More than eight years after stepping into the CEO seat at Fidus Systems, Alan Coady is taking on a new role with the company.
Earlier this month, Fidus, which designs hardware and embedded software that can be found in everything from satellites to self-driving cars, announced it had appointed Stan Lequin as chief executive officer, with Coady shifting into a new role as vice-president of Fidus’s board of directors.
Coady said the move coincides with a recent deal that has expanded the company’s priorities. In October, New York-based private equity firm Catchment Capital announced it had purchased a majority ownership stake in Fidus. As a result, Coady said he decided to step away from the CEO role to focus on finding new opportunities to grow the company.
“The big premise was to make investments in M&As going forward,” Coady told OBJ. “As part of that deal, I had to get some time to be able to do these M&As. I’m uniquely qualified in that I know the industry very well; I know the players, I know the technology. So to do that we immediately started looking for the perfect CEO.”
Based in Arizona, Lequin brings 30 years of experience in professional services and consulting. Since 2011, he’s been with American tech firm Insight Enterprises, where he recently spearheaded the company’s adoption of artificial intelligence as chief technology officer of AI transformation. Before that, he led the company’s 5,000-person team as president.
His other roles with Insight included senior vice-president and general manager of digital innovation. He also founded Microsoft consultancy Ensynch, which was acquired by Insight in 2011.
After 14 years with Insight, Lequin told OBJ he never expected to be looking for other opportunities. “It was really hard for me to picture a time when I wouldn’t be at Insight,” he said. “About a year ago, I shifted into the chief AI officer role and helped lead Insight through our AI transformation. After finishing that, I kind of looked around and said, I feel like I can actually go do something else now.”
Lequin said he explored a variety of opportunities at companies across North America, but Fidus stood out.
“I was just enamoured with the reputation Fidus has,” said Lequin. “I think we can create some really cool disruption in this space. I think it’s so unique and differentiated, and I was really impressed through the interview process to talk to Alan and some members of the board. It just stood up above every other opportunity.”
Coady said Lequin was the standout to fill the CEO seat. “We weren’t going to compromise, we were looking for the best person,” he said. “We had many months to look, and look we did. We looked at quite a few candidates and Stan came out head and shoulders above the rest.”
As Fidus looks for opportunities to scale, Lequin said he’s well-positioned to shepherd the company through the associated challenges.
“In my career, I went from leading a team of 300 to 600 to 2,500 to 4,500 to 7,000 and so on,” he said. “That was through organic growth as well as acquisitions. The ability, as you’re acquiring companies, to know how to integrate them and make sure they feel a part of it and that they’re a good fit culturally, I think that’s a big part of what I do.”
Though he plans to remain based in the U.S., Lequin said he will spend as much time in Ottawa as he can, and that he’s ready to travel wherever the team and the clients are.
“I remember the minute of the day I got called and they said they were interested in moving forward with me,” said Lequin. “It was a really big moment for me. I was humbled and so appreciative. It’s really exciting to take the role.”
For his part, Coady said he’s “had a blast” as CEO over the past eight years, but it was the right time to move on. “We had lots of success over the years,” he said. “The process of going through this and landing it now is super-exciting.”
While it’s a big step to leave the CEO seat behind, Coady said he’s looking forward to the opportunity to put all his attention toward growing the company.
“Last year I was having to do both jobs in a sense, so basically not able to make the progress on M&A I would’ve liked because I was running a company full time,” he said. “This allows me to do what I’ve really wanted to do for two years. This was the right time and I’m pretty thrilled.”
Other people on the move
After 35 years with funeral home Hulse, Playfair and McGarry, co-owner and CEO Patrick McGarry has announced his retirement. In a LinkedIn post, McGarry said he is proud of his work with the company and the connections he’s made over the decades. He added that he will be available in an advisory capacity to support the leadership transition until May 17. In addition to his role with the company, which he joined in 1991, McGarry has served as chair of the board of directors of Guaranteed Funeral Deposits of Canada. In 2009, he was one of OBJ’s Forty Under 40 recipients.
KPMG Canada has named its first chief economist. Ali Jaffery, an Ottawa-based partner who has been leading the firm’s economic advisory services practice, stepped into the new role at the beginning of April, according to a press release. Jaffery has spent 15 years working in both the public and private sectors, most recently serving as executive director and senior economist at CIBC. Throughout his career, he has worked at the Department of Finance, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Qatar National Bank and the Bank of Canada, where he was principal economist in the international department.
The Canadian Real Estate Association has announced Patrick Kenny as its new vice-president of strategic communications and brand. Kenny brings 20 years of experience to the position, including roles with national organizations like Skate Canada, the Canada Games Council and Commonwealth Sport Canada. For seven years he worked at Invest Ottawa, where he held multiple leadership roles, including senior director of marketing and communications and senior director of stakeholder experience and strategic engagement. Most recently, he returned to Commonwealth Sport Canada for a year as senior communications authority for Team Canada ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Hats off!
Ottawa-based startup Growcer has been named one of five recipients from across the country of the 2026 Governor General’s Innovation Award. The award recognizes Canadian individuals and organizations doing trailblazing work to improve the lives of Canadians. Growcer was recognized for its leadership in modular food technology, as food insecurity and supply chain resilience have become top-of-mind for Canadian leaders, including Prime Minister Mark Carney. Co-founders Alida Burke and Corey Ellis said in a press release that they are “thrilled” to receive the award, adding they intend to use the spotlight to highlight food sovereignty and the work being done by communities to improve the Canadian food system.
An Ottawa-based public affairs and digital advocacy firm has officially rebranded from Earnscliffe Strategies to Earnscliffe. The rebrand follows the company’s integration of Toronto public relations firm Kaiser & Partners, which it acquired in January 2024. In a press release, Earnscliffe said the move has made it the largest independent communications agency in Canada, while the new brand better reflects its identity as it expands its national reach. The firm now has offices in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, and is working to strengthen its presence on Vancouver Island and in the Prairies.
