Executive Advisor, -Impact Firms - Advisory Services

Benefits

Flexible and competitive benefits including an Employee Savings and Investment Plan with a company match, a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, a $750 Wellness and Health Care Spending Account, paid vacation each year, five personal days, sick days as needed, and offices closed from December 25 to January 1.

A hybrid work model that balances work and personal life.

Opportunities for learning, training and development, and more.

We are looking for an Executive Advisor in our High Impact Firms team. As the senior advisor and primary point of contact for CEOs in BDC's Growth Driver Program (GDP), you will lead complex, multi‑year advisory engagements with high‑potential Canadian SMEs in the defence supply chain and supply chain sector, working closely with executive teams and BDC delivery partners.

You will bring an extensive track record of executive leadership and the ability to help the next generation of entrepreneur leaders succeed.

• Serve as the single trusted advisor to CEO clients, leading GDP engagements end‑to‑end and ensuring measurable impact on growth and profitability.
• Manage an active portfolio of 8–12 high‑impact SME clients at various stages of multi‑year advisory engagements within the Canadian defence sector and supply chain.
• Lead and coordinate delivery teams to ensure a “one‑voice” client experience.
• Act as senior sales and qualification support during business development, including identifying GDP opportunities, supporting deal closure, and transitioning clients into delivery.
• Become deeply knowledgeable about each client’s business, strategy, operating model, and leadership challenges to guide decision‑making at CEO and executive team level.
• Support CEOs through strategy definition, execution, implementation follow‑through, and leadership development, including post‑Leadership Retreat coaching.
• Navigate clients to appropriate BDC Advisory, Financing, Capital, and external ecosystem resources aligned with their strategic priorities.
• Track, assess, and report client performance against objectives over time using BDC CRM and advisory tools.
• Maintain strong internal collaboration across BDC Advisory Services, Financing, Capital, and Defence teams, ensuring compliance with rules of engagement.
• Represent BDC externally by building credibility and relationships within the defence advisory and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Provide structured feedback from the field to continuously improve advisory solutions, toolkits, and delivery approaches.

• Total experience:
  Minimum 20‑25 years of professional experience.
• Senior leadership experience:
  Minimum 15‑20 years of senior leadership experience in one or more of the following: founder, owner, or C‑suite executive in an entrepreneurial or SME environment; executive leadership role in a multinational organization with P&L responsibility and accountability for strategy execution and growth; partner‑level management consulting experience advising CEOs, executive teams, and Boards.
• Strategic leadership:
  Proven experience defining strategy, communicating vision, executing strategic plans, and leading organizations through growth, change, or transformation.
• CEO‑level advisory capability:
  Demonstrated ability to build trusted advisory relationships with CEOs and senior executives.
• Business acumen:
  Ability to quickly assess complex businesses, identify performance gaps, and translate insights into actionable solutions.
• Cross‑enterprise exposure:
  Experience with complex organizations (typically >$30M in revenue) involving growth, restructuring, acquisitions, divestitures, fundraising, and talent development.
• Change leadership:
  Hands‑on experience leading or advising organizations through change, including operating model shifts, new product introductions, GTM initiatives, or organizational redesign.
• CRM discipline:
  Experience using CRM systems to document client engagements, performance metrics, and advisory activities.

• Executive experience launching or scaling new business units, integrating acquisitions, or entering new markets.
• Demonstrated success acting as a growth catalyst, rallying leadership teams around new strategic priorities.
• Prior experience in executive coaching or leadership development programs.
• Established professional reputation and network within the Canadian business ecosystem.
• Language: bilingual French and English is preferred.

If you require an accommodation to complete your application, please do not hesitate to contact us at

While we appreciate all applications, we advise that only the candidates selected to participate in the recruitment process will be contacted.