The Inside Story: Procurement, Value Propositions, and Industrial and Technological Benefits
Canada’s procurement policy and its associated value proposition and Industrial and Technological Benefit (ITB) policies have the potential to create powerful strategic opportunities for Canadian industry and R_D. These opportunities include increasing demand-side pull instead of the more common supply-side push. In addition, ITBs and value propositions can provide new opportunities for Canadian companies to enter and move up sophisticated global supply chains.
On the other hand, these policies might potentially further complicate an already complicated procurement process and mitigate the primary objective of equipping the Canadian Forces in a timely way. To achieve the significant potential economic development benefits, ITBs and value propositions must be designed and negotiated strategically. This will therefore require priority attention from the responsible departments of government.
An authoritative panel will bring a variety of perspectives to the policy issues. The panel will include members from: a Canadian company with a contract for naval vessel construction; a federal regional development program; a federal ministry responsible for the operation of the policies; a provincial government; and a retired military officer. The panel is chaired by Peter Nicholson who has had extensive experience in science and innovation policy, including its relationship with defense procurement.
Moderator Details
Peter Nicholson, Chair, Standing Selection Committee, Networks of Centres of Excellence
Peter Nicholson is semi-retired after a career in the public and private sectors during which he was: the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Canadian Academies (2006-09), the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy in the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada (2003-06); Special Advisor to the Secretary-general of the OECD (2002-03); Chief Strategy Officer of BCE Inc., Canada’s largest telecommunications company (1995-2002). His career has also included senior executive positions in banking and the fisheries industry, as well as in the federal public service where, in 1994-95, Dr. Nicholson was Clifford Clark Visiting Economist in Finance Canada. He holds a BSc and MSc in physics from Dalhousie University and a PhD in operations research from Stanford University. Dr. Nicholson is a Member of the Order of Canada, and has been awarded honorary degrees by Acadia University, Dalhousie University, McMaster University, Queen’s University and Universite du Quebec. He currently splits his time between Annapolis Royal, NS and Austin, Texas.
Panelist Details
Eric L. Cook, P.Eng.
Executive Director/CEO
Research and Productivity Council (RPC)
Eric’s career includes 25 years of leadership in the application of science and technology in sectors including advanced manufacturing, space science, aerospace, and wireless communications. Eric has served as Executive Director and CEO of RPC since 2004. RPC is New Brunswick’s provincial research organization, a crown corporation offering contract research _ development, and technical services. RPC provides technical expertise both regionally and globally to 1000 clients annually serving the environmental, aquaculture, manufacturing, mining and energy sectors. Eric’s education includes a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering and masters of business administration, a combination that has served him well in seeking science-based solutions for business problems and opportunities. Eric is an advocate for market-led innovation. He has participated in numerous federal and provincial innovation initiatives. He has served on the Council of Canadian Academies’ (CCA) Expert Panel on the State of Science and Technology in Canada and the CCA Expert Panel on the State of Industrial Research and Development in Canada. He is, or has been, an active board member for a number of science and technology organizations including Genome Atlantic, the Center for Nuclear Energy Research, Innoventures Canada and the New Brunswick Environmental Industries Association.
Jim King, Independent Consultant, former Vice-Admiral
Vice Admiral Jim King became an independent consultant after a 38-year career in the Canadian Forces, the last four years of which saw him as Canada’s Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee in Brussels.
After an extensive career at sea, including command of the destroyer, HMCS HURON, and the Fifth Canadian Destroyer Squadron, he served in senior staff positions in Canadian Headquarters in Halifax and Ottawa and at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.
He represented Canada on the Canada-US Permanent Joint Board of Defence, and has acted as a senior military advisor to three Chiefs of the Defence Staff and four Ministers of National Defence on key issues involving NATO, the UN, Peacekeeping, NORAD, Ballistic Missile Defence and Canada-US security relations.
Admiral King is the President of CFN Consultants (Atlantic) Inc. specializing in assisting companies with Canadian Government procurement opportunities, Industrial Regional Benefits (IRB), and global supply chain participation.
Admiral King is Vice-Chairman of the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo Society, President of the Athenaeum Society of Nova Scotia, a research fellow at Dalhousie University’s Centre for Foreign Policy Studies, and a consultant to the NATO project, Building Integrity, on international anti-corruption policy and procedures.
