Little known outside the confines of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), are changes which came into effect on August 31st to the top level organizational structure of Canada’s space agency.
Those changes are designed to meet the needs of key programs and the growing importance within government of the space program. SpaceQ has obtained the new organizational chart, including a new critical position, and the names of personnel for each position.
When Lisa Campbell took over as the President of the Canadian Space Agency on Monday, Sep. 14, she did so with a new top level structure in place.
In a conversation with outgoing President Sylvain Laporte before he left the Agency, SpaceQ was told that the CSA was “successful in obtaining authorities to hire a second Assistant Deputy Minister, or VP (Vice President).”
The Canadian Space Agency now has more than one Vice President like many other government departments. The position is equivalent to that of an Assistant Deputy Minister. The reasoning behind adding the position is the need meet key programs like Canada’s commitment to the Moon and “a recognition that space is growing in importance.”
Laporte further stated “that a lot of the conversations are happening at the Assistant Deputy Minister level in Ottawa. So we needed to make sure that space was going to be represented at the right level.”
That ISED agreed to create the new position, and to have the top-level structure changed, demonstrates that the government is paying more attention to the space file. And it’s not just a that new top-level position was created, it’s also the restructuring of the top-level organizations that’s important. As Laporte put it, it “realigned the programmatic sectors” which consolidates space programs under one VP now.
President and Vice Presidents
The circle of people who report to the president’s office has grown smaller. That list now includes:
- Nathalie Verville (acting), Chief of Staff
- Stéphanie Lafonds, Executive Assistant to the President
- Sarah Gallagher, Science Advisor to the President
- Jean-Claude Piedboeuf, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Director General Corporate Services
- Josée Saint-Marseille, Chief Information Officer (CIO)
- Dominique Breden, Chief Audit and Evaluation
- Mary Préville (acting), Vice President, Space Program Policy
- Luc Brûlé, Vice President, Science and Technology
New to the list are the additions of the Chief Information Officer and the new Vice President, Space Program Policy. The Chief Information Officer previously reported to the vice president’s office.
The biggest substration is that the four Director General (DG) positions of Space Exploration, Space Science and and Technology, Space Utilization, and Policy no longer report directly to the President. The DG’s now report to the two vice president positions.
The position of President is more akin to that of a Chief Executive Officer now.
Mary Préville (acting), Vice President, Space Program Policy
The position of Vice President, Space Program Policy is the new critical position added by the Agency. Mary Préville, who was DG Policy, moves up in the acting role as the new Vice President. In her new position she takes on the added responsibility of Communications and Public Affairs and Programs and Integrated Planning. Reporting directly to Préville are the following Executive Director’s and DG:
- Anna Kapiniari, Executive Director, Communications and Public Affairs
- Manon Larocque (acting), Director General, Policy
- Melanie Winzeri, Executive Director, Programs and Integrated Planning
Préville as VP, equivalent to an Assistant Deputy Minister, will now have a seat at the table with other government ADM’s and will represent the Agency as it performs the role it was always intended to do, that of coordinating Canada’s space efforts.
Luc Brûlé, Vice President, Science and Technology
Brûlé’s circle just got smaller and very focused. The Agency veteran, who in late 2014 served as President (acting) for four months, will now focus all his energies on the core space programs. Reporting directly to Brûlé are the following three DG’s:
- Gilles Leclerc, Director General, Space Exploration
- Marie-Claude Guérard, Director General, Space Science and Technology
- Éric Laliberté, Director General, Space Utilization
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Director General Corporate Services
It should also be noted that reporting to the CFO now are:
- Human Resources
- Service Management and Administration
- and as expected, the Deputy CFO
A new modern org chart
In comparing the new organizational structure to the past structure, it looks modern and similar to that of a corporation. It also looks better aligned.
Along with other changes that have happened at the CSA over the last five years, the reimagined Agency may be in a better position and shape to serve Canadians going forward.