The meeting took place in person for those who could attend, or virtually for those who could not travel. It was an opportunity, for some, to get to know each other for the first time off camera.
These two days of retreat allowed them to discuss the direction of the IT group, the issues, and possible ways of organizing work to maximize the productivity of each.
Alex Dipietro, Senior Director (Interim) “I really enjoyed the interactive discussion we had as a team over the two days. It was a very positive experience to see how we were all working together to try to plan for the future of IT at the University.”
For Martin Bernier, Chief Information Officer, “It was a very productive and refreshing meeting away from home, on campus. It was the type of retreat that you can only have in person, focusing on discussion, new ideas and fresh perspectives, not multitasking all day like we are used to now. It was the perfect setting to come together around a strategy and a plan.”
Important topics that came up in these discussions were:
- The goals for the executive group that were established in May 2020 were validated.
- The focus will be on inclusive collaboration and accountability through rigorous planning and governance going forward.
- The executive team will continue to work on the suggested approaches and teams will be consulted in the coming months.
Members enjoyed meeting in person as it allowed for much better sharing and collaboration. This brief socialization also created a lot of positive energy among the executive team and allowed for better bonding and synergy.
According to Kathleen Webster, Deputy CIO: “A great opportunity for the executive team to discuss, in person, the strategic direction of the organization and to align our visions. The work is well underway, and we have a directional lead. There is still work to be done, and we will be going to our teams soon for some of the next steps. I look forward to seeing how things develop.”
The executive team looks forward to sharing their discussions with their respective teams and meeting again in the future.
Pictured (from left to right): Martin Bernier, Alex Dipietro, Daniel Trottier, Chantal Sabourin, MaryAnn Welke Lesage, Jean-Ray Arseneau, Nicolas Buache, Kathleen Webster