He is a graduate of McGill University with a degree in International Relations and a graduate member of the Royal College of Defence Studies in London.
Admiral King is an avid outdoorsman, sailor and motorcyclist; he and his wife, Barbara, share interests in travel, reading and film. Their son, David, lives in Vancouver.
Stephen Lund
Vice President, Industrial Regional Benefits _ Community Relations
Stephen Lund is a 30-year veteran of the financial industry and brings a broad and professional outlook to Irving Shipbuilding.
Stephen is Vice President with responsibility for the IRB program (spending a dollar in Canada for every dollar received), as well as the Value Proposition program (commitment to invest $44m in the Marine Industry in Canada). He is also responsible for Community Relations, Government Relations and Communications.
He is the former President and CEO of Nova Scotia Business Inc. (NSBI), where he led a team of professionals since 2001 focused on strengthening Nova Scotia’s economy. Stephen and his team attracted a number of world-leading companies to Nova Scotia and worked to proactively help local, home-grown businesses reach new markets and become stronger global competitors through Trade initiatives and Venture Capital investments. In its most recent 5 year plan, NSBI achieved over 150% of its key targets. In the past year NSBI assisted companies in over 40 countries and through its efforts Nova Scotia was named by FDI Magazine as the top jurisdiction in North America for attracting new investment
Before joining NSBI, Stephen was Vice-President of Working Ventures Canadian Fund, Canada’s largest national venture capital firm, where he led investing activities for the fund in Atlantic Canada. His work experience includes running an offshore mutual fund administration company and a lease financing company. He also spent several years in corporate commercial banking.
Stephen is a proud graduate of St. Francis Xavier University, holds an MBA from Queen’s University and a designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D). He has also completed a number of executive courses at Queen’s and Harvard. Stephen served two terms as a member of the board of directors at the IWK Health Centre and served on several Board committees and a number of business associations. He currently serves on the Board of the QE11 Foundation and the Institute for Ocean Research Enterprise (IORE). In 2011, he was inducted into Atlantic Business Magazine’s prestigious Top 50 CEO Hall of Fame, and was recently recognized by Dublin-based publication, Financial Centres International, as one of the top 500 most influential people in financial centres worldwide. He and his wife, Sandy, and sons, Connor and Shaun, are active members of the arts and cultural community in Halifax, and are avid sports participants.
Christyn Cianfarani
President
Canadian Association of Defense and Security Industries (CADSI)
Christyn Cianfarani was appointed President of the Canadian Association of Defense and Security Industries (CADSI) in September 2014. Ms. Cianfarani was previously Director of Advanced Training Solutions and Government Relations at CAE Inc. She has also held the position of Director of Government Programs, Research and Development, and Intellectual Property, in addition to managing over her substantial career a wide range of portfolios from product and project management to bids and proposals. Before joining CAE Inc., she served in the Royal Canadian Navy as a MARS Officer.
In 2012, Ms. Cianfarani contributed as an expert advisor in support of Special Advisor Mr. Tom Jenkins in the context of his “Canada First: Leveraging Defence Procurement Through Key Industrial Capabilities” report. This report, submitted to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, has subsequently informed the Government’s Defence Procurement Strategy. Ms. Cianfarani has also represented Canadian industry for Tom Jenkins’ Review of Research and Development in Canada, and as a contributor to Hon. David Emerson’s Aerospace Review.
In February 2014, she accepted a position on the Interim Board of Directors of the Defence Analytics Institute, working with Government stakeholders from Industry Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, and National Defence to establish the function in Canada.
Ms. Cianfarani earned a Bachelor’s degree from the Royal Military College of Canada and a Master’s degree from the University of Toronto. She is proficient in both official languages of Canada.
John Knubley
Deputy Minister
Industry Canada
John Knubley was appointed Deputy Minister of Industry Canada in 2012.
Previously, he was Deputy Minister, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; Deputy Minister, Intergovernmental Affairs, Privy Council Office; Associate Deputy Minister, Transport, Infrastructure and Communities; Associate Deputy Minister, Natural Resources Canada; and Vice-President, Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. Earlier in his career, he worked at Industry Canada, Human Resources Development Canada and the Economic Council of Canada.
John is married and has three children. He has degrees in politics and economics from Yale, Oxford, Harvard and Nice universities.