inclusion (DE&I). Land Sys- tems–Canada believes in creating and maintaining a culture of DE&I and knows this long-term investment leads to inno- vation, productivity, and growth. I want to help make sure that everyone can use their voice and has an equal opportunity. I want women to know, as I often tell my 10-year-old daughter, that they have a shot at the corner office. Q What is the best advice you received? I once received an 11 in. by 17 in. piece of paper that had the day sectioned out into 15-minute increments and was asked to fill it in with my day's activities. Doing that exercise was a great way to visually learn that I was missing some time for self- care, and it emphasized for me the need to balance between work time, family time, and personal time. Q What is a habit that contributes to your success? I get up at 5 a.m. every morning to have time to myself before I got into the office. I use this time to read, exercise, take some personal reflection time, or stay current by investing in knowledge or acquiring new skills - like learning to speak French. Wak- ing early has become a habit and I cherish those moments and work hard to make the time a priority. I don't always succeed of course, but the objective of balance is always there. KELLY HANCOCK DIRECTOR OF FINANCE - CANADA LAV SITE GENERAL DYNAMICS LAND SYSTEMS–CANADA

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