Syntax Strategic adds former Lockheed Martin and Calian CEOs to defence advisory team

Lorraine Ben, who ran Lockheed Martin's Canadian operations for six years, and Kevin Ford, who led Kanata's Calian Group for a decade, have joined Syntax Strategic as advisers. Both retired last year.

Under Ben, Lockheed Martin landed major procurement deals, including key components for the Royal Canadian Navy's new warships. Ford took Calian from a mid-sized local company to a significant player in Canadian defence, with growth driven largely by acquisitions.

The federal government is expected to pour hundreds of billions of dollars into defence and nation-building projects over the next decade, including the planned Pacific Link crude oil pipeline. Syntax founder and CEO Jennifer Stewart says companies hoping to capture that work need expert guidance. "We're here to help leaders and organizations communicate what they do, how they procure, how they continue to operate in this environment effectively and break through the noise."

Ben will work with clients on a contract basis, advising them on the federal defence procurement process and on what resonates with senior officials at the Department of National Defence. Stewart said some clients are established defence ventures and others are small and medium-sized businesses still trying to break into the sector. Ben's experience, she said, "will just propel that growth."

Syntax already has Vernon White, a former Ottawa police chief and retired senator, as a strategic adviser to its defence practice.