Five Minutes with Chief of Defence Jennie Carignan

Jennie Garignan
Commander 2nd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force (East), Brigadier-General M.A.J. Carignan, OMM, MSM, CD visits the flooded areas in Gatineau, Quebec where Canadian Armed Forces members provide assistance to the local population as part of Operation LENTUS on April 22, 2019. Photo: Pte Hugo Montpetit, Canadian Forces Combat Camera IS13-2019-0006-014 ~ La brigadier général M.A.J. Carignan, OMM, MSM, CD, commandante de la 2e Division du Canada et de la Force opérationnelle interarmées (Est), visite les zones inondées à Gatineau, au Québec, où les membres des Forces armées canadiennes prêtent assistance à la population locale dans le cadre de l’opération LENTUS, le 22 avril 2019. Photo : Sdt Hugo Montpetit, Caméra de combat des Forces canadiennes IS13-2019-0006-014

On July 18, 2024, General Jennie Carignan assumed leadership of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) from outgoing Chief of the Defence Staff, General Wayne Eyre.

The Chief of the Defence Staff, Canada’s highest-ranking military officer is responsible for advising the government, providing strategic leadership to the CAF, and ensuring military readiness and effectiveness to defend Canada’s interests at home and abroad.

CBC wrote of the announcement that the General has long been considered a trailblazer in the forces, quoting retired major and honorary Lt.-Col. of the Régiment de Hull Sandra Perron as saying “It’s momentous because it’s going to give young women a hope for their own dreams to come true.”

A veteran of both the battlefield and the boardroom, Gen. Jennie Carignan rose to become the highest-ranking woman in the Canadian Forces. A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada in Engineering, Carignan was commissioned into the Canadian Military Engineers in 1990.

Since then, she has commanded two combat engineer regiments, spearheaded the flood relief efforts in Quebec in 2019 and led NATO Mission Iraq from November 2019 to November 2020. Carignan participated in three expeditionary operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Golan Heights and Afghanistan.

Along the way, Carignan earned a master’s degree in business administration from Université Laval and a second master’s degree from the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the School of Advanced Military Studies, among other laurels.

Douglas interviewed Gen. Carignan before she assumed her latest role. This interview first appeared in the April/May 2024 issue of the magazine.

What first attracted you to the Royal Military College and a career in the Forces?

My mother was a school teacher and my father was a police officer in a small town in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. I grew up enjoying the outdoors and I loved to dance, so my intentions were to pursue dance or a career where I could contribute to something bigger than myself. What’s the link between dance and the military? I would say it’s the right mix of discipline, strength and grace.

What lessons did you take away from combat duty?

My last deployment was from November 2019 to November 2020 leading the NATO Mission Iraq. It was supposed to be a straightforward mission, and it was until Iranian-backed militias started firing rockets at U.S. and NATO forces, including the U.S. Embassy. The situation became very chaotic and unstable.

Let’s not forget the beginning of the pandemic during all of this, too. Even the best plans don’t survive first contact with the enemy. We all learned that a rigorous, deliberate plan can inform the way ahead, but what matters most in life and work is the ability to adapt to any circumstances.

You have a new position and initiative. What do you hope to accomplish?

The Canadian Armed Forces has been grappling with issues of culture and professional conduct for some time. Twenty years ago we set up the Canadian Defence Academy, responsible for professional development, training and lifelong learning. After issues surrounding sexual misconduct became front and centre, we knew we needed to truly address the issue.

And so we went back to the drawing board and decided to model ourselves off other professions’ self-regulating organizations like Engineers Canada and the College of Teachers.

We recognize the importance of creating a healthy, safe and respectful work environment. So far, we have consulted with more than 16,000 Forces members, stakeholders and external reviewers and we proposed a plan to the Minister of National Defence to anchor our culture evolution.

This comprehensive implementation plan will guide our work to 2028 by prioritizing our efforts to evolve Forces culture and modernize our military justice system.

What can the military learn from the civilian business world? And what can business learn from the military?

As organizations gathering humans around a mission, we have a lot in common with businesses and can learn from each other. After spending the first 13 years of my career in the military, I felt the need to better understand my institution.

Studying business was for me an opportunity to learn different ways of solving issues. I found that all organizations share similar challenges to different degrees. The organizational culture is intimately linked to their mission.

The military is well structured to respond to crises; however, I have learned that hierarchical systems have disadvantages when it comes to flexibility, power dynamics and innovation. I have also observed that flat structures can be challenging at times for adaptability and innovation as well! In the end, it’s all about how humans interact with each other that matters and designing the best possible structure and processes that will enable the humans and the mission.

Organizational culture is the secret ingredient that will render your organization — any organization — more effective.