Job Description

We are banking at another level.

Choosing BDC as your employer means working in a healthy, inclusive, and skilled workplace that puts forward the best conditions to bring together unique teams where employees are empowered to act. It also means being at the centre of ambitious economic and financial projects to see further and to do things differently, to fuel the success of Canadian entrepreneurs.

Choosing BDC as your employer also means:

• Flexible and competitive benefits, including an Employee Savings and Investment Plan where BDC matches part of your voluntary contributions, a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, a $750 wellness and health care spending account, to name a few

• In addition to paid vacation each year, five personal days, sick days as necessary, and our offices are closed from December 25 to January 1

• A hybrid work model that truly balances work and personal life

• Opportunities for learning, training and development, and much more...

Explore the BDC Way in our Culture Book

Passionate about having impact and helping entrepreneurs grow their business? Join our team as an Executive Advisor!

The Executive Advisor, High Impact Firms (XA) – BDC Advisory Services, serves as the key connection/resource to support the CEO (client) in the Growth Driver Program (GDP), BDC’s flagship Advisory solution.

The XA leads the engagement, working with a delivery team. The XA works directly with the CEO and senior leadership team of some of the most promising businesses in Canada to help them assess their situation and identify growth opportunities. The XA is also responsible for managing the sequence of work involved in the project.

HIGH-IMPACT FIRMS TEAM

The High-Impact Firms team supports a select group of firms with the ambition and potential to become sustainable leaders in their industries.

The GDP is a transformational journey for CEOs and their businesses. It is an intense multi-year advisory relationship between an experienced delivery team and the client’s executive leadership team. The team doesn’t just deliver a report, they support the client through implementation.

The delivery team is composed of a senior, highly experienced Executive Advisor, who has been in similar situations as the CEO. Complementing the team is the Business Advisor, an experienced, whip-smart advisor who has the horsepower to generate key insights and help lead the client on their GDP journey.

BDC is the only bank dedicated exclusively to Canadian entrepreneurs. As Executive Advisor, High Impact Firms, you act as the senior advisor and primary point of contact for CEOs participating in BDC Advisory Services’ Growth Driver Program (GDP).

You lead complex, multi‑year advisory engagements with high‑potential Canadian SMEs in the defence supply chain, working closely with their executive teams and BDC delivery partners. Your work contributes directly to the growth, resilience, and long‑term success of Canadian businesses, while reflecting BDC’s inclusive, impact‑driven approach where you can be yourself at work.

You have been an experienced c-suite executive and/or entrepreneur, with an impeccable pedigree. You have a background and record of achievement where others say, “wow”. Great XAs are a quick read (can size up a business), curious, highly analytical, and adaptive who can work with clients from any industry.

You are now ready to put your own achievements on the back burner and be in a mindset to help the next generation of entrepreneur leaders succeed.

CHALLENGES TO BE MET

• Serve as the single trusted advisor to CEO clients, leading GDP engagements end‑to‑end and ensuring measurable impact on growth and profitability.
• Manage an active portfolio of 8–12 high‑impact SME clients at various stages of multi‑year advisory engagements within the Canadian defence sector and supply chain.
• Lead and coordinate delivery teams (Executive Advisors, Business Advisors, Directors of Service Delivery, Client Partners, and Defence specialists) to ensure a “one‑voice” client experience.
• Act as senior sales and qualification support during business development, including identifying GDP opportunities, supporting deal closure, and transitioning clients into delivery.
• Become deeply knowledgeable about each client’s business, strategy, operating model, and leadership challenges to guide decision‑making at CEO and executive team level.
• Support CEOs through strategy definition, execution, implementation follow‑through, and leadership development, including post‑Leadership Retreat coaching.
• Navigate clients to appropriate BDC Advisory, Financing, Capital, and external ecosystem resources aligned with their strategic priorities.
• Track, assess, and report client performance against objectives over time using BDC CRM and advisory tools.
• Maintain strong internal collaboration across BDC Advisory Services, Financing, Capital, and Defence teams, ensuring compliance with rules of engagement.
• Represent BDC externally by building credibility and relationships within the defence advisory and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Provide structured feedback from the field to continuously improve advisory solutions, toolkits, and delivery approaches.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOT

Required Qualifications

• Total experience: Minimum 20-25 years of professional experience.
• Senior leadership experience: Minimum 15-20 years in one or more of the following:
  • Founder, owner, or C suite executive in an entrepreneurial or SME environment.
  • Executive leadership role in a multinational organization, with P&L responsibility and accountability for strategy execution and growth.
  • Partner level management consulting experience advising CEOs, executive teams, and Boards.
• Strategic leadership: Proven experience defining strategy, communicating vision, executing strategic plans, and leading organizations through growth, change, or transformation.
• CEO level advisory capability: Demonstrated ability to build trusted advisory relationships with CEOs and senior executives.
• Business acumen: Ability to quickly assess complex businesses, identify performance gaps, and translate insights into actionable solutions.
• Cross enterprise exposure: Experience with complex organizations (typically >$30M in revenue) involving growth, restructuring, acquisitions, divestitures, fundraising, and talent development.
• Change leadership: Hands on experience leading or advising organizations through change, including operating model shifts, new product introductions, GTM initiatives, or organizational redesign.
• CRM discipline: Experience using CRM systems to document client engagements, performance metrics, and advisory activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Executive experience launching or scaling new business units, integrating acquisitions, or entering new markets.
• Demonstrated success acting as a growth catalyst, rallying leadership teams around new strategic priorities.
• Prior experience in executive coaching or leadership development programs.
• Established professional reputation and network within the Canadian business ecosystem.
• Language: bilingual French and English is preferred.

Proudly one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible environment where all employees can thrive and feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work. If you require an accommodation to complete your application, please do not hesitate to contact us at accessibility@bdc.ca

While we appreciate all applications, we advise that only the candidates selected to participate in the recruitment process will be contacted.