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In 2022, we planted the seeds of a movement. We gathered over 1,000 business and community leaders to share what was going on in our region—the innovation, courage, and resilience of our growing companies and community organizations.
In 2023, Optimus SBR facilitated a series of community and business leader roundtable workshops (RBWs) to identify themes and priorities for the region, and how we envisioned ourselves reaching new heights of global ambition. These findings, along with insights from Subject Matter Experts, global best practices, and our Steering Committee, helped shape the Vision, Goals, and Strategic Framework to propel Edmonton toward evolving into a region that offers unlimited opportunity and prosperity.
Sessions generated over 850 ideas
Business, community, entrepreneur, and Indigenous leaders
Sectors including energy, construction, life sciences, agri-food & more
Forward/Slash is run by the business community—giving their time, their ideas, and their resources to help make the Edmonton region the the top destination in Canada for talent, investment, and business growth.
Our work is guided by a Steering Committee—Joan Hertz, Angela Fong, Brian Vaasjo, Malcolm Bruce, and Brad Ferguson. Each of the four goals is stewarded by one Champion and two Co-Chairs, who are ultimately responsible for providing leadership and accountability for our priority initiatives. The Steering Committee, Champions, and Co-Chairs serve as the leadership team for Forward/Slash.
Optimus SBR, Canada’s largest independent management consulting firm, has built its reputation on successful implementations. With the Strategy Framework complete, Optimus SBR will provide program management and implementation capacity.
We have developed a governance and operating model that is open, inclusive and, most importantly, nimble.
“Tiger Teams” of 8-12 individuals will be formed on a revolving basis to carry out specific initiatives or projects that align to one of our goals. A Tiger Team is a specialized group of experts that tackle specific challenges or initiatives with speed, agility, and precision. The concept originated during the early days of space flight, where such teams were assembled to handle critical challenges like the Apollo 13 mission.
The Steering Committee, Leadership, and Tiger Teams will work together through a combination of quarterly in-person meetings, monthly in-person and/or virtual meetings, and through a collaborative digital platform, powered by MS Teams.
This model will create an energy and pace for progress.
We thank these organizations for their support
© Forward/Slash
The Edmonton Metropolitan Region is located on Treaty 6 Territory. We acknowledge this land as the traditional gathering place and center for trade for many First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples. We recognize that inclusivity is at the heart of sustainable growth and understand that Indigenous partnerships and voices must be at the forefront of radical transformation of our region.