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ANNU VAIDYA
DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH
ARCFIELD CANADA
Annu Vaidya started her career writing code for
mission-critical defence systems. That was over
three decades ago. The technical discipline she
built in those early years never left her, but her
perspective widened considerably.
Across roles at Colt Canada, General Dynamics
Mission Systems-Canada, and CMC Electronics,
she moved from engineering into program
leadership, then into strategy. Each step required
stepping into territory she hadn't mapped yet.
One of those steps meant completing an EMBA
while working full-time. Another meant making
the case for change inside organizations that
weren't looking for it.
Today, as Director of Business Development
and Growth at Arcfield Canada, she is working
on what she considers the most consequential
challenge in Canadian defence right now:
building the sovereign sustainment capacity
to support the fleet decisions Canada is about
to make. Future fighter. Submarines. Maritime
platforms. The decisions are being made now.
The question is whether Canada
has the industrial backbone to
support them for the long term.
Vaidya thinks it can. And after 33
years in the industry, she has the
credibility to back it up.
For the full interview, see page 48
