About
Global Advantage Consulting
Global Advantage Consulting Group is a strategy and data analytics firm based in Ottawa. Our services combine top-notch consultants experienced in policy analysis in disruptive technologies, defence and other innovative sectors, with a high-caliber team of research analysts and graphic design talent.
Our consultants bring a wealth of insight to the table and design strategies, programs, and projects for private and public sector organizations based on facts and focused on outcomes. We also offer facilitated workshops and retainers. Since 2002, Global Advantage has helped secure a total of more than $2.2 billion for organizations seeking recapitalization and has completed over 550 projects.
Global Advantage has completed policy analysis and strategic
Meet Our Team
David Watters is the President and CEO of the firm. Prior to the creation of Global Advantage, David pursued a 30 year career in the Government of Canada including Assistant Deputy Minister positions in Industry Canada, Treasury Board, and Finance Canada. As the Assistant Deputy Minister at Finance Canada for Economic Development and Corporate Finance, he helped shape Canada’s economic and innovation investments. David then established the Global Advantage Consulting Group Inc. in Ottawa in 2002. Since then, the firm has completed over 500 assignments in Canada and abroad, providing advice to corporate, association, university, and government clients, primarily in the areas of R&D, new technology development, innovation, commercialization, economic development, and trade.
David holds a bachelor’s in economics from Queen’s University as well as a law degree in corporate, commercial, and tax law from Queen’s Law School. As an adjunct Professor at the University of Ottawa for seven years, he taught International Negotiation to MBA students.
Dawnita Spac is Vice President and COO and a co-founder of Global Advantage. She directs stakeholder and client relations and company operations. Prior to the creation of the firm, Dawnita worked for over 32 years in the federal government with over 20 years as a senior executive in Health Canada, Industry Canada, Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Public Works and Government Services and the Treasury Board Secretariat. Dawnita has an Honours Bachelors degree from McGill University and the University of Vienna, an EMBA from Queens University and an Advanced Certification in Facilitation and Alternative Dispute Resolution from the Harvard/Windsor Law School project.
Ömer Kaya
Vice-President, Research and Business Development
Ömer Kaya is the Vice-President of Research and Business Development at Global Advantage Consulting Group, contributing in various capacities since January 2018. As an VP of research and development, he manages the processes of research and creation of ecosystem maps and accompanying presentation decks, conducts research and data analysis, writes reports and proposals and helps design policy and programs. He had previously worked in the academia and financial services. Ömer holds an MA in European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies from Carleton University.
Shannon Wilson
Vice-President, Operations
Shannon Wilson is the Vice-President of Operations for Global Advantage and has been with us since 2017. As VP of operations, Shannon manages the financial processes of the business, writes reports and proposals, operates the HR aspects of the business and heads Global Advantage's IT infastructure. She holds a Mobile Application Design and Development Diploma from Algonquin College.
Dr. Camille Boulet
Senior Partner
Dr. Camille Boulet has extensive experience in defence and security S&T, strategy, industry collaboration, and public policy in Canada, the United States, and NATO. His 30 year career at DRDC began as a defence scientist specializing in CBRN research and ended as Chief of Staff (ADM S&T), with many successes including the conception and implementation of the IDEaS program. Cam was awarded the United States of America Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service (2018). He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from University of Victoria, British Columbia, and a B.Sc. in Pharmacy from the University of Alberta. Cam completed his National Securities Studies (nss) course at Canadian Forces College, Toronto, Ontario.
