Presented By
Former Deputy COS USAF - and first leader for Air Force Futures
Commander Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
Commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command
Commander Canadian Joint Warfare Center
Associate, CFN Consultants
Digital Transformation Advisor, Chief of Combat Systems Integration (CCSI)
Former Chief Technology Officer, US Department of Veteran's Affairs, Co-author: Hack Your Bureaucracy
COS 3 Cdn Div
Senior Advisor, Accenture
Commander of Canadian Forces Intelligence Command and Chief of Defence Intelligence
Chief of Combat Systems Integration
Chief of Staff - Assistant Deputy Minister (Information Management)
Strategic Advisor, Accenture
Assistant Deputy Minister - Digital Transformation, Department of National Defence
Deputy Commander UK Strategic Command
Deputy Chief, Strategic Policy, Planning & Partnerships, Communications Security Establishment
Director, Business Development, General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada
(USAF) Director CJADC2 Experimentation and GIDE, Office of the Secretary of Defence
Director General Information Management Operations and Joint Force Cyber Component Commander
Head Cyberspace Operation and Strategic J6, Australian Defence Force
Editor-in-Chief, Vanguard
Chief Fighter and NORAD Capability (CFNC)
Chief JISR Center, NATO Communications and Information Agency
Senior Director for Space ISR Advanced Programs, Raytheon
Director, Joint Mission Accelerator Directorate (JMAD), U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
Executive Vice-President Marshall Canada
District Sales Manager, Eastern Canada, Palo Alto Networks
Vice President – Land and Joint Solutions, General Dynamics Mission Systems–International
Head of Federal Sales Canada, Google Cloud
Regional VP – Systems Engineering, Fortinet
Manager, Systems Engineering, Palo Alto Networks
Chief of Staff, Digital Transformation Office
Copyright ©2023 Vanguard Canada Media
VAdm Bob Auchterlonie
Commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command
Vice-Admiral Bob Auchterlonie was born in Cumberland, British Columbia in 1969. He entered the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1987 as a Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP) cadet and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1991 with a BA in Economics and as Captain of the Varsity Hockey Team.
Since commissioning in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), Vice-Admiral Auchterlonie has seen the world! He has spent time in every province and territory in Canada, sailed in every ocean around the globe and touched every continent. Operationally, Vice-Admiral Auchterlonie completed his Naval Warfare Officer training in 1992 and was fortunate to spend the bulk of the next two decades at sea in Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships in both the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets. He has spent considerable time in the Indo-Pacific Region deploying five separate times and engaging with all of our partner nations.
Vice-Admiral Auchterlonie has commanded ships and formations within the RCN and CAF at every senior rank level. He had the honour to Command HMCS FREDERICTON (2007-2009), Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt (2012-2013), the Canadian Pacific Fleet (2013-2015) and Maritime Forces Pacific / Joint Task Force Pacific (2018-2021). He has also been fortunate to serve in senior Joint command appointments including as Deputy Commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command (2016-2018) and Deputy Commander of the Coalition Combined Joint Task Force RIMPAC in 2018.
Vice-Admiral Auchterlonie has previously served 4 tours within National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, namely as a Staff Officer within the Naval Staff (2004-2005), as Director within the Chief of Programme within the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Group (2010-2012), as Director General within the Strategic Joint Staff (2015-2016) and recently as Deputy Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command (2016-2018). Promoted to his current rank in April 2021, he has returned for a fifth tour in Ottawa as Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command.
Vice-Admiral Auchterlonie is a graduate of the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College (2004), the Naval Command College at the US Naval War College (2010) and has completed a Master’s Degree in Defence Studies (MDS) at the Royal Military College of Canada (2004). He is also a graduate of the Senior Executives in National and International Security program at Harvard University (2016), a fellow of the US GOFO Capstone (2016) and Pinnacle (2019) Programs, and is an alumni of both the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (2018) and Near-East Centre for Security Studies at National Defence University (2019). He was invested as an Officer of the Order of Military Merit in 2013 and promoted within the Order to the Rank of Commander in 2020. Extremely proud of his Vancouver Island roots, Vice-Admiral Auchterlonie was inducted into the Comox Valley Walk of Achievement in 2020.
Vice-Admiral Auchterlonie is married to his very supportive and understanding wife and they have managed to raise two well-travelled and accomplished sons.
