October 30th, 2025
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EST
Target Audience: Procurement and Materiel Management

DESCRIPTION:

In an era of tightening budgets and escalating demands, procurement and materiel management functions face the challenge of achieving more with fewer resources. This has led many departments to modernize procurement through technology and AI to enhance efficiency and deliver greater value.

Join experienced federal executives for an open and insightful discussion covering:

• Modernization in Action: Discover how various departments are implementing modernization initiatives.
• AI”s True Impact and Limitations: Gain a realistic understanding of the benefits and boundaries of AI in procurement and materiel management.
• Emerging Technologies: Learn about the technologies currently being tested and adopted within government procurement and materiel management.
• Beyond Tech: Challenges, Strategies, and Best Practices: Explore crucial strategies and best practices that extend beyond technological solutions.
• Impact on the Procurement and Materiel Management Workforce: Address anxieties about the fast pace of technology integration into day-to-day work and how to take advantage of the changes.

This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from those who are actively shaping the future of procurement and materiel management across government.

MODERATOR:

Josée Doucet, Senior Director, GCSurplus, Public Services and Procurement Canada
Josée Doucet joined the public service in 2009 following a full and rewarding career in the Canadian Armed Forces. She worked within the Department of National Defence as a Senior Policy Analyst and advisor in the area of Materiel Management and as a Senior Procurement Authority responsible for the management of a variety of contracts including Optimized Weapon System Management, Repair and Overhaul and Foreign Military Sales. Josée joined Public Services and Procurement Canada in 2014 as the manager responsible for the divestment of surplus controlled goods and specialized assets. Josée was appointed GCSurplus Senior Director in March 2020 and takes great pride in GCSurplus’s increased leadership role in Materiel Management.

PANELISTS:

Jean-Claude Azar, Director General, Administration Directorate, Finance and Administration Branch, Canada Revenue Agency
Jean-Claude began his career in the federal public service in 2006 and has held positions of increasing responsibilities during the years that followed. Since 2009, he has held various management and executive positions across Procurement and Materiel Management. He led the 31 transformations of the Procurement at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and he is currently the Director of the Contracting Division at CRA. He holds a degree in Commerce and is a graduate of the Canada School of Public Service Leadership Program Direxion.

Daniel Pilon, Director General, National Accommodations, Domestic Procurement and Asset Management (SPD), Global Affairs Canada
Prior to joining GAC in 2018, Daniel held positions as Director of Contracts and Materiel Management at the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development; and Chief of Contracts at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. He started his career in procurement in the late 90’s as a Contracts Administrator working for the United States Department of Defense. Daniel was also co-chair of the PSPC Client Advisory Board from 2015 to 2019.

Tamara McNulty, Senior Director – Procurement, Grants and Contributions Branch / Chief Financial Officer Directorate, Parks Canada Agency
Throughout her 22-year career in federal government procurement, Tamara McNulty has devoted her passion and strategic approaches to operational challenges through functional leadership of various teams providing contracting services for goods, professional services, information technology, construction, as well as architectural and engineering services. Since 2015, in her role as Director, Tamara has led a transformation of Parks Canada’s procurement and grants and contributions functions by building a team of over 60 functional experts in the delivery of procurement for goods, services, construction, A&E services, materiel management (including fleet), and transfer payments. Working from as many as 14 locations across Canada, Tamara and her team provide value-added procurement services to support and enable the delivery of Parks Canada’s mandate in operating our national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas for visitors to learn about, enjoy and protect for future generations. She began her career at Public Works and Government Services Canada in 2001, moving to Canada Revenue Agency where she spent 11 years before joining Parks Canada Agency. Tamara holds a Bachelor of International Business degree from Carleton University.

Maha Suepaul, Director of Procurement Modernization, Compliance, and Training at Shared Services Canada (SSC)
Maha Suepaul is the Director of Procurement Modernization, Compliance, and Training at Shared Services Canada (SSC). She is responsible for leading the implementation of the Agile Procurement Framework, with a focus on improving outcomes, enhancing scalability, fostering adaptability, and driving innovation in government procurement. In addition, Maha oversees the modernization of other procurement activities, including the adoption of automated processes, the development of innovative procurement tools, the delivery of training to support procurement officers, and the review of procurements to ensure compliance with policies and best practices.

Prior to her current role, Maha was the Manager of SSC’s Procure-to-Pay (P2P) Solution, an end-to-end system designed to streamline and simplify SSC’s procurement and payment processes. Before joining SSC, she spent a decade at Health Canada, where she worked in material management and procurement.

Gerald O’Farrell, Director, Procurement and Contracting, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Gerald is Director of Procurement at Environment and Climate Change Canada, where his procurement team supports several key environmental priorities for Canadians, including the protection of species at risk, carbon pricing, plastics reduction, weather reporting, and environmental science.  Since joining the public service twenty years ago, Gerald has held various procurement and management positions across the public service.  These experiences have brought him to lead several digital transformation initiatives.  Gerald holds a B.A. from Concordia University, and an MBA from l’École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Montréal.