A Challenge Recognized at the Highest Levels
Over eight years, I served as Executive Assistant to the Corporate Secretary and five Cabinet Ministers at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) in Ottawa. This role provided direct, hands-on support to the decision-making processes of six of the nation's most senior executives, working across multiple ministries and policy domains.
Throughout this tenure, I observed a consistent and significant challenge: brilliant executives were allocating 10+ hours weekly to intelligence gathering—a task that, in principle, should require only 30 minutes of focused effort. And crucially, they were sharing sensitive strategic thinking across multiple unvetted sources.
The pattern was universal. Cabinet-level leaders would begin their day reviewing hundreds of emails, scanning 15+ news sources, monitoring social media, and requesting analysis from their teams. By mid-morning, they would finally possess sufficient context to make a single strategic decision. This operational inefficiency was not an anomaly—it was their daily reality.
What struck me most was both the wasted time AND the confidentiality risk. Senior executives were scattering their intelligence needs across multiple platforms, many without proper security controls. Their strategic thinking was fragmented. Their sensitive information was exposed.
This inefficiency warranted a solution designed by those who understand executive decision-making at the highest levels.
