Tod Strickland Email and Phone Number

Leads the unit, comprised of approximately 150 Regular, Reserve, and civilian staff, through the annual delivery of three programs, catering to 300 Canadian and international students. Responsible for staffing, budgetary management, future planning, and visioning. Implemented a new governance program to facilitate curriculum changes designed to enhance the relevancy and credibility of programs into the future. Oversaw the development of a revised model for a blended learning delivery for the Joint Command and Staff Program. Conducts outreach and “in-reach” activities with military, academic, and diplomatic audiences.

Led a diverse team of approximately 140 people (civilians, regular and reserve force officers and non-commissioned members) in providing staff and command skills for the Canadian Army. With a throughput of approximately 300-400 students per year, and a multi-million dollar budget, we assured students were prepared to organize both garrison and operational roles in the contemporary operating environment. Responsibilities included instruction in leadership, command, and ethics in a bilingual setting, as well as overall responsibility for program evolution and development, quality assurance, infrastructure, staffing, and administration.

Commencing as a platoon commander with responsibility for training and employing 35-40 soldiers on domestic and foreign operations with a wide range of mission parameters, before moving onto other command and staff positions of ever increasing mission scope and responsibility.

Double hatted with national and UN responsibilities, served as the contingent commander for the Canadian Forces members deployed to the ROK and was responsible to the Commander UNC. Undertook a review of the UNC HQ structure and staffing and, in concert with an extensive planning team, developed a plan to restructure and revitalize the command during heightened tension and political uncertainty. Oversaw the expansion of UNC HQ through the increased participation of multiple nations. Conducted numerous outreach activities with international military, academic, and diplomatic officials. Responsible for planning, liaison, personnel management, communications with Canadian Joint Operations Command, and fostering cohesion across the HQ.

Leader of a seminar of sixteen American and international armed forces officers, studying the operational level of war and its evolution, with a pronounced focus on developing plans for resolving complex and wicked contemporary operational issues.

Employed as the Formation Deputy Commander, maintaining primary responsibility for resource and personnel management through the conduct of all directed and implied tasks associated with the conduct of the Canadian Army's single biggest land-based joint training activity. Providing oversight on the management of an approximately $30 million budget (in year), as well as leading the business planning process for the next year, and participating in visioning activities looking into the future. Lastly, is responsible for branding and institutional activities with a view to enabling the Commander's vision for our formation to be realized pan-Canadian Armed Forces.

Managed a combined budget of 16 million dollars, with a permanent staff of approximately 200 soldiers and civilians in three different geographical locations. Primary responsibility was the delivery of centralized and decentralized training, in basic soldier skills and leadership, across western Canada to an average student population of approximately 500. Secondary responsibility was was the leadership and management of the unit, with a pronounced focus on mentoring and developing military staff for subsequent positions.

Monitored developing situations affecting the Canadian mission in Afghanistan, and developed operational and strategic level plans to mitigate negative effects, capitalize on emergent opportunities, or respond to governmental direction. Primary responsibility on several strategic level files, with a staff of six senior staff officers. Secondary responsibility was to act as the CEFCOM Commander’s representative on the planning team which developed the plan to amalgamate CEFCOM, CANADACOM and CANOSCOM.

Deployed overseas, with a staff of approximately 50 officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers, with responsibility for the command and control of national level functions within Task Force Kandahar. These included responsibility for logistics flow into and out of theatre, casualty management and replacement, liaison with CEFCOM regarding national/strategic issues, and financial/resource stewardship. Critical tasks included several sensitive national files, as well as the drawdown of the Canadian mission in Kandahar, and the removal of Canadian Forces elements from the United Arab Emirates.

Principle/lead planner for the development of strategic guidance concerning Canada’s mission in Afghanistan. Responsibilities included the development of Chief of Defence Staff Initiating Directives, planning guidance and pan-department stakeholder engagement on a wide variety of matters impacting the mission. Also included the drafting of numerous briefing documents and materials, the delivery of mission specific briefings and the tracking of both emergent issues and ongoing activities.

Personal staff officer for the Chief Military Personnel. Responsibilities included the drafting of correspondence and briefing materials, planning and coordinating both domestic and international travel, and becoming an expert on the human resource issues of the day. These included topics as diverse as the Veterans Charter then being implemented by Veterans Affairs Canada, accommodation of the ill and injured, and the development of Joint Personnel Support Units.

Staff lead for operations for a Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group of approximately 5,000 soldiers in ten different units, across western Canada. Primary responsibilities included training and force generating forces for Afghanistan, including the first deployment of tanks to the theatre, as well as contingency planning for domestic flood response in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. This included day-to-day management and coordination of ongoing operations as well as the development and execution of future plans, to include the provision of logistical support.

Second-in-Command of an Infantry Battle Group of approximately 1,100 personnel from myriad different trades and backgrounds. This included a seven month period when the Battle Group was deployed on operations in Kandahar, conducting combat operations against the Taliban. Primary duties included being prepared to act as the unit commanding officer on an as required basis, oversight and mentoring of junior officers, company commanders and senior staff, liaison tasks with higher headquarters, and any other tasks as detailed by the commanding officer. While in garrison, these were related to training and administrative functions. While in battle, they were primarily liaison with stakeholders and interface with the Brigade Commander and his staff. Acted as Commanding Officer for approximately three months during this period, including three weeks in combat.