Calian Group has hired a former Shoppers Drug Mart executive to lead its business unit that provides health-care technology, IT and cybersecurity products and other services. The Kanata-based firm said Monday it has named Kristine McTaggart president of its Essential Industries division. She replaces Derek Clark, who left Calian in April to join Toronto-based Well […]
Get Instant Access to This Article
Become an Ottawa Business Journal Insider and get immediate access to all of our Insider-only content and much more.
Calian Group has hired a former Shoppers Drug Mart executive to lead its business unit that provides health-care technology, IT and cybersecurity products and other services.
The Kanata-based firm said Monday it has named Kristine McTaggart president of its Essential Industries division. She replaces Derek Clark, who left Calian in April to join Toronto-based Well Health Technologies as chief operating officer.
McTaggart has served as senior vice-president of operations at Montreal-based virtual health-care provider Dialogue for the past three years. Before that, she spent 13 years in various senior management roles at Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaw, which acquired the pharmacy chain in 2014.
At Dialogue, McTaggart oversaw more than 1,000 health-care professionals. At Shoppers Drug Mart, she helped spearhead the expansion of the company’s digital pharmacy and electronic prescription services.
McTaggart, who holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and commerce and a master’s degree in business administration, will take over a business unit that offers a range of products and services aimed at commercial customers.
The Essential Industries division was created earlier this year when Calian restructured its organization and cut its business segments from four to two. In addition to health-care technology and IT and cybersecurity products, it also specializes in managed services and infrastructure modernization consulting as well as nuclear and agricultural technology.
Those business lines generated revenues of $80.6 million in the fiscal third quarter ending June 30, up 20 per cent from a year earlier, accounting for just over a third of Calian’s overall sales.
Calian said the growth was primarily due to the firm’s 2025 acquisition of Advanced Medical Solutions, which provides health care as well as air ambulance, emergency medical evacuation and other services to residents in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and northern parts of several provinces, as well as increased sales from customers in the U.S.
'Strong strategic mind'
Calian chief executive Patrick Houston said McTaggart has a “strong strategic mind” and will lead the company’s push to tap into new health-care markets, particularly in the North.
He said another top priority for McTaggart will be boosting Calian’s nuclear business, which has grown from eight employees and $3 million in annual revenues a decade ago to a workforce of more than 100 and revenues of nearly $40 million today.
“The need for more energy is pretty evident now,” Houston added. “I think a lot of these projects will get off (the ground) with Prime Minister (Mark) Carney. I think there’s a huge opportunity there.”
Meanwhile, Calian has officially appointed Will Majic to the role of chief financial officer. Majic was named interim CFO in February to replace Houston, who was promoted to CEO when Kevin Ford retired from Calian’s top job at the end of 2025.
“Will is a super capable guy,” Houston said. “He’s allowed me to just kind of do my job and not have to worry about that one. I have 100 per cent confidence in him. On the executive team, you sometimes bring in new people who can help you see new opportunities, but at the same time, it’s good to promote people within that have worked hard and really contributed to the company. I think Will is a great example of that.”
Calian announced one other C-suite move on Monday.
Robin Richardson, who has served as the company’s senior vice-president of marketing and communications since October 2023, has started a new position as chief commercial officer. Houston said Richardson will help spearhead Calian’s efforts to win more defence contracts.
Richardson had already been working closely with Chris Pogue, head of Calian’s defence and space division, to create proposals and identify market opportunities, Houston noted.
“She knows all the players,” he said. “Trying to get everyone kind of working together sometimes is a challenge, but I think she’s up for it.”