Col Chris Horner
Commander Canadian Joint Warfare Center
A graduate of both the Royal Military College and USAF Air War College, Colonel Horner has served as an Aerospace Controller for 26 years, holding various operational, staff, and Command positions within Canada, across NORAD’s enterprise, and with the USAF E-3 AWACS program. He has deployed globally on combat Operations ENDURING and IRAQI FREEDOM, on counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean basin, and throughout North America on counter-terrorism operations. Prior to assuming command of the Joint Warfare Centre in 2022, he served as Special Advisor to Commander CJOC after enabling CAF cyber operation as the Deputy Commander, Joint Force Cyber Component.
MGen (Ret’d) Colin Keiver
Associate, CFN Consultants
Major General (retired) Colin Keiver, MSM, CD, joined CFN Consultants following a distinguished 34-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) culminating in his appointment as the Deputy Commander (Dcomd) of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
A pilot by trade, Colin has commanded at the squadron and wing level in Canada and spent a year as the commander of Joint Task Force Impact in the Middle East, Canada’s largest overseas mission at the time. He has an extensive project background in the Department of National Defence (DND) including serving as Director Air Simulation and Training where he stood up the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) Project, Director Defence Program Coordination in the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Group of DND and as Director General Air and Space Force Development in the RCAF. Through these appointments, Colin was heavily involved in the implementation of Strong, Secure and Engaged and was a principal architect of NORAD Modernization; the RCAF Strategy; RCAF Digitalization, and he contributed significantly to CAF efforts in developing multi-domain capabilities.
Colin has a broad background across the defence and security portfolio that includes working closely with allies, partners, and industry at home and abroad. This includes a three-year exchange tour with the United States Marine Corps and delivering the RCAF Global Engagement program as the DComd RCAF.
Colin holds a BA in Political Science and History from the University of Manitoba and a Masters in Defence Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada. Colin is a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies in London, UK, as well as being a graduate of the General/Flag Officer and Ambassador Course at the NATO Defence College in Rome, Italy.
Colin very much looks forward to contributing to the betterment of Canadian defence and security in his role with CFN Consultants.
Dave Anderson
Digital Transformation Advisor,
Chief of Combat Systems Integration (CCSI)
Mr. David Anderson is a Consultant on Digital Transformation. He is a retired Brigadier-General who served in the CAF from 1980 to 2020, spanning 8 years as a reservist in the Canadian Grenadier Guards, and 32 years in Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. Mr. Anderson commanded at every level in his regiment, and was the Commander of 1 CMBG from 2012-2014.
Staff postings of note include COS of the Army in the West, and from 2014-2016 he was the Chief of Defence Staff Liaison Office to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon in Washington DC. His operational experience includes deployment to Cyprus as a Duty Officer in the Joint Operations Center, Company Commander in Bosnia with the Royal Green Jackets, and on a second tour with 3 PPCLI. He was the Chief of Staff of Task Force Afghanistan in 2005-2006 in Kabul and Kandahar, and in 2016-2017, he deployed to Iraq as the Director of the Ministerial Liaison Team and as CJ7 of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve. Upon his return from Iraq he was appointed Chief of Staff Readiness at the Canadian Joint Operations Command, and retired in 2020. As an EX-02 in the Public Service, in 2020/2021, Mr. Anderson held the position of Director Digital Transformation for the CAF, working for the Chief of Combat Systems Integration.
Mr. Anderson holds a Bachelor of Military Arts and Science from Royal Military College, and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University in Washington DC.
Marina Nitze
Former Chief Technology Officer, US Department of Veteran's Affairs, Co-author: Hack Your Bureaucracy
Marina Nitze, co-author of the new book Hack Your Bureaucracy, is currently a partner at Layer Aleph, a crisis engineering firm that specializes in restoring complex business systems to service. Marina is also a fellow at New America's New Practice Lab, where she works on improving America's foster care system through the Resource Family Working Group and Child Welfare Playbook. Marina was most recently the Chief Technology Officer of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under President Obama, after serving as a Senior Advisor on technology in the Obama White House and as the first Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the U.S. Department of Education. She serves on the advisory boards of Foster America, Smartsheet, and Think of Us; created TaskTackler, the personal productivity app for Type-A personalities; and previously authored the book Business Efficiency for Dummies. She lives in Seattle, WA.
