AT THE 10TH ANNUAL C4ISR AND BEYOND
CONFERENCE HELD IN OTTAWA IN JANUARY 2024, A
PANEL OF DISTINGUISHED GUESTS CAME TOGETHER
TO PROVIDE THEIR UNIQUE INSIGHTS ON HOW THE
CANADIAN ARMED FORCES CAN EFFECTIVELY
ENGAGE IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION. LED BY MR.
DAVE ANDERSON, FORMER SENIOR ADVISOR DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION TO CHIEF COMBAT SYSTEMS
INTEGRATION AND A RETIRED BRIGADIER-GENERAL
WHO SERVED IN THE CAF FROM 1980 TO 2020, THE
DISCUSSION TOUCHES ON THEMES OF TEAMWORK,
TRUST, RISK AND SOURCING TALENT AT SPEED
AND SCALE TO HELP MODERNIZE OPERATIONS
THROUGH INCREASED ADOPTION OF TODAY'S TOP
TECHNOLOGIES.
DAVE ANDERSON:
Q: From your perspective as a profes-
sional and based on the part of the eco-
system you represent, what does team
sport mean and what makes a good
team player?
WENDY HADWEN:
Transformation is a team sport, of course.
I think the issue in government is really
that there are vertical silos. Our mandates
are often derived from accountabilities
that are vertical. But the issues are hori-
zontal: obviously, cybersecurity, artificial
intelligence, technology in every way, but
also climate change and, frankly, every-
thing. The Westminster system that we
have to work in is not really designed for
horizontal issues.
When I think about the team, it needs to
be diverse. And not just in terms of your
16DECEMBER 2024/JANUARY 2025 www.vanguardcanada.com
I N T E R V I E W
B Y VA N G U A R D S TA F F
BREAKING IN, ESTABLISHING,
THE DIGITAL BEACHHEAD
Dave Anderson
Strategic Advisor
and Former Digital
Transformation Advisor,
Chief of Combat Systems
Integration
Colonel Matt
Strohmeyer
(USAF) Director CJADC2
Experimentation and
GIDE, Office of the
Secretary of Defense
Brigadier-General
Chris Horner
Commander 3 Canadian
Space Division and Joint
Force Space Component
Commander
