The Position:
Summit Search Group has been retained by our local client, Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA), on the recruitment of their Vice President, Information Technology. The Vice President, IT will take on a critical executive leadership role designed to advance WAA’s digital evolution and strengthen the technology foundation that supports its strategic goals and operational excellence. Reporting directly to the President & CEO, this role reflects the organization’s commitment to building a modern, secure, and resilient technology environment that enables exceptional service delivery and long-term sustainability.
This position plays a central role in supporting WAA’s mission: Connecting communities and partnering to build a sustainable future. As the accountable Executive of the Information Technology function, the Vice President will define and bring to life a forward-looking, digitally enabled IT vision that enables operational excellence. The successful candidate will oversee a capable and dedicated team responsible for enterprise systems, cybersecurity, digital platforms, infrastructure, data operations, project delivery and the IT service desk in a complex airport ecosystem.
The Vice President, IT will be equally comfortable zooming out to the strategic enterprise view, shaping digital strategy, investment priorities, and technology governance. While also zooming in to ensure operational excellence in critical IT services. With a complex, mission-critical airport environment that interfaces with airlines, ground handlers, NAV Canada, CBSA, CATSA and numerous stakeholders, this leader will ensure technology systems are reliable, secure, integrated and positioned for future growth.
As WAA continues its digital and operational evolution, the VP, IT will serve as a trusted advisor to the Executive and Leadership teams, guiding technology-enabled change, managing risk, and ensuring cybersecurity standards meet or exceed regulatory requirements and leading frameworks such as NIST. With the support of a collaborative Executive team, and strong internal IT group, this is an ideal opportunity for a strategic and technically credible leader ready to shape the future of digital at a nationally significant organization.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic IT Leadership:
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, Executive team, and Leadership team and act as a collaborative business partner and change leader on all aspects of IT and Digital, from strategy to execution
- Develop and execute an end-to-end IT and digital strategy aligned with WAA’s corporate strategic plan and business priorities.
- Establish and evolve the IT operating model to support long-term sustainability, operational reliability, and digital innovation.
- Deliver IT operational excellence (infrastructure, service delivery, cybersecurity, system reliability) while driving enterprise digital strategy and organizational change initiatives.
- Develop and implement sustainable capital and operating plans for the IT function, aligning investments with strategic priorities.
- Actively participate in Executive-level decision-making, contributing to corporate strategy, operational planning, capital investment decisions, and enterprise risk mitigation.
- Provide regular updates to the Board of Directors on IT strategy, cybersecurity posture, risk management, and major technology initiatives.
Digital & Technology Evolution:
- Lead digital initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, customer experience, employee experience, and data-driven decision-making.
- Oversee enterprise systems, ensuring integration, scalability, performance, and security across the technology landscape.
- Establish and monitor key performance indicators and service level deliverables to measure departmental performance and customer satisfaction.
- Enhance digital safety and cybersecurity practices, ensuring alignment with and advancement beyond NIST standards and other regulatory frameworks.
- Support enterprise-wide initiatives related to Safety, Culture, Terminal Optimization, and operational modernization through effective technology enablement and change leadership.
Operational Excellence:
- Ensure IT infrastructure, service delivery, cybersecurity, applications and systems support a complex airport environment with high expectations for reliability, integration, and quality of service
- Lead risk management efforts related to cybersecurity, systems reliability, business continuity, and regulatory compliance.
- Oversee vendor relationships, licenses, contracts, and external service providers to ensure performance, compliance, and value.
Organizational Change Management:
- Serve as a visible and credible change leader, inspiring confidence and clarity during periods of digital and operational evolution.
- Translate complex technical concepts into clear business language, ensuring leaders across the organization understand risks, opportunities, and trade-offs.
- Partner cross-functionally to ensure technology adoption is supported by appropriate change management, communication, and training strategies.
IT Team Leadership:
- Lead and develop a high-performing IT team, fostering collaboration, accountability, psychological safety, and continuous improvement.
- Model WAA’s core values, Safety, Respect, Teamwork, Inclusion, and Excellence in leadership approach and decision-making.
- Provide mentorship, coaching, and succession planning to build long-term capability within the IT function.
- Act in accordance with applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements and maintain strong working relationships within a unionized environment.
- Ensure confidentiality, integrity, and ethical standards are upheld across all IT operations and personnel matters.
Qualifications:
- Post-Secondary Education in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.
- Ten or more years of progressively senior experience in information and communications technology leadership roles within mid-to-large organizations.
- Demonstrated success developing and executing enterprise-wide IT strategies that enable operational excellence and digital innovation.
- Strong technical foundation in at least one major IT domain (e.g., infrastructure, cybersecurity, data, enterprise systems, or project delivery), with broad working knowledge across additional domains.
- Experience implementing cybersecurity frameworks and managing enterprise risk in complex environments.
The ideal candidate is a strategic and technically credible Executive who understands the dual nature of modern IT leadership: ensuring critical operational stability while driving bold digital change. They bring both enterprise vision and practical execution capability, and they are energized by the opportunity to shape technology in a complex, mission-critical environment.
They are a confident, inclusive leader, who cultivates high-performance teams and fosters a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. With strong organizational savvy and executive presence, they can influence decision-making at the highest levels while remaining approachable and grounded with operational teams.
Purpose-drive and values-aligned, this individual is motivated by the opportunity to build something lasting, strengthening digital capabilities that support the safety, efficiency, and community impact of Winnipeg Airports Authority.
For more information, or to submit your resume, please reach out to Matt Erhard at Summit Search Group, matt.erhard@summitsearchgroup.com
Summit Search Group has a strong commitment to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion. We strive for continuous development, modeling, inclusive behaviors and proactively managing bias throughout our process.
