Leadership
Ken Letander, MBA
Ken Letander is the founder of Strat First Inc., a advisory firm specializing in infrastructure, Indigenous engagement, and risk management.
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With more than 15 years of experience across the public and private sectors, he has contributed to major initiatives including Alberta’s flood recovery and Ontario’s Small Modular Reactor (SMR) program.
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Ken holds an MBA in Marketing Management from the Australian Institute of Business and a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Manitoba.
Biography
Ken Letander is the founder of Strat First Inc. With over 15 years of experience spanning public sector leadership and private sector innovation, Ken brings a systems-level perspective to engineering-driven industries across Canada.
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Ken began his career with the Government of Alberta in the Indigenous Relations division, contributing to the 2013 Southern Alberta Flood Recovery initiative for two First Nation communities located east and west of Calgary. In this role, he oversaw financial compliance, managed funding distribution, and coordinated across jurisdictions between Indigenous leadership and government agencies, ensuring accountable resource allocation and the continuity of infrastructure recovery efforts.
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Within the Ministry of Indigenous Relations, Ken also led the development and administration of community-based grant programs, managing a diverse funding portfolio aligned with Alberta’s Indigenous economic participation strategy. His work focused on managing energy transition funding models and overseeing training to employment initiatives.
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In addition, his government service also included a role with the Public Agency Secretariat, supporting the governance optimization of Alberta’s Agencies, Boards, and Commissions (ABCs). In this capacity, he contributed to province-wide centralization efforts, streamlining the appointment and oversight structures for public and ministerial appointments, an initiative aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, transparency, and stakeholder accountability across government-linked entities.
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In the private sector, Ken has contributed to major national infrastructure initiatives, including Ontario’s New Nuclear (SMR) projects. He has designed and integrated Indigenous Procurement and Indigenous Recruitment Programs into engineering project frameworks, enhancing regulatory alignment, maximizing community benefit, and advancing key project outcomes.
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Ken’s foundational experience also includes work with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, as well as direct collaboration with First Nation communities and tribal councils in the areas of disaster recovery and public education.
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He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in Marketing Management, where he focused on de-risking business cases and optimizing strategic planning and process development. He also holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), with an emphasis on equitable access to legal resources.
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A frequent guest speaker in Canada and Australia, Ken shares insights on ethical leadership, applied risk management, and the strategic role of brand positioning in the engineering value chain.
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In addition to his consulting and public education work, Ken is a nationally recognized artist.
15+ Years of Cross-Sector Leadership
[+] Ken combines public sector policy expertise and private sector innovation to deliver strategic solutions across infrastructure, energy, and Indigenous engagement.
Engineered Indigenous Involvement in Major Projects
[+] Ken has developed and implemented Indigenous Procurement and Indigenous Recruitment frameworks for national engineering initiatives, including Ontario’s SMR program.
Government-to-Community Relations
[+] Ken led recovery funding and grant design with the Government of Alberta, including flood recovery for First Nations and energy transition programming across Alberta.