Col Michael Reekie
COS 3 Cdn Div
Colonel Reekie is a Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry officer who has served most of his regimental service with Second Battalion. He has served overseas in Bosnia, Kandahar, Kabul, Iraq, and Latvia. His key staff experiences include service with the Strategic Joint Staff, Special Operations Forces Command, and the Joint Operations Command. He has also served as Commanding Officer (CO) 2 PPCLI/Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battle Group and is currently Chief of Staff at 3 Canadian Division Headquarters and Regimental Colonel PPCLI.
LGen (Ret’d) Michael Rouleau
Senior Advisor, Accenture
Mike was a soldier for 34 years, joining as a Gunner in 1985. After a tour in 5 Brigade, he served from 1989-1992 with the 4th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group in West Germany, deploying twice to the nascent conflict in the Balkans, first in 1991 as a European Community Monitor and in 1992 with the inaugural UN deployment with the 1 R22eR Battle-Group in Sarajevo.
Mike joined Joint Task Force (JTF) 2 in 1994 and after one year of training, commanded an assault troop and sabre squadron until 1999 when he retired and joined the Ottawa City Police for three plus years as an emergency response officer. Owing to the events of 9-11, he re-enrolled and would serve another 20 years in CAF. Mike commanded JTF 2 and held roles in institutional force development and defence policy before leading Canada’s Special Operations Forces Command from 2014-2018. Promoted LGen in 2018, he commanded Canada’s Joint Operations Command for two years, before becoming the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in 2020. As VCDS, he prioritized four elements; enhancing pan domain C4ISR coherence, data/digital modernization, Supply Chain betterment and next generation PME. Mike retired on 4 July, 2022.
Mike earned two Master’s degrees and is a graduate of Harvard’s National and International Security Fellowship (2015) and the US military’s Pinnacle Program (2018). He is a graduate of Canada’s Command and Staff College (2006) and the National Security Program (2010).
Mike has been a Senior Advisor with Accenture since October 2022 and feels privileged to work with highly motivated professionals in the defence and national security space.
MGen Michael Wright
Commander of Canadian Forces Intelligence Command and Chief of Defence Intelligence
Born and raised in Southern Ontario, Major-General Wright enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1990 and joined Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) in 1994. He has served in all three Canadian Mechanized Brigade Groups and deployed on operations with all three Regular Force infantry regiments. He spent 11 years with 2 PPCLI in Winnipeg and Shilo, commanding at the platoon, company and battalion level. He also served three years with the Second Battalion of the Royal 22e Regiment. He commanded 2 CMBG from 2017-2018. He was appointed Commander CFINTCOM and Chief of Defence Intelligence in June 2021.
Operationally he has deployed to Bosnia, Afghanistan, and the Middle East, and served on domestic operations in support of the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2011 Manitoba floods. He was awarded the Medal of Military Valour and the Meritorious Service Medal as a rifle company commander serving with the First Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group in Kandahar Province in 2006-07. From May 2020 to May 2021 he commanded Joint Task Force Impact and Task Force Central, the CAF missions to enhance stability in the Middle East.
Major-General Wright has served in staff positions as the Chief of Staff of CFINTCOM, J3 of the Canadian Joint Operations Command, Executive Assistant to the Chief of the Defence Staff, Chief of Staff and G3 of 1 CMBG, as well as positions at the Canadian Army Headquarters and the Canadian Forces Joint Headquarters. He also served as the PPCLI Regimental Colonel from 2014 to 2016. Upon his promotion to Brigadier-General, he was posted to Canadian Forces Intelligence Command as the chief of staff.
Major-General Wright holds an Honours Degree in History and Political Science and a Masters of Defence Studies from RMC, is a graduate of the National Security Programme, and has completed the Joint Force Land Component Commander Course at the US Army War College and the Near East South Asia Senior Executive Seminar.
MGen Steve Boivin
Commander Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
MGen Steve Boivin joined the CAF in 1991 and was posted to the R22eR upon graduation from the RMC in 1996. He served with the 3R22eR until 2002, which included deployments to Haïti, East-Timor and Bosnia-Herzegovina. He then served with the 1R22eR until 2004.
In July 2004, MGen Boivin joined JTF 2 and served the next six years with the Unit. In August 2010, MGen Boivin was posted on the Joint Command and Staff Program. He returned to Ottawa in 2011 and was seconded to the Privy Council Office before being assigned to the Chief of Force Development in 2012.
MGen Boivin assumed command of JTF 2 in 2013. He then attended the National Security Program in 2016 and was subsequently posted to the Chief of the Defence Staff’s Office. MGen Boivin became the Deputy-Commander in 2018 and then the Commander of the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command in May 2021.
