2021 Global CEO Excellence Awards

6 CEO MONTHLY / GLOBAL CEO EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2021 CEO MONTHLY / GLOBAL CEO EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2021 7 , currently? Are there any particular issues / changes that are affecting it? CB: Workforce health and safety will continue to be challenging, and employee and contractor safety will always be the number one priority of any company. That will never change. Digitization of the workforce is the best way to accomplish this. The barrage of threats from cybersecurity, changing weather patterns, global pandemics, and other as yet unknown events will continue and organizations must be prepared to do everything to not only protect all assets but most especially their people. Those who continue to apply manual health and safety processes, do so at their peril. Q: Tell me about your leadership style. How do you ensure everyone in your organization understands your vision and works towards it? CB: I believe that “To build a great company you must surround yourself with great people who share your passion.” I apply this philosophy to my current position as CEO of Field Safe to great success. Since taking the reins in 2018, I have transformed Field Safe into an industry-leading company providing health and safety software to protect the “at risk” worker, maintaining strong growth despite the economic uncertainty brought on by the global pandemic and the challenges of building a new company. To become a stronger company and team, management must share their knowledge and information with their team members and trust that their people will do their roles effectively. Career development is a top priority and emphasis is put on ensuring everyone has the tools and training they need to do their jobs well. In a fast-growing company like Field Safe, there is unlimited opportunity, and I challenge all our team members to reach out and grab it! I would like to think I am the personification of Field Safe’s corporate values. Everything I do is ACTION-oriented. Since 2018, I have moved at light speed to put the foundational pieces in place that have turned Field Safe into the industry-leading organization it is today. I have accomplished this by focusing on people (the Field Safe team, its clients and its shareholders) and through my commitment to ensuring Field Safe can nimbly respond to changing market conditions and client needs. It is my passion and focus on people that have fueled that growth and Field Safe’s success. Q:What challenges and opportunities have you faced during your time at the company and how have they affected your role? CB: COVID-19, like for every CEO, was a challenge. The health and safety of Field Safe’s staff as well as our clients’ is our highest priority. Our response to COVID-19 is a great example that illustrates our dedication to worker safety, but also the strength and resilience of our team and its ability to nimbly adapt to emerging risks. Field Safe quickly realized that responding to the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the safety of workers while continuing to meet business commitments would be a huge challenge for CEOs and Boards. Protocols change frequently as we learn more and more about the virus. Our ability to connect and communicate with workers in real-time whether working from home, the office, at site or in transit is playing a vital role. • GIS-based dashboards provide real-time visualization of worker location and support contact tracing. • Instant communication allows you to track, monitor and assess compliance with pandemic protocol best practices. • Digitizing field data collection supports social distancing by eliminating the need to physically complete and deliver forms. • Immediate understanding of worker status combined with digital forms simplifies workforce planning. Connecting with Employees Is A High Priority Communication and connection with my team are my priorities and the pandemic took that to a whole new level. I have engaged with my network of peer leaders and other experts to incorporate their advice and best practices into Field Safe’s efforts to engage a fully remote workforce to ensure their safety, but also that business commitments continue to be met. The entire leadership team is committed to ensuring the wellbeing of all employees and are especially diligent now to engage and listen to the challenges each individual is facing so that they can provide support. Events such as biweekly town halls, fifteen-minute video chats over coffee with staff, and rewarding the outstanding contributions and behavior of all team members are some of the initiatives we have implemented. Maintaining Focus on Key Business Priorities Day-to-day activities can often make it challenging for a leader to stay on top of market trends that may signal new revenue stream opportunities, as well as emerging threats which if ignored could be very dangerous to a business, its leaders, its people and its shareholders. Field Safe is in the enviable position of having a team of industry experts who are on top of the many new opportunities that arise on a monthly (if not weekly!) basis. But at the same time, you must maintain focus on your core values and your corporate goals. This can be difficult, especially in a fast-paced organization like Field Safe, but I caution that it is critical to