Information and Communications Technology

Whether you are focused on selling your products to government or working to address regulatory issues with municipal, provincial or federal governments, TACTIX adds value. We work with clients to understand their technical challenges and then synthesize those issues and value propositions for a government audience.

We specialize in helping clients sell services and software to meet government needs. TACTIX provides value-added advice by providing in-depth understanding of the user community in government and the unique needs of different departments to help clients sell solutions rather than just commoditized products.

Our clients include: systems integrators, IT service providers, software development companies, and manufacturers.

Team Members

Alan Young

Principal

Alan Young provides experienced leadership and client-centric focus in complex engagements.

Alan Young

Principal

Alan Young practiced corporate law with Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt throughout the 1980s and 1990s. During that time, he also accepted outside positions in the Government of Ontario as Executive Assistant to the Chairman of Management Board and Minister of Financial Institutions, the Financial Sector Policy Branch of the federal Department of Finance, and a major Ottawa government relations consulting company. In 1996, Alan became Vice President, Policy with the Canadian Bankers Association where he was responsible for a wide range of public policy issues, including revisions to the Bank Act and other federal financial institutions legislation, consumer affairs, small business, insurance, international trade, financial planning and federal-provincial issues. Alan joined Tactix in 2001 and built a substantial practice with clients in the financial services and information technology sectors. In January 2004, he left to serve as Chief of Staff to the Hon. Reg Alcock, President of the Treasury Board, Minister Responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board and Political Minister for Manitoba. In this role, he was engaged in numerous major initiatives, including strengthening public sector management, expenditure review and Smart Regulation.

Alan re-joined Tactix in September 2005. Then in 2006, he volunteered as the Director of Policy and Platform for the Hon. Ken Dryden’s campaign to lead the Liberal Party of Canada. Alan’s diverse experience in government, the Liberal Party, law, business and consulting provides clients with a rare strength of vision and judgment.

Alan holds a Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School, an Honours B.A. from Wilfrid Laurier University and a B.Ed. from Brock University. He has lectured at the University of Toronto Law School and the Bar Admission Course of the Law Society of Upper Canada. Alan served on the board of the Government Relations Institute of Canada and is a Member of the Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy.

Dan Duguay

Managing Principal

Dan has a unique ability to navigate political, economic and policy issues that affect TACTIX’ clients by employing exceptional strategic advice.

Dan Duguay

Managing Principal

Dan Duguay joined TACTIX as Managing Principal in 2018 after 22 years in the private sector and the Government of Canada. Dan’s leadership roles in private industry and government have resulted in a sound understanding of the business development opportunities and barriers faced by many sectors – energy, environment, communications infrastructure, and data technology. Dan has a unique ability to navigate political, economic and policy issues that affect TACTIX’ clients by employing exceptional strategic insight to address the most complex of issues.

Early in his career with Nortel Networks, Dan held engineering, new product introduction and management roles. Subsequently, he worked with a number of technology start-ups in advanced photonics and nanotechnology-based products. After joining the Government of Canada in 2004, Dan managed the development of energy, environment and climate change technologies, the launching of the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises at Public Works and Government Services, and the development of science, technology and innovation policies. As Senior Director of the Defence Industrial and Regional Benefits (IRB) Policy, Dan oversaw the creation and implementation of the most substantive round of IRB Policy changes to date, as well as an overhaul of the policy’s operational framework.

In 2012, as Executive Vice President, Business Development and Corporate Affairs, Communications Research Centre (CRC) Canada, Dan implemented significant restructuring of the CRC. Later he led the development of recommendations to the Prime Minister in support of new public safety broadband services and was subsequently appointed as a Director General in the Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications Sector at Industry Canada. When Dan returned to the private sector in 2016, he joined Thomson Reuters as Senior Director Business Development – Canada, where he led strategic initiatives to meet public sector mission-critical data and intelligence needs by leveraging the entire portfolio of Thomson Reuters data, technology and expertise.

Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, Dan completed a B.Sc.A., Chemical Engineering (Magna Cum Laude, 1988, University of Ottawa). An NSERC Scholar, Dan completed a Master’s Degree, Chemical Engineering (1990, McGill University), followed by Ph.D. studies at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, where he developed mathematical models and statistical methodologies to predict the degradation of implanted medical devices. Dan has been a part-time university lecturer and an industry advisor for Carleton University’s Institute for Data Sciences.

Dan is an avid aikido practitioner, motorcyclist and musicologist. He is married to Nicole and they have three children.

Howard Mains

Principal

Howard Mains’ client-centric approach brings a high level strategic focus on key mandates.

Howard Mains

Principal

Howard Mains has more than 30 years of combined public service, business and consulting experience, affording him the distinctive ability to implement highly effective government relations strategies for private sector clients.

His experience includes directing or leading a variety of public affairs strategies – ranging from grassroots lobbying, to industry-wide advocacy efforts, to government relations campaigns that build awareness and support for client issues. Prior to joining Tactix in 1998, Howard was a member of the environmental and public affairs practice groups of Burson-Marsteller and National Public Relations. From 1985 to 1989, he served on the staff of Hon. Paul Dick, Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

Howard’s efforts on behalf of his clients invariably result in legislative, policy or regulatory change aligned with their corporate objectives. He offers strategic counsel to a diverse range of Canadian and international companies on all facets of agriculture, health and environment public affairs challenges as well as the complex fields of government procurement and government support for major research and development programs. In this era of heightened environmental awareness and public interest, Howard has developed and implemented several successful product defence strategies.

In addition to earning an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, Howard holds a B.Sc. from Cornell University and is a graduate of Kemptville College of Agricultural Technology. In addition to being active in community affairs and Conservative politics, Howard has been recognized by his peers with the honour of the Ivey Alumni Award for his service to the Richard Ivey School of Business over several years.

Richard Bertrand

Senior Associate

Richard Bertrand’s senior executive level experience in business offers clients government relations and strategic business investment advice.

Richard Bertrand

Senior Associate

Richard Bertrand has provided strategic business, governance and government relations advice to Canadian and multinational corporations for more than 30 years.

Following a prestigious career in the Canadian Armed Forces, including an assignment to the Office of the Minister of National Defence, Richard began his long private sector career.

Since 1980, Richard has held a number of senior-level executive positions in consulting and technology firms. In 2005, he joined Pratt & Whitney Canada as Vice-President – Government Affairs. Most recently, Richard served as the Vice-President – Government Relations for United Technologies companies in Canada, including Pratt & Whitney Canada, Sikorsky, Otis, UTC Climate, Controls & Security (Carrier, Chubb Edward, Kidde).

Always active in the community, Mr. Bertrand has served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the University of Ottawa, was a member of the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Heart Institute, Chair of the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, and is a former member of the Advisory Council, Telfer School of Management and Adjunct Professor.

Richard Bertrand has received the Trudeau Medal from the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa, the Ottawa Business Person of the Year Bronze Medal, the Civic Entrepreneur of the Year award, and the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for community service.

Richard earned his B.Sc. from McGill University and his MBA from the University of Ottawa. He also holds an Honorary Doctorate from the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa.