Canadian Government Executive - Volume 21 - Issue 9

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20 / Canadian Government Executive // November 2015
the interview
nents to the event itself that required development and attention
leading right up to the Closing Ceremony for the Parapan Am
Games. The multitude of client groups were always front and cen-
tre in our decision making, regarding the fields of play, approach
to ticket sales, the experiences for athletes, spectators and media,
etc.
In other words, my concern was always to deliver on the objec-
tives of the event itself. We had to ensure we delivered on the
fundamental reasons for bidding on the Games in the first place.
Only then could the Games be the true catalyst for lasting positive
change in the region that our partners always aspired for them
to be.
Q: What was the biggest strategic challenge for you?
Making the shift from a traditional role of a public servant to the
CEO role of an organization under intense public scrutiny and in
a role where many times I was asked to be the face of the orga-
nization to the public. While many may think that might not be
classified as strategic, it certainly presents a shift from the tradi-
tional role of a senior public servant and comes with a myriad of
challenges.
Q: Reflecting on this experience as well as all your
years in executive positions in the public sector, did
you learn something new about management?
Deputy Ministers in today’s era of public administration are
thought of as individuals with less subject matter knowledge
and more leadership and management expertise. Having clearly
not worked in a multi-sport Games environment before, I relied
on my functional leadership and management skills and on the
expertise of those with deep Games experience, which we were
blessed to have at TO2015.
I also brought in senior people with skills in working in a tax-
payer funded, shareholder environment. My management learn-
ing was to further my willingness to delegate and to rely on that
expertise, especially during some of our most difficult times in the
lifecycle of the organizing committee.
Q: You are uniquely trained: a BA in psychology and
an MPA (both Carleton). What served you best in this
job?
I believe educational attainment at any level is a foundation for
continuous inquiry and learning. Throughout my career in the
public service I have been extremely fortunate to have worked
in a multitude of ministries with an impressive set of leaders
and mentors; and have been given remarkable opportunities
and challenges. It is those experiences that served me best in
this role.
It’s also been my experience that no one can deliver on any chal-
lenge without stumbles. And through that process, if you can’t
stop and laugh at yourself then you can’t expect others to see that
you are like them, which helps develop their willingness and trust
in following you.
Q: How did you personally measure success?
I have high expectations of myself and success is often times mea-
sured in organizational advancement. I think that’s a narrow, and
I dare say it, inappropriate metric.
When working in organizations, it is my humble belief that
leaders should measure success in the growth of their team. That
is not something that is simply done through a “tone from the top”
posture. If I had any success in this role, it was through the growth
of my team and the contribution of all of its members.
Q: With all this athlete-inspiring work behind you,
what is next?
I have not yet determined what next steps I will take in my career.
Suffice to say that a vacation is the next first step and some reflec-
tion on what possibilities await me. I hope to continue with some
connection to public service — either through volunteer efforts or
through work-related opportunities.