Vanguard Magazine

32 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2023 www.vanguardcanada.com G A M E C H A N G E R 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? I'm a numbers guy and I love growing successful businesses. Both skillsets work well in any industry, but I am especially passionate about working in the technol- ogy sector. I have over 30 years of experience as a CFO at several technology companies, where I also advanced to President and CEO roles. I'm very much a values-based leader. I love collaboration, seeing the short-term and long-term vision and get- ting there. During the height of the pandemic, I was approached by ADGA to be their CFO and was promoted to President eight months later. So far it has been great. ADGA has amazing talent and leadership in every de- partment. I'm proud to be part of it. Q What is your role at your organization? My role is President of ADGA Group. I'm responsible for the overall leadership of the company. That really boils down to putting the right team in place and ensur- ing they have the tools and support neces- sary to effectively carry out their role. Q What was your most challenging moment? My most recent challenge in my career has been more of a process than a "mo- ment." It has been challenging, but also exciting work, to advance ADGA Group into a new era of innovation and growth. All members of my executive leader- ship team have been here three years or less. There has been a lot of planning, building, and refocusing to ensure our company has the capacity and capabil- ity to keep stride with the evolving and emerging technology needs of the world we live in today. Q What was your A-HA moment or epiphany that you think will resonate most with our reader My favourite A-HA moment happened after we joined the Commissionaires Ottawa family and adopted their social mandate. Today, we exist not only to hire veter- ans, but also to hire their family mem- bers and fellow citizens who share a pas- sion to protect Canadians and our allies, and to give back to veteran causes in our community. ADGA was already hiring veterans for decades, but now it's our purpose. So, think about it: When you work with ADGA, even though we are a for- profit company, those profits are now going to veteran causes both internal to our company and in our community. And our capacity to be generous corporate philanthropists just rocket- launched. I'm excited about how much more ADGA can give back to the brave women and men who currently serve or have served our country, and their fami- lies, for years to come. Q What is your parting piece of advice? Much has been said and written about work/life balance but in the post-CO- VID world, those lines are even more blurred than before. You really do have to focus on caring for yourself and your family and get your teams to do the same. Q What people or organizations do you believe best embody the innovation mindset? I'm going to be a bit biased here, but ADGA Group is all about innovation. At the heart of every business decision we make is a passion to give back to veterans and their families—but the way forward to being able to achieve that is our innovation mindset. Our company is growing rapidly and it's the best feeling to know that we are innovating and growing for a good cause. Q How is your organization changing the game within your industry sector? ADGA Group has been around for more than 50 years, a fact few companies in Canada can match. We are proudly Cana- dian owned and operated and our pedi- gree speaks for itself. We truly believe in meeting the defence, security, and public safety needs, not just for today, but for the future. That's something we're always aware of and something we're always aiming for. This includes our services, such as Value-added Program Management—a more holistic approach to overcoming current obstacles and delays in procurement and program management processes. Agile Software Engineering Develop- ment and Integrated Security Solutions are simply core services we've been doing well for a long time. We are dedicated industry partners. Add to that our social purpose to give back to veterans and their families, and I think that is a game changer in the defence in- dustry. We owe it to our veterans and our active CAF members to do our part and help them—by supporting them with our expertise while they are serving and giv- ing back to them once they transition to civilian life. Q What are some of the biggest impediments to innovation in your industry sector? I think probably the biggest impediment would be defence program delivery and procurement. Our Technical Director, Jack MacDonald, wrote a great article speaking to that: "Capacity is not the same as capability." SHAUN McEWAN PRESIDENT ADGA GROUP.

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