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Former NCC, City of Ottawa planning boss Willis to lead Stantec’s federal infrastructure practice

November 22, 2024

Stantec has appointed Stephen Willis its new federal sector leader for infrastructure projects in Canada, the Edmonton-based professional services company announced this week.

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A former senior planning official with the National Capital Commission and the City of Ottawa is spearheading a major consulting firm’s campaign to win more business from the federal government. Stantec has appointed Stephen Willis its new federal sector leader for infrastructure projects in Canada, the Edmonton-based professional services company announced this week. Willis, who spent the past two years as the firm’s senior principal for community development, will “proactively work to enhance awareness of the firm’s services within Canadian federal agencies,” Stantec said in a news release. The company said the veteran professional planner will help Stantec pursue “short- and long-term growth initiatives within the federal infrastructure space in Canada.” In his new role, Willis will help identify potential opportunities for the federal government, Crown corporations and federal agencies to invest in upgrading infrastructure through initiatives such as the $33-billion federal Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, Stantec said. “Throughout my career I’ve taken great pride in helping to deliver some of the most impactful infrastructure projects for the public sector,” Willis said in a statement. “As Canada looks to strengthen its economy and improve lives and communities across the country through initiatives like the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, I welcome the opportunity to join Stantec’s federal infrastructure team in hopes of supporting the Canadian government in its efforts to address housing, invest in infrastructure, and enhance our security.” Willis, who earned a master’s degree in urban planning from Queen’s University, brings three decades of experience in the field to his new role. After working as a planner in the Greater Toronto Area, Willis spent 13 years as a landscape architecture and urban planning expert at engineering consultant WSP’s Ottawa office. Willis then moved on to roles at the NCC and Ottawa city hall, where was closely involved in numerous major transportation and city-building projects. From 2014-16, he served as executive director of the NCC’s capital planning branch. After a short stint as Stantec’s senior principal of community development, he joined the City of Ottawa in 2017 as general manager of planning and economic development, a role he held for five and a half years. His new appointment comes as the federal government is poised to spend billions of dollars on revamping its real estate portfolio and modernizing key defence and security programs. The feds have announced plans to rethink their office footprint through measures such as disposing of aging properties, retrofitting buildings to make them more energy-efficient and converting underused spaces to housing. Meanwhile, the government also plans to modernize defence programs such as the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). In 2022, then-defence minister Anita Anand announced the feds would spend $38.6 billion over the next two decades to bolster NORAD’s ability to detect threats earlier and upgrade its air weapons systems. “As we look to bolster our infrastructure services within the Canadian government and federal agencies, we recognized the potential to have Stephen step into a role to foster and support those efforts in Canada,” Susan Walter, executive vice-president of Stantec’s Infrastructure business, said in a statement. “Stephen is a proven leader, and his track record for delivering successful public sector projects speaks for itself. We look forward to the immediate impact he is going to make on our broader federal team in Canada.”