Dr. Robert J.H. Crawhall
Strategic Advisor
Robert Crawhall is a strategic innovation advisor to the public, private and academic sectors in AI, cybersecurity, net-zero energy and advanced materials. His private sector career spanned telecommunications, energy and manufacturing sectors with multinational corporations. Over the past 15 years he has run several collaborative innovation organizations focused on nanotechnology, IoT, eCommerce, wireless and photonic technologies. Robert sits on the boards of private and not-for-profit organizations dealing with aerospace manufacturing, advanced materials and national security. He holds the ICD.D Director certification. Robert is a professional engineer in the Province of Ontario, holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ottawa and a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Peter MacKinnon
Senior Associate
Peter MacKinnon has a rich background working in the public and private sectors as well as in academic and international institutions. For example, for the private sector he worked for Cognos as Director of Corporate Development and later as Director, Computer-Aided Software Engineering. For the federal government he has worked for the Ministry of State for Science and Technology, as a Special Advisor on Advanced Information and Communication Technologies. Academically he has worked as an adjunct professor of engineering at Carleton University and at the School of Information Technology and Engineering at the University of Ottawa as Executive Director of WiSense (Heterogeneous wireless sensor networks). He is currently a Senior Research Associate in a Smart Cities Lab in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa and a Senior Partner with Global Advantage.
Maurice J. Hladik
Senior Partner
As a former diplomat and corporate executive, Maurice J. Hladik has extensive international trade and business experience. He served in Canada’s diplomatic missions in Munich, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Seoul driving bilateral commercial relations. With Iogen Corporation, he initiated Shell’s quarter billion-dollar investment in the company and as a registered lobbyist with both US houses of Congress, he understands government relations. Maurice has a BSc. (UofA) and an MSc. (UBC) both in Agricultural Economics plus a certificate in Transportation Economics from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. Maurice is also the author of “Demystifying Food from Farm to Fork”.
Edmer Buen
Senior Multimedia Developer
Daniel Katz
Lead Research Analyst
Michael Rowell
Lead Research Analyst
Rustam Nurbekov
Research Analyst
Kathryn Kavanagh
Research Analyst
Our Clients
Federal
- Agriculture Canada
- Business Development Bank of Canada
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Canadian Space Agency
- Defence Research Development Canada (BDC)
- Environment and Climate Change Canada
- FedDev Ontario
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- Global Affairs Canada
- Health Canada
- Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
- Indian and Northern Affairs
- Industry Canada
- Infrastructure Canada
- National Research Council of Canada
- Natural Resources Canada
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
- Public Private Partnerships (PPP) Canada Inc
- Public Works and Government Services Canada
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
- Treasury Board Secretariat Canada
- Western Economic Diversification (WED)
Provincial
- Ontario Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs
- Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- New Brunswick
Municipal
- Kitchener-Waterloo
- Ottawa
Other
- Auditor General
- Algonquin College
- Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC)
- Carleton University
- Colleges and Institutes of Canada (CICan)
- Concordia University
- U15 Research Intensive Universities
- Universities Canada (formerly AUCC)
- University of Ottawa
- University of Toronto
- University of Waterloo
Industry and Associations
- Bell Canada Entreprises
- CADSI
- Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
- Forest Products Association of Canada
- Information Technology Association of Canada
- Iogen Canada
- National Angel Capital Organization
Non-Profits and Think Tanks
- Canada 2020
- Canada Science Policy Centre
- Canadian Council of Chief Executives
- Conference Board of Canada
- Council of Canadian Academies
- Federation of Canadian Municipalities
- Health Charities Coalition of Canada
- Nation Academies (US)
- National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy
- Public Policy Forum
- Sustainable Prosperity Canada
- The Change Foundation
- World Wildlife Fund Canada
Economic Development Organizations
- BioTalent Canada
- Canada Museum of Science and Technology
- Canadian Digital Media Network
- Global Detroit
- Kitchener-Waterloo Communitech
- MaRS Discovery District
- Niagara Region
Research and Innovation Organizations
- Alberta Ingenuity Fund
- Alberta Science Foundation
- Associations of University Research Parks (AURP)
- Canada Foundation for Innovation
- Canada’s Clean Research Innovation Network
- Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences
- Canadian Microsystems Corporation
- CAPRI
- Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research
- DAIR Cluster and Downsview Aerospace Hub
- Genome Canada
- Health Technology Exchange
- Nanocanada
- Ontario Centre of Excellence
- Ontario Genomics
- Precinomics
- ReMap BL-NCE
- Science Alberta Foundation (MindFuel)
- Sustainable Development Technology Canada
- The Canadian Stem Cell Network
