Meet the Canadian Provincial and Municipal Executive Services Leadership Team

Author(s): Cole Cioran

Info-Tech's Canadian Public Sector Research and Advisory Service Overview

Canada is really big, and so is Info-Tech’s dedicated Canadian Public Sector research and advisory services team’s ambition: Ensure that our members in the Canadian public sector receive exceptional value from their investment in their ITRG membership! We do that by providing material support across key IT initiatives and personal benefits in the form of professional development coaching, peer networking, and career advancement as members build an exponential IT mindset and embrace autonomization in the Canadian Public Sector.

Info-Tech's framework for exponential IT.

Our team combines deep experience in the Canadian public sector with exhaustive knowledge of Info-Tech’s products and services. They help you get the most out of your membership by creating a flexible plan for using our research and advisory services to deliver your key initiatives and solve the problems you face.

Cole Cioran – Managing Partner – Canadian Public Sector
(Toronto, ON)

I love to guide people to the right solutions for the complex problems they face. When I see that magical moment when they realize there is a new way to solve an old problem it makes my heart sing. That feeling is doubled when I do this with one of my team or directly with a member. The difference is the knowledge that it will create exceptional social, environmental, and economic outcomes in the communities across Canada where we live, work, and play.

David Wallace

David Wallace – Executive Counsellor
(Waterloo, ON)

Seeing other people grow and succeed is what makes this role so meaningful to me. Over my 41 years of experience in the public and private sectors, I’ve benefited from the coaching and support that helped me become the first CIO of the University of Waterloo, the first CIO of the City of Toronto, and the first CTO of the Government of Ontario. Now I get to return the favour and help others achieve their goals as IT leaders every day!

Christine Coz

Christine Coz – Executive Counsellor
(Vaughan, ON)

My passion is problem solving and helping make risk management integral to the value proposition IT brings to the business and community. I love being able to leverage my decades of experience in IT and security leadership in my interactions with Info-Tech members. The feeling of partnership when discussing strategies and tactical solutions and how to best apply them based on the dynamics of each unique environment is what matters most to me.

Rob Meikle

Rob Meikle – Executive Counsellor
(Brampton, ON)

Being a strategic executive technology leader who has led the cities of Toronto and Brampton is only part of who I am. My passion for people and community drives me to devote my time and energy to helping individuals fulfill their purpose and maximize their potential for true success in life. This takes many forms, including serving as the vice-chair of the board of World Vision Canada and co-chairing the Advisory Council of the Ted Rogers School of Information Technology Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. Additionally, I actively participate in technology advisory councils, serve in community charity organizations, and provide coaching to IT and executive leaders across Canada.

Jim Kirk

Jim Kirk – Executive Advisor
(Halifax, NS)

I started in the industry providing technical support on the service desk. This formed a foundation in customer service and responsiveness that I built my career in the public sector on. In joining Info-Tech after over 20 years at the Ontario Public Service, the City of Halifax, and the Nova Scotia Community College, I’m still eager to roll up my sleeves and help our members solve problems and address the challenges and opportunities they face today.

Theresa Hughes

Theresa Hughes – Executive Advisor
(Fredericton, NB)

My experience bridges the divide between public and private sector with over 25 years of global leadership experience in IT. My passion is for building relationships and helping clients successfully achieve their goals across multiple domains. I love the culture of collaboration and business focus at Info-Tech, which deliver value to our clients.

Benoit Proulx – Executive Advisor
(Kingston, ON)

I served in the Canadian military for more than 35 years before transitioning to the Canadian federal public service in senior roles in the information technology sector. There is nothing I enjoy more than continuously learning how to transform IT operations with business imperatives and helping others realize the benefits of technology. French is my first language, which helps me ensure nothing is lost in translation for our members in Québec.

Nor are we alone! “Canada” literally means it takes a village. Info-Tech has not only gone global – we have built our presence across Canada. We now have teams in every province dedicated to helping you get the most out of your membership. They look forward to supporting you where you live!

How we help our members succeed

The Canadian Public Sector team provides practical, actionable research and advice that guides business and technology leaders on how to accelerate delivery of their key initiatives by leveraging ITRG’s core products:

A screenshot from Info-Tech's blueprint Make the Case for Product Delivery

Custom Key Initiative Plans

The Canadian Public Sector team builds and maintains a custom, evergreen plan for how to leverage our research and advisory services to accelerate delivery of your key initiatives.

An example Info-Tech framework

In-Depth Research Centers

Use this one stop for all blueprints related to key IT practice areas and topics to help you go even deeper on initiatives that matter to you.

Framework from Info-Tech's Design Your Cloud Operations blueprint.

Comprehensive, Connected Blueprints

Leverage unlimited independent and analyst-guided access to our detailed step-by-step guides and production-ready templates that accelerate delivery of your key initiatives.

Info-Tech has many diagnostics to help you make data-driven decisions.

Actionable Diagnostic-Driven Insights

Our diagnostics team produces industry benchmark–backed assessments of your organization to help you to target the right initiatives and assess improvements
over time.

Info-Tech's Build a Business-Aligned IT Strategy helps ensure your strategy aligns with the business'.

Consulting-Quality Deliverables

We do more than talk, we roll up our sleeves and create consulting-quality deliverables for all our advisory, executive, concierge, workshops, and consulting services.

