Vancouver, B.C.—The Board of Directors of E-Comm, British Columbia’s largest emergency communications centre, today announced the appointment of Oliver Grüter-Andrew as its new President and Chief Executive Officer effective September 18, 2017. The selection comes after a five-month nationwide search to find the right candidate to lead E-Comm and the critical emergency communications services and infrastructure it provides, into the future. Grüter-Andrew succeeds incumbent CEO David Guscott, who announced his retirement earlier in the year after seven years’ service.
Grüter-Andrew is currently Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) and previously served as CIO for the University of British Columbia (UBC). He brings to E-Comm 25 years’ experience in both the public and private sectors where he has been responsible for implementing and managing the shared services, systems and technologies that support millions of people in their everyday lives.
“Oliver is an established and well-respected strategic leader in our province who understands the value of strong and collaborative partnerships,” says Doug Campbell, E-Comm Board Chair. “High-quality service, robust technology and secure systems are the foundation of E-Comm, but Oliver understands that it’s our staff and partners who are the heart of saving lives and protecting property. That makes him the perfect fit for us, and for public safety.”
As CIO for both UBC and PHSA, which includes acting as CIO for longtime E-Comm radio system user BC Emergency Health Services (EHS), Grüter-Andrew has led large cross-functional teams through organizational, strategic and technical change and has proven to be a successful and trusted leader who brings a strong reputation for developing people and inspiring innovation and teams.
“As public safety infrastructure, technologies and services continue to evolve in the coming years, E-Comm is well positioned to build on its leadership role in developing the most effective and resilient emergency communications systems in Canada,” explains Campbell. “The Board and I could not be more pleased with the Oliver’s appointment to this critical role at this very important time. He’s a true visionary.”
With a dedicated staff of 500, E-Comm operates the largest 9-1-1 call centre in B.C., handling approximately 1.36 million 9-1-1 calls per year for Metro Vancouver and 25 other regional districts and communities spanning from Vancouver Island to Alberta and from the U.S. border, to north of Prince George. E-Comm also provides emergency call-taking and dispatch service for 35 police and fire agencies in southwest B.C. and mission-critical technology that supports first responders, including the largest multi-jurisdictional, tri-service emergency radio system in B.C.
“I am very aware of the contribution E-Comm makes every day to communities across B.C. and I am anxious to start working with my new colleagues to advance many impressive accomplishments,” says Grüter-Andrew. “9-1-1 call-answer and dispatch, the E-Comm radio system and its other public safety technologies are lifelines. I look forward to working with and supporting the many E-Comm staff who are responsible for them, so that together, we ensure first responders and British Columbians benefit from the best possible service. It is a credit to the E-Comm Board, staff and the organization’s many partners within police, fire and ambulance, that it has become a North American leader in emergency communications.“
As E-Comm CEO, Grüter-Andrew will also serve as CEO of PRIMECorp, the organization that manages PRIME-BC, the information management system used by police agencies across B.C. to access data and other critical information that helps them prevent and solve crime. It is the only multi-jurisdictional police records management system in Canada covering an entire province and has been described as unique, leading edge and a model for sharing police information in North America. PRIMECorp has 14 staff and its own Board of Directors.
“On behalf of the PRIMECorp Board, I am pleased to welcome a new CEO with a substantial track record of leadership in innovation, systems and technology,” adds Clayton Pecknold, PRIMECorp Board Chair. “Oliver’s extensive background and expertise will benefit our focus of service to our police partners across British Columbia by helping to ensure the ongoing effectiveness and security of PRIME-BC.”
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For more information contact:
Jody Robertson
E-Comm Corporate Communications
604-215-4956
www.ecomm911.ca
www.primecorpbc.ca
Oliver Grüter-Andrew Biography
Over the course of 25 years, Oliver Grüter-Andrew has worked in England, Europe, Canada and the United States in both the public and private sectors. A successful consultant and Chief Information Officer (CIO), Oliver has experience in a diverse set of industries, including financial services, consumer retail, utilities, higher education and health care. His principal contributions have been in technology management, shared services delivery, people development and corporate governance.
Oliver was born and raised in the Federal Republic of Germany, in the country’s industrial heartland not far from the Dutch border. At the age of 20, he moved to England to pursue his undergraduate studies, and he graduated with a degree in physics from the University of London in 1992. During that same year, he was married to Jacky, who came to London from New Zealand for her own education. Following graduation, Oliver joined management-consulting firm Accenture in the United Kingdom to start his career. In 1998, Oliver and Jacky decided on a lifestyle change and chose to move to Vancouver, where Oliver continued to work with Accenture until 2008. Earlier that decade their two boys, Cory and Ash, were born and the family has lived in Vancouver ever since.
In 2009, Oliver joined the University of British Columbia as CIO until he moved to his current role as CIO of the Provincial Health Services Authority, Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Health Care in 2015.
Oliver enjoys music, reading, skiing, swimming and walks with his dog. He cooks for his family and friends, but also enjoys eating out. Outside of family life and work, he serves on the Boards of Indigena Solutions, an IT service provider aiming to develop technology skills in First Nations communities, and the German Canadian Benevolent Society, which operates a residential care home in southeast Vancouver