While chatting with a federal cabinet minister during a service appointment, Tom Durnin had an "ah-ha!" moment. A wet-behind-the-ears computer network support tech at the time, Durnin looked around the office overlooking Parliament Hill and thought, "Wow, this technology thing has got me into some pretty interesting places. And it's not going away. This is a career path that has no limits."
Tom Durnin joined Mount Royal as the Chief Information Officer on March 20.
Fast forward three decades or so and Durnin's journey has brought him to Mount Royal University as the new chief information officer (CIO), leading Information Technology Services (ITS). He started March 20, following 23 years of progressive leadership roles that culminated in his position as director, IT Investment, PMO & Customer Engagement at the University of Calgary.
"I'm very excited to get out and start meeting people at Mount Royal. In the complex world of post-secondary, it often comes down to how effectively teams can work together," Durnin says. "It's about that engagement not only internally, but externally as well. Getting ITS and our stakeholders aligned and working together to solve problems and implement new and innovative solutions is my ultimate goal."
Durnin, who was born in Halifax and grew up in Ottawa, comes by his fascination with how things, systems and people work naturally. His father and grandfather were engineers and he's a self-described "technologist." What he didn't expect, however, was how much he enjoyed and excelled at the people side of information technology (IT).
"Talented people are drawn to this field. There is this alchemy of talented people and computing potential that exists within IT. Those two things are limitless and can be applied to solve a lot of problems. The big problems and the issues of scale can be resolved with that combination. The natural progression of ITS is to move from being seen simply as a cost centre to being recognized as a unit of value creators and business enablers."
While Durnin's early learnings were heavy on the technical aspects of IT, as he started to run teams and operate on the business side of things he widened his scope of study to include those areas. A lifelong learner ("Cliché, but true," he says), Durnin completed his Master of Business Administration at the Australian Institute of Business in 2020.
"There is so much to learn and in so many directions. Things are evolving so much, across so many disciplines, that it really is never-ending. And that is exciting," he says. "And when you're in post-secondary like we are, we get to feel the energy that's generated only in a place of learning and discovery. There's nothing like it. That energy of people learning things is the pinnacle. It's the kind of space I am so grateful to be part of."
Five questions with CIO Tom Durnin
What was your first computer?
It was an Apple clone computer. I bought it in parts out of somebody's garage and put it together. I wrote simple programs using BASIC, the programming language that was taught in my high school at the time. I made a program that basically played the dice game craps. That was my greatest achievement at that point. I felt ready for Las Vegas!
What's the best thing about working in ITS?
Information technology has the potential to bring such positive change. It is important to all areas of the organization. Being part of something that can have such a great impact and deliver value at that scale gets me excited every day. I truly enjoy working with the talented people in IT and building bridges across organizations. Personally, I love solving complex, multi-stakeholder problems by simplifying them as much as possible, connecting the dots and creating win-win-wins.
How would you describe your leadership style?
Engagement is quality time. It develops a greater understanding of what people are trying to achieve and the challenges they face. Their goals and challenges become my goals and challenges, creating an accountability partnership and strong foundation for collaboration. I also believe that it's my role to help create a clear vision for the future, keep purpose and context top of mind, set realistic expectations, and most importantly support and empower my team to move forward. And I expect us all to have some fun along the way.
What achievement are you most proud of in your previous role?
I had the opportunity to lead an IT-transformation program for the University of Calgary. I was able to establish a customer-focused vision that became our guiding star as we navigated complex decisions and processes inherent in projects of this scale. We worked with every team on business process improvement, automation and performance measures. For the first time, we could see how our services were performing for our clients. I rediscovered just how many talented and dedicated people we had working in IT. The program was a huge success and it created a lasting culture of collaboration and continual service improvement across all teams.
What do your first months at MRU look like?
I plan to meet with as many people as possible, an ask the experts' type of tour. I want to learn about MRU and ITS directly from our stakeholders and team members. I also want them to learn about me as we start building these important relationships. There is always lots of work to do, this should help to inform where to prioritize efforts. I'll be keeping these questions in mind: Where are we now? Where do we want to go? What do we have to work with?' This process will provide a balanced perspective of how our services are addressing current needs and how we're positioned to meet growing needs for the short and long term.