When you look beyond Info-Tech’s mantra of better research, you’ll quickly see exactly what we mean. Every publication is a practical, research-backed guide supported by actionable advice on how to overcome the challenges technology leaders face today. In a time when the government cannot afford to go slow, informed decision making at speed is critical. The Canadian Public Sector team combines a deep knowledge of how you can leverage Info-Tech’s practical, actionable approach to Research and Advisory Services with extensive experience as technology leaders in municipal and provincial government. Our mission is to help you rapidly make data-driven decisions backed by robust research that empowers you to deliver exceptional government services through technology.

Our perspective on the current state of digital government in Canada

Our mission is driven by the need for continuous innovation in government programs and service delivery. This is critical to Canada’s recovery from the global pandemic and weathering ongoing economic uncertainty. The pandemic drove unprecedented demand for digital services, and Canadians now expect more and better from government. Universal digital identity is just the first step in redefining how governments in Canada leverage technology as an integral part of a transformation of the experiences of businesses, citizens, and our global partners. We see the need for Canadian public sector IT leaders to adopt an exponential IT mindset. We’re here to help them embrace radical transformation in IT’s mission and governance, autonomization of core business and IT capabilities, and changes in how we partner with the community, vendors, and government leaders. Four major priorities have emerged in our work with Canadian IT leaders:

Unlock Exponential IT Capabilities

Embrace Autonomization of Government Services

Go beyond a digital strategy to lead the business of government with autonomous AI-powered solutions and vendor relationships that create seamless experiences across channels for the community. See more in our Digital Transformation Research Center and Human-Centric, Ethical, and Practical AI Research Center.

Unlock the Potential of Adaptive Delivery

Implement adaptive governance, agile portfolio and project management, product ownership, and business relationship management to drive exceptional experiences for the community and the organization. See more in our Product Lifecycle Management Research Center.

Differentiate with the Power of Data

Bring together data strategy, governance, architecture, management, and data literacy to unleash the power of data in your organization.

Accelerate your journey with our Data and Analytics Research Center.

Build a Robust Information Security Practice

Build a robust security practice based on a holistic strategy based on zero trust, a team with the right capabilities and capacity, and insurance against incidents with our Security Research Center.

Build Foundational IT Capabilities

Canadian public sector research resources

Info-Tech is well known for our practical, actionable blueprints and templates. We also have a rich body of content focused on government and the Canadian public sector that will accelerate your key initiatives. Here are some examples of how you can make the most of your membership by leveraging Info-Tech’s resources to achieve your priorities:

Canadian Public Sector Research Notes

Public Sector Industry Resources for Provincial and Municipal Government

Tech Trends Insights Every Canadian Public Sector IT Leader Needs to Succeed in 2023 >

Reduce IT Risk Exposure in the Canadian Public Sector >

The Canadian Government Labor Market: Competing for Scarce Resources in a Highly Competitive, High-Demand, and Low-Supply Environment >

Lead Change in the Public Sector with Focus, Positivity, and Passion >

Three Steps to Prepare for Council >

Seven Steps to Accelerate Building Permits in Canadian Municipalities >

Digital Transformation and Enterprise Portfolio Management in the Canadian Public Sector >

Building the Smartest Cities – Canadian Municipal Trends (Keynote Download)

An Economic Downturn Looms. How Should Government I&IT Leaders Respond? >

One Size Does Not Fit All: Hybrid work is here to stay; how you can turn this from a temporary measure into a long-term strategy >

Gov 2.0: Government as a Platform >

Local Government Business-Aligned IT Strategy >

Build an ERP Strategy and Roadmap for Local Government >

Interoperability Primer and Playbook for Public Health and Healthcare Organizations >

The Role of Social Determinants of Health in Value-Based Care Delivery >

Industry Reference Architecture for Provincial Government >

Addressing the Cybersecurity Talent Shortage in Government >

Prepare for Your Tribal Nation’s IT Organizational Design >

Build Effective Land Management Through GIS >

State/Provincial Government IT Staffing Benchmarking Report >

Municipal Fiber Networks >

Industry Reference Architecture for Local Government

Our take

The Canadian Public Sector team is here to help our members in provincial and municipal government create exceptional social, environmental, and economic outcomes for the places where we live, work, and play. We’re also always looking for people who want to make a difference to join the team or contribute to building better research than anyone else has for the Canadian public sector. If you’re a provincial or municipal IT leader who’s looking to help your colleagues drive exponential IT in Canada, our supporting team would love to hear from you!

Patrick Spencer

Patrick Spencer – Public Sector Research Practice Lead
(Ottawa, ON)

Patrick is driven by a passion for quality and creating a product that helps leaders overcome the real problems they are facing in the Canadian public sector. His team is always looking for input from IT leaders to drive better research.

You can help by joining our research board!

Natalia Zaslavsky

Natalia Zaslavsky – Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist
(Toronto, ON)

Natalia loves to connect with prospective thought leaders and Executive Counsellors to share richer insights about Info-Tech and exciting opportunities that might be a great fit for them. You can apply for one of our open positions here or connect with her via email at nzaslavsky [at] infotech.com for an introductory conversation about how you might be able to help make a difference.

Matthew Bourne

Matthew Bourne – Managing Partner – Canadian Public Sector
(Toronto, ON)

Canada is really big, and Matt and his executive services team are focused on driving the best possible outcomes for our members in the Canadian Federal Government. They would closely with the Provincial and Municipal team to ensure we have a comprehensive and connected approach to serving our members across all levels of government in Canada.


Want to Know More?

Click any of the links above to book a call on the topic or check out these related resources:

Adopt an Exponential IT Mindset >

Provincial Government Industry Research >

Municipal Government Industry Research >

Gov 2.0: Government as a Platform >

Info-Tech’s Sister Company: McLean & Company Human Resources Research and Advisory Services >

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