maintain this focus. My experience has helped me learn how to stay on track and focused on core priorities, but also identify and capitalize on those opportunities that will help us create new products and functionality that will improve safety. It is a delicate balance and, again, I credit people… my executive team, our clients, Board of Director and Advisory Board members with helping me operate effectively. Q:What are your future aspirations regarding your business? Do you have any future plans / projects you would like to share with us? What does the rest of 2021 have in store? CB: Field Safe applies the learnings from our past to continuously improve and is a Cameron Barrett: Focusing on ACTION and People to Take Workforce Safety to New Heights stronger company because of it. I see failures as an important tool to learn and grow. It is okay to take chances, but you must make educated decisions that are based on data… a message I apply internally and share when presenting to clients or at executive and industry events. Our trusted advisor relationship with clients helps us evolve to meet their changing needs. Field Safe’s data capture capabilities are now being leveraged by several clients to meet ESG goals and this is establishing them as leaders in this emerging area. Of special note, the environmental savings (along with the reduced paper, vehicle maintenance and travel costs) provide a near revenue-neutral investment! We are currently focused on leading health and safety programs into the “Internet of Behaviors” space by combining our change management expertise with our data capture capabilities. By knowing where people are and what they are doing, we are anticipating and changing behavior to create even more efficiencies. Here are a few examples. Geofencing tells us when an individual is at a particular site and what they are doing. If they are picking up a truck, we can proactively push a vehicle inspection report reminder ensuring the worker doesn’t forget and helping improve their journey management experience. Predictive notification of upcoming certification expirations informs the worker of the steps required to upgrade. And insights on maintenance being performed can signal ways to improve workforce planning. Technology isn’t the only area that we are evolving. We are also quickly expanding into new markets including the US where our team is rapidly growing. Q:With regards to your own career, what plans do you have to build upon your current success? CB: Continuous improvement is something I apply to my own life and challenge my team to embrace as well. Change is expected and inevitable at a company that is growing as fast as Field Safe and I have challenged my team to take chances and “improve 1% every day”. Failure is ok… but use that failure to learn and improve. I believe that leadership is a privilege, and it is important that all leaders take that responsibility seriously. I always lead by example and have set a personal commitment higher than 1% improvement per day. I engage my peer network to support my leadership growth and improvement continually. Q: Finally, is there anything you would like to add? CB: I have helped Field Safe maintain its market-leading position in a very competitive industry thanks to my people- centric philosophy and encourages all leaders to do the same. I advise aspiring entrepreneurs to get started, find a mentor and do not quit. to our original focus… worker safety. One of our founders faced a life-threatening situation while working alone in a remote location. A farmer didn’t like the information he was being told and pulled a gun. This was definitely a “don’t shoot the messenger” moment! Luckily, our founder came out of that situation unharmed, but he was also determined to find a better way to ensure the safety of at-risk. Field Safe is that better way. Since then, we have improved our platform to ensure the continuous improvement of health and safety programs that protect workers, but which also lower costs and optimize operations. I look to people (the team I have built as well as Field Safe’s clients, partners and exceptional Board of Directors and Advisory Board members) to ensure our corporate strategy is effective and research and development investments continuously improve our platform to create value for the market and solve real business problems. We meet regularly with clients, and host “Client Advisory Council” sessions to solicit feedback on emerging needs resulting from new or changing market drivers, client goals, or advancements in technology. There is no better avenue for information that supports our roadmap and corporate evolution than feedback directly from the people we serve. Additionally, I and all our executives are actively engaged with key associations to stay current and network with industry leaders. I believe that both Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning provide tremendous opportunities to impact and advance our technology and ultimately worker safety. Through trusted advisor relationships with our clients, and strategic partnerships with leading organizations like IBM and TELUS combined with our team’s unrivaled industry and safety expertise and our best-in-class digital solutions, Field Safe has been successful in moving companies nearer their goal of zero incidents. Q:What are your thoughts on the state of your industry