Brad Fauteux’s career has been as diverse as the Canadian landscape. He is a former professional musician who was early on attracted to government service, and at one point was entrusted to keep Ontario’s parks beautiful, healthy and accessible.
The lifelong environmentalist served as managing director for the Ministry of Natural Resources and chair of the Canadian Parks Council. Since then, he has leveraged his organizational experience to lead Trillium College, as Chief Operating Officer, as well as managing teams as a senior director for EQUANS Services. Today he serves as vice-president of Colliers Project Leaders.
Recently Brad Fauteux joined us for a comprehensive interview that ranged from his experience in government service to key lessons in leadership.
Q: What skills would you say are necessary to lead large organizations?
Brad Fauteux: First, you’ve got to have a firm grasp of the finances of the organization. During my time at the Ministry of Natural Resources, I led 2,500 employees and oversaw an operating budget of $90 million, on top of a $1.5 billion capital portfolio.
You need to be accountable for every dollar because that is the baseline for next year’s budget, whether you are leading a government organization or working in the private sector. In addition to managing capital assets, other essential skills are team building, contract management, organizational design, human resources, strategy, IT, business development, relationship management and fostering a culture that values innovation, accountability, diversity and inclusion.
Q: You have worked across the world in the environmental field. What lessons have you learned for those experiences?
Brad Fauteux: Yes, I have held positions in both Canada and Australia. As Chief Executive of Parks Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, I led 1,000 employees and managed a quarter-billion dollar operating budget. My focus was on a strategic whole-of-organization modernization that included technology, systems, funding and human resources. I realigned the management team and initiated a refresh of corporate strategy.
Prior to that, I was the managing director for the Ministry of Natural Resources, in Peterborough, Ontario. I was responsible for the Mid Canada Line Project, which was an $85 million environmental remediation in the north, the largest in the province’s history.
In that role I forged strong relationships with a wide array of stakeholders, including more than 300 different intergovernmental, community, Indigenous and private sector partners. During this time, we collected multiple awards in tourism and environmental categories. I was honoured to receive the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario Award in four times, last time in 2015.
I employed this same approach as chairman and board member of the Canadian Parks Council, which is the organization that coordinates Canada’s national, provincial and territorial park agencies. Making this work is all about communication, networking, team building and efficient coordination. I’m proud that we were able to achieve full federal, provincial, and territorial participation in the council for the first time in more than 15 years.
Q: What advice do you have for other organizational leaders?
Brad Fauteux: Step one is getting to know the people, values, Strategy and priorities of any organization that you hope to lead, or have been newly entrusted to lead. It shows respect, and it shows you are committed. When you are seeking such a position, engage in extensive networking so that you are already a known commodity in your field.
When you are in a leadership role, always seek advice — and listen closely to that advice. Learn about the people you work with, and make sure they understand your values. Culture is very important to the success of any business or agency — culture in the organizational sense.
As a leader, it is your responsibility to create, maintain and live that culture. It should be based on an optimistic vision of what you are trying to achieve as a team. It needs to be rooted in understanding and respect. And it needs to be a motivating factor in the professional lives of your employees — something that inspires the team and generates shared excitement about the organization’s work and its plans for the future.
Finding the right people to match this culture and vision is also extremely important. When hiring employees, pursue individuals who show high character, engagement, preparation, commitment, creativity and awareness. Hire someone you would want to follow. Remember that the behaviour of your people is the culture you have.
