“Get over the fear of making decisions and you can go far.”
Creativity and art expert Andrew Elvish has leapt from entertainment to aerospace to intelligence solutions.
At the helm for a decade as vice-president of marketing at Montreal-based Genetec, Inc., a company known for developing unified physical security software for large enterprises and governments, Elvish drives strategy across his global team — Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas.
“I’m available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Biggest career challenge
“Leaving the media entertainment industry. I made the decision to chart a new course.”
Proudest moment
“We totally threw out our playbook in January (2021) because of the pandemic. All our engagements were cancelled. We rallied as a team and built a digital marketing event aimed at maybe 500 people; it attracted 8,700. That was a super proud moment for me as a marketer and a leader.”
Concordia’s setup for success
“The talent Concordia attracts pays dividends for students. It has an intellectually engaged professorship, risk-takers who are not afraid to dig into hot topics, and be forward-thinking in terms of pedagogy and world views. There’s a wonderful Concordia family that truly sets it apart — sharp professors, mentorship and networking.”
Landing the V-P position
"A straight line from my education at Concordia. Pierre (Racz, Genetec president) said it was the strength of my Master’s thesis (on the death aesthetic in fashion advertising).”
Inspiring Concordia professor
"Catherine MacKenzie deserves a gold medal for being my thesis advisor. A brilliant mind. She didn’t pull any punches. It was a fantastic experience sitting in her classes.”
Partial client list
“Starbucks, Uniqlo, Cornell University, Texas A&M University, Hudson Yards New York, Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine and Montréal-Trudeau International Airport.”
Words of wisdom
“Learn to make decisions. The key to being a good manager and excelling is making smart and informed decisions. Get over the fear of making decisions and you can go far.”