Bio

About Dr. Alan Viau

Hi, I’m Alan. With over 40 years of experience as a senior management consultant and change leader, my passion lies in helping organizations navigate complex transformations while keeping the focus exactly where it belongs: on the people.

Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of advising senior executives across the Canadian federal government, the private sector (including tech leaders like Hewlett-Packard, Corel, and Xerox), and various non-profit organizations. Whether managing $115M portfolios, navigating multi-billion dollar contracts, or guiding massive digital shifts like SAP upgrades and cloud migrations, my goal is always to turn complex, technical hurdles into clear, actionable roadmaps that deliver real results.

I hold a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Waterloo and a Master’s Certificate in Public Management from Carleton University. Over the decades, I’ve continually added to my toolkit with certifications in Project Management (Kepner Tregoe), ITIL, and most recently, APMG Change Management Foundations. This balance of rigorous analytical training and deep people-centric expertise allows me to bridge the gap between technical strategy and the everyday workflows of the teams on the ground.

Lately, some of my most rewarding work has involved helping major federal departments step confidently into the future:

  • At the Department of National Defence (DND): I guided the change and communication strategy for the ADM(Fin) Digital Finance Transformation, introducing a workforce of 68,000 personnel to modern tools like automation, AI, and Microsoft Copilot.
  • At Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC): I was proud to support the launch of the Canadian Dental Care Plan—the largest federal social program in a generation—helping translate evolving IT requirements into clear, accessible communications to enroll millions of Canadians.
  • At Shared Services Canada (SSC): I spent five years coordinating the migration of mission-critical workloads from legacy data centers over to modernized cloud solutions.

Life Beyond Consulting

I firmly believe that leadership doesn’t stop at the office door. When I am not advising executives or designing transformation strategies through Alan Viau Enterprises, you can usually find me deeply rooted in my local community.

I am proud to serve as the President of both the Beetbox Co-operative Farm and the Growing Together Community Farm Association, where I get to combine my love for governance and strategy with sustainable, community-first initiatives. I also enjoy building creative connections across the region, having spent over a decade writing about lifestyle and community topics on LifeHorizons.ca. And I am Santa Claus!

At the heart of everything I do—whether it’s introducing AI to a complex government branch or bringing people together on a cooperative farm—is a belief that clear communication, strong relationships, and a steady hand can make any transition seamless.