While it can be a challenge to summarize Veronica Farmer’s work history given that she has two decades of experience and knowledge under her belt, her “new” colleagues at Wesley Clover — where she recently started as the vice-president of marketing — had a head start.
This made onboarding Farmer easier for Steve Langford, who held the marketing VP role at Wesley Clover for nine years, and also happened to be Farmer’s first hiring manager at Tundra Semiconductor. As Langford introduced the Kanata tech park veteran to the team, it was clear that no introductions were necessary — Farmer hugged them like they were long-lost friends.
“Steve kept laughing because he’s like, ‘You’re going to hug them, right? You already know them, right?’” she said with a smile.
“While I was onboarding, I knew everybody in the office because of my agency background with [her business] True Course. I knew many of the suppliers Wesley Clover was working with to do the marketing function. I knew many of the entities in Brookstreet, the Marshes and at L-Spark.”
For Farmer, it was an interesting reflection on the networks she has created in the tech park. Most recently, she was working with the team at the University of Ottawa, establishing not one, but two satellite locations in Kanata North. She has also previously worked with the Kanata North Business Association as well as was involved with a handful of other tech park companies.
“This is going to sound crazy, but I did some math and thought about it. I think in 20 plus years I have moved jobs that are all maybe one to two kilometers apart in the park,” she joked.
A new road ahead for Farmer
In her new role at Wesley Clover International, Farmer is responsible for all aspects related to the management and promotion of the Wesley Clover International brand.
This is no small task, as Wesley Clover is “a large and complex set of brands,” she explains, adding that working with all the entities in the Wesley Clover ecosystem is what drew her to the role originally.
Reflecting on her years of experience, Farmer says she is a strong believer that convening and consulting with a broad group to gather various ideas and understand the needs of various stakeholders is essential to drive innovation and entrepreneurship.
One of Wesley Clover’s more public convening initiatives is Tech Tuesday, held on the first Tuesday of every month with different guest speakers who discuss innovations in the Kanata North Park.
Farmer says she is passionate about helping grow the prominence of these types of initiatives to ensure members of the community are finding value.
As someone who has also had first-hand experience as an entrepreneur – leading her own marketing and communications company, True Course – she says this allows her to look at how she might align Wesley Clover with Kanata North’s entrepreneurs.
“I am looking at areas where Wesley Clover may be able to bring more value to the community, to Ottawa, to tech, and that means taking a close look at different areas of that community,” she says. “What about the focus on entrepreneurs and founders? Or groups within those, such