MGen Peter Dawe
Chief of Combat Systems Integration
MGen Peter Dawe joined the Canadian Forces in 1990 as an artillery officer. Following a tour to Cyprus as a troop commander, he reclassified to the infantry and joined the Second Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI). MGen Dawe has commanded from platoon to brigade level, to include 3 PPCLI (2009-2011) and 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (2013-2015).
MGen Dawe's extra-regimental employment has included tours at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School; the Canadian Special Operations Regiment; Canadian Special Operations Forces Command Headquarters; and on the Strategic Joint Staff as the Director General Operations.
His operational tours include Cyprus, Bosnia, and two tours to Afghanistan. In 2002, he served as the 3 PPCLI Battle-Group Operations Officer for Operation APOLLO in Kandahar, Afghanistan, for which he was awarded the U.S. Bronze Star Medal. From May 2011 to March 2012, he served as the Deputy Commander of Canada's Contribution to the Training Mission in Afghanistan and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. MGen Dawe was appointed Commander of the Order of Military Merit in 2019.
MGen Dawe is a graduate of the National Security Program, the U.S. CAPSTONE Program, and the Coalition Joint Forces Special Operations Component Commander Course. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Military Arts and Science, a Master’s degree in Defence Studies, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Royal Military College of Canada. He is also a graduate of the Senior Executives in National and International Security program at Harvard University. MGen Dawe was appointed Deputy Commander Canadian Special Operations Forces Command in September 2016 and assumed command of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command in April 2018. MGen Dawe assumed his current role as Chief of Combat Systems Integration in July 2023.
RAdm Luciano Carosielli, CD
Chief of Staff - Assistant Deputy Minister
(Information Management)
Rear Admiral Luciano Carosielli was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1969. In June 1990 he enrolled in the Navy through the Regular Officer Training Plan as a Maritime Engineer (MARE). On completion of his initial combat systems engineering training, he achieved his Head of Department qualification onboard HMCS MONTREAL in September 1995 and was HMCS ST. JOHN’S Combat Systems Engineering Officer from March 1998 to July 2000.
Significant shore duty included tours in the Canadian Forces Naval Engineering School as the Laboratory Support Officer and then later as the Commandant, Navy’s Applications Manager (DMMS 6-2) in Director General Maritime Equipment Program Management (DGMEPM); Naval Technical Officer Career Manager; Joint Operations Centre Information Management Officer at Joint Forces Command in Naples, Italy; Director Maritime Training & Establishment 2 (DMTE 2); Combat Systems Engineering Manager for the Halifax Class Modernisation/Felex Life Extension (HCM/FELEX) project; Chief of Staff, Deputy Project Manager and Project Manager for the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) project; and, Director General Maritime Equipment Program Management.
Rear Admiral Carosielli holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Concordia University, a Masters of Applied Science in Software Engineering from the Royal Military College in Kingston and is a graduate of the Canadian Forces College Joint Command and Staff Programme and the National Security Programme.
In June 2022 Rear Admiral Carosielli was appointed Chief of Staff for Assistant Deputy Minister (Information Management). He is married and has two sons, and one daughter.
VAdm (Ret’d) Ron Lloyd
Strategic Advisor, Accenture
A native of Taber, Alberta, Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd (Ret’d) was the 35th Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy from 2016-2019. During this time, he was also “double hatted” as the acting Vice Chief of the Defence Staff for almost half a year and as the first Chief Data Officer for the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces for a full year. During his 38-year career in the RCN, he had the privileged to command HMCS Charlottetown, HMCS Algonquin, the PACIFIC Fleet and the ATLANTIC fleet. He has extensive operational experience having deployed on numerous occasions globally.
He also served at National Defence Headquarters as the Deputy Commander of the RCN, the Chief of Force Development for the Canadian Armed Forces, the Director General of Force Development for the RCN and Executive Assistant to the Commander of the RCN.
Ross Ermel
Assistant Deputy Minister - Digital Transformation, Department of National Defence
Ross was appointed as the Digital Transformation Officer of the Department of National Defence on 3 April 2023. In this role he leads and coordinates digital modernization across the Defence Team to ensure that digital transformation creates and maintains operational advantage. He comes to this appointment with a wealth of leadership experience in successful strategic change initiatives.
Before this appointment, Ross served as Assistant Deputy Minister of Digital Talent and Leadership in the Office of the Chief Information Officer where he was responsible creating an enterprise-wide digital talent strategy with a people-first approach to attracting, fostering and retaining talent in the digital pillars of the Government of Canada. He was also the Assistant Commissioner of the Western Region at the Canada Revenue Agency where he was responsible for regional operations in Western Canada and the North, notably leading strategic change initiatives to realign program and governance structures.
Prior joining the Public Service, Ross spent 34 years as an armoured officer in the Canadian Armed Forces commanding at the squadron, unit and brigade group levels. Over the years in uniform, Ross gained experience both at the tactical and strategic levels through his responsibilities for operations, training delivery, and strategic change delivery.
Ross holds a Bachelor of Arts in Commerce and a Master of Defence Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada, as well as a Master of Business Administration from Athabasca University. He is also a graduate of the Canada School of Public Service ADM Executive Leadership Programme and the US Navy Postgraduate School Senior International Defence Resources Management Programme.
Ross is married to his very understanding wife Angie. Together they have four adult sons.
LGen Tom Copinger-Symes
Deputy Commander UK Strategic Command
Tom spent his early career with The Rifles on operations in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, and in operational and strategy posts at the Permanent Joint Headquarters and Ministry of Defence.
In May 22 he took post as DComd UKStratCom, responsible for overseeing Defence’s Multi Domain Integration programme, as well as a host of other change and capability projects across campaigning, integration and cyber. In Sep 23 he took on the additional role of DG Joint Force Development.
Tom is Colonel Commandant of The Rifles and Honorary Colonel of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, married with two school-age daughters.
Wendy Hadwen
Deputy Chief, Strategic Policy, Planning & Partnerships, Communications Security Establishment
Wendy joined CSE in 2018 as Director General - Strategic Policy, Planning and Partnerships (SPPP) and is now Deputy Chief – SPPP since July 2021. She was Director General, Engagement and Digital Communications at NRCan and held executive positions at Treasury Board Secretariat, Ernst & Young, and Privy Council Office. Wendy started as a contract employee in 1994 at Foreign Affairs working on rapid reaction capacity for international peacekeeping operations. In the time since, she has spent her policy career on international peace and security issues (landmines, counterterrorism, non-proliferation and cyber security).
Col (Ret'd) Pat Thauberger
Director, Business Development, General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada
Colonel (Retired) Patrick Thauberger joined General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada in 2019 following a 32 year career in the Royal Canadian Air Force, most notably as Wing Commander of 14 Wing Greenwood, and leading Canada’s Long Range Patrol Force.
Since joining General Dynamics, Patrick has led all aspects of the Aurora Program, including the comprehensive Block IV capability upgrade, In Service Support, and the ground facilities and trainers’ development. Currently, Patrick is a Director of Airborne Mission Systems, where he and his team are continuing to innovate C4ISR solutions, as well as, working with Canadian and International industry partners to deliver the next generation of Multi-Mission capability.
In addition to a suite of operational deployments over the course of his career, Col. Thauberger held a variety of strategic level appointments, including posts in the staff of the Prime Minister’s National Security and Intelligence Advisor, in the CAF Strategic Joint Staff, and in RCAF Strategic Plans, where he initiated the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft development.
Patrick has a Master of Defence Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada, and a degree in Psychology and Political Studies from the University of Manitoba. He is also a graduate of the Joint Command and Staff Programme, as well as, the National Security Programme.
Col Matt Strohmeyer
(USAF) Director CJADC2 Experimentation and GIDE, Office of the Secretary of Defence
Colonel Matthew D. Strohmeyer is the Joint All-Domain Command and Control Experimentation Division Chief, Chief Digital and AI Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington D.C.
Col Strohmeyer is a 2001 graduate of the Air Force Academy and spent the first half of his Air Force career at the tactical level as an F-15E and T-38 instructor pilot. His 2014 graduation from an Army advanced planning and strategy school set him on a course of rethinking paradigms at the operational and strategic level of national security. He has since served as the Chief of Plans and Commander’s Action Group Director at Pacific Air Forces where he led an effort to rethink peer competitor deterrence and air power projection in the Indo-Pacific resulting in the development of Agile Combat Employment and Strategic Shaping. His follow-on Command experience includes efforts such as Det 24, Squadron Next, and Pilot Training Next. He most recently served at the Combatant Command-level building a coalition of agencies and industry partners focused on aggressive development of globally integrated warfighting capabilities. With this coalition, he led ABMS Onramp #1 and #2 and the creation of the Global Information Dominance Experiments (GIDE) now championed by OSD senior leaders. He recently served as a military Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies where he published several articles on national security, JADC2, and homeland defense.
Brigadier-General Dave Yarker, CD
Director General Information Management Operations and Joint Force Cyber Component Commander
BGen Dave Yarker joined the Canadian Forces in 1989, graduating from the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) Kingston in 1993. Following completion of Graduate studies and Signals officer Training in 1996 he served with 2 Bde as a Signals Officer in both 427 Tactical Helicopter Squadron and 2 Combat Engineer Regiment.
He has been employed as staff in project management, joint, operational, and strategic communications planning and deployed as the Canadian J6 to both Kosovo and Afghanistan. He has had the honour of command at 2 Canadian Mechanised Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron, the Canadian Forces Network Operations Centre, and the Canadian Forces Information Operations Group.
Since 2010, he has had the good fortune to have been employed in the cyber operations field, commanding at Unit and Formation levels as well as holding key staff and liaison positions including with United States Cyber Command and Canada’s Communications Security Establishment.
On promotion to his current rank, he was appointed as Director General Information Management Operations and the Joint Force Cyber Component Commander.
He holds undergraduate degrees in Engineering Physics and History, along with master’s degrees in Engineering Physics and Defence Studies.
Lt. Gen (Ret’d) S. Clint Hinote
Former Deputy COS USAF - and first leader for Air Force Futures
S. Clinton Hinote is a retired Air Force three-star general and the first leader of Air Force Futures. Throughout his career, he served at the leading edge of change–developing novel tactics, revising dated battle plans, reinventing staid organizations, leading complex alliances, and disrupting dated doctrine. In his role as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Air Force, he led a 400-person organization to become “Air Force Futures,” responsible for planning and integration for the future Air Force. His intellectual leadership resulted in a fundamental reconsideration of how the Department of Defense can succeed in the competition with China, connecting military power to political objectives. The general has extensive diplomatic experience, serving as a commander both in NATO and Korea, and also serving on the Country Team at US Embassy Baghdad, where the Ambassador tapped him to act as Deputy Chief of Mission in his absence. After retirement, he has transitioned to advising, coaching, and encouraging change-oriented leaders in national security across the government, business, finance, and nonprofit sectors. General Hinote is a senior advisor to the Strategic Competitive Security Project, a field expert at Dcode, and a principal at Pallas Advisors. He also teaches graduate courses on national security at RAND’s Pardee School of Public Policy. General Hinote graduated first in his class at both the Air Force Academy and Air Command and Staff College. He holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School and a PhD. in military strategy from Air University.
MGen Warren Gould
Head Cyberspace Operation and Strategic J6,
Australian Defence Force
Major General Warren Gould is currently Head of Information Communications Technology Operations (HICTO), responsible for all Defence enterprise and deployed cyberspace operations. A career Signals Officer, he has commanded Signals units at Combat Brigade and Division level, including on operations in East Timor, Sumatra, Middle-East and Afghanistan. Major General Gould is a specialist in capability procurement and management, with experience in land, joint and coalition integration outcomes. He was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (Military Division) in 2023 for his exceptional service to the Australian Defence Force's command and control framework.
Terri Pavelic
Editor-in-Chief, Vanguard
MGen Sylvain Ménard
Chief Fighter and NORAD Capability (CFNC)
Major-General Ménard is the Chief of Fighter and NORAD Capability for the RCAF, overseeing all projects related to fighter capability, and NORAD modernization.
Fighter pilot by trade he commanded at several levels and served as Deputy Commander Continental U.S. NORAD Region from 2017 to 2019, where he was responsible for the region’s continuous air defense readiness. He has also served in several key institutional positions within the Chief of Program, Chief of Military Personnel, and within the Air Staff.
He is a distinguished graduated of the US Air War College and holds a Telfer Complex Program and Procurement Leadership certificate.
Matt Roper
Chief JISR Center, NATO Communications and Information Agency
A retired senior Royal Air Force officer, Mr Roper has over 30 years’ command and staff experience across an extensive range of joint national and NATO operational roles, directly responsible for C2 and ISR missions.
He is currently Chief of the Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (JISR) Centre at the NATO Communications & Information Agency (NCIA) responsible for directing a wide range of key projects and programmes supporting NATO and the nations in delivering coherent ISR for the Alliance. Mr Roper’s team provide comprehensive services across the full lifecycle of many critical JISR systems and capabilities.
Ron Lewis
Senior Director for Space ISR Advanced Programs, Raytheon
Ron is the Director for the Advanced Programs (AP) program area. AP is a portfolio of forward-looking programs that provide end-to-end satellite communications, commanding, planning and control for satellite systems.
With over 38 years of service to Raytheon, Ron has continued to fulfill roles of increasing responsibility. He successfully delivered over 10 commercial ground systems to locations around the world including Europe, South Africa, Mexico, and Asia. Ron holds a BSEE from Purdue University. He received his first patent in 2013 for the “System and Method for Extraction of Communication Interference”.
Robert Morrison
Director, Joint Mission Accelerator Directorate (JMAD), U.S.
Indo-Pacific Command
Rob Morrison officially became the first Director, Joint Mission Accelerator Directorate at United States Indo-Pacific Command Headquarters, Camp
H.M. Smith, Hawaii, on 23 October 2023.
Mr. Morrison culminated 27 years of active-duty military service as Director, Commander’s Action Group, United States Pacific Command where he served as lead strategic planner overseeing the planning and presentation of advice to the senior military commander in the Asia-Pacific. He led the alignment of command leadership actions with national-level political, diplomatic, economic, and informational strategies involving 36 countries in the largest area of responsibility in the DOD.
As Senior Leader Communications Program Manager, White House Situation Room, Washington, D.C, Mr. Morrison managed Senior Leader Secure Communications to the President, Vice President, National Security Advisor, and senior White House staff. He provided executive-level leadership of an inter-agency cross-functional team composed of senior representatives from 15 Executive Departments and agencies responsible for functions including IT infrastructure planning, service delivery, security, and modernization. Accordingly, he coordinated support to 200 personnel charged with providing 24-hour situational awareness of global incidents and crises. His signature successes led the Director to address specific long-term planning efforts within the White House Situation Room.
As Executive Assistant to the Director, Chief Naval Operations Staff, U.S. Navy, Washington D.C., he oversaw 66 personnel supporting a 1,100-person staff. He served as a recognized expert in DOD and Executive Branch processes, enabling senior leaders to successfully navigate institutional barriers and optimize organizational efficiencies. Additionally, he provided input into shaping Navy and DOD budget and decision-making processes.
As Commanding Officer, HSV -2 Swift, U.S. Navy, Washington D.C., Mr. Morrison commanded 42 military personnel aboard a unique new technology test platform and globally deployable response enabler. He oversaw accountability for government-owned equipment, ammunition, and classified systems worth over $60 million dollars. He inexhaustibly embarked and transported special operations units to conduct anti-piracy missions off the coast of East Africa.
He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in General Science from the United States Naval Academy in 1989. Additionally, he completed a Masters of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.
Mr. Morrison is a member of the Surface Navy Association, Navy League for Honolulu, and he is a lifetime member of the Naval Academy Alumni Association.
Sam Michaud
Executive Vice-President Marshall Canada
Sam joined Marshall Canada in 2018 bringing with him a varied and extensive background in Aerospace and Defence. He has nearly 38 years of experience in both industry and military service, and has held senior leadership positions for more than 25 years. He currently serves as the Executive Vice-President responsible for all Marshall businesses in Canada.
During his 26-year military career, Sam served as both a front-line maritime helicopter pilot and as a senior staff officer in national headquarters. He held several staff positions where he was responsible for joint force development, C4ISR concept elaboration, and complex procurement management. Within industry, he has been responsible for complex C4ISR project delivery and has experience in the aerospace, land, and maritime environments.
Katarina Stephenson
Vice President – Land and Joint Solutions
General Dynamics Mission Systems–International
Andrew Shepherd is the Vice President of Land and Joint Solutions for General Dynamics Mission Systems–International.
Strongly customer-oriented as well as an entrepreneurial executive leader, Andrew has more than two decades of experience creating and executing high-value business strategy, and has a proven track record in converting and leading complex multi-national programs in the Americas, Europe and the Middle East.
Since joining General Dynamics in 2004, Andrew has taken on evolving roles and responsibilities—first beginning as a hardware engineer with General Dynamics Canada, then transitioning to principle engineering levels, product management and business development, and eventually moving to General Dynamics Mission Systems–International in a business unit strategy and business development capacity in 2010. In 2016, Andrew was appointed Director of Land Systems—and during his tenure through early 2022, he succeeded in more than doubling business revenues well over $100M for his business areas of responsibility.
In November 2023, Andrew was promoted to Vice President of Land and Joint Solutions. In his current role, he provides strategic leadership to four profit and loss business areas including Canadian Land C4ISR, Cyber, Advanced Vetronics Solutions, and International Tactical Communications and Information Systems—with a continuous focus on business units’ program performance and growth.
Prior to joining General Dynamics, Andrew worked in various engineering roles, predominantly focused on designing space laser imaging systems for NASA’s international space station as well as healthcare systems for new markets.
While working with General Dynamics, Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Ottawa in 2013, followed by certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP) in 2014. Prior to working on NASA-based programs, he completed advanced undergraduate studies in both Psychology and Computer Engineering.
Mathieu Gauthier
Head of Federal Sales Canada, Google Cloud
Mathieu leads the Federal Government Business for Google Cloud in Ottawa. Mathieu is born and raised in Ottawa, is a proud alumnus of the University of Ottawa, and has been building software businesses for 15 years. Previously a Director at Oracle, Senior Director at Assent Compliance, and VP at Braid Health - Mathieu has joined Google to help scale the Federal Government Business to the benefit of Canadians.
Peter Smetny-Sowa
Regional VP – Systems Engineering, Fortinet
Peter Smetny-Sowa is a seasoned cybersecurity expert with a proven track record in safeguarding organizations from cyber threats and ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical digital assets. Currently, Peter is a Regional VP of Systems Engineering at Fortinet based out of Ottawa. Peter works primarily with Federal Government departments and large enterprises, advising on the design, deployment, and operation of cyber security solutions. Previously, Peter worked with national carriers and service providers helping them secure their infrastructures as well as develop security service offerings. Peter embarked on his cybersecurity journey over two decades ago, with a background in Computer Systems Engineering, where he laid the foundation for his deep technical expertise. Peter also spent 8 years at CGI as an architect developing and deploying network and security solutions for several organizations around the globe. His combination of leadership, technical acumen, and dedication to protecting digital assets makes him a respected figure in the field. Peter continues to inspire and lead the charge in securing the digital world against evolving threats.
Sam Casola
District Sales Manager, Eastern Canada, Palo Alto Networks
Coming soon
Patrick Hammel
Manager, Systems Engineering, Palo Alto Networks
Patrick Hamel is a Systems Engineering Manager at Palo Alto Networks with over two decades of experience in the field of technology. Throughout his career, he has honed his skills as a systems engineer and has gained a wealth of knowledge in network analysis, cyber security, and technical pre-sales support.
Prior to joining Palo Alto Networks, Patrick spent four years as a Senior Network Analyst at Bell and seven years as a Systems Engineer at Juniper Networks. During his time at Juniper, Patrick honed his skills in Juniper Routing, Switching, and Security products and developed a strong foundation in technical pre-sales support.
In his current role as a manager of an engineering team at Palo Alto Networks, Patrick not only oversees technical pre-sales support within the Federal government territory but also leads and mentors a team of skilled engineers. His responsibilities have expanded to include guiding his team in coordinating and conducting proof of concept demonstrations, leveraging their technical expertise to identify and cultivate new business opportunities, and responding effectively to complex requests for proposals and technical information. Patrick plays a crucial role in not just presenting products and services to customers, both in-person and through web conferences, but also in ensuring his team is continually aligned with the latest technological advancements and industry best practices, thereby fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation within the team..
In addition to his technical skills, Patrick is a GIAC Certified Penetration Tester and has a passion for learning about the advancements in AI and pentesting. He is a dedicated professional who strives to stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and trends in his field.
MGen Christopher Zimmer
Chief of Staff, Digital Transformation Office
Hailing from Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, Major-General Christopher Zimmer joined the Canadian Forces as an Air Logistician in 1990 and graduated from RMC in 1994.
During his career, MGen Zimmer has occupied a number of tactical, operational and strategic positions at Goose Bay, Cold Lake, Winnipeg, Kingston and Ottawa. Most recent key positions includes Commander of Canadian Material Support Group (CMSG) and Director General Support/ Strategic J4 within the Strategic Joint Staff (SJS) at National Defence HQ.
MGen Zimmer has deployed twice with the fighters in support of operations in Kosovo and then as the Chief of Staff for the JTF-Afghanistan Air Wing. He holds an MBA, an MDS and an MPA and is a graduate of the National Security Program (NSP) at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto.
In 2021, MGen Zimmer joined the Digital Transformation Office as Chief of Staff and he was acting Assistant Deputy Minister from February 2022 to Mars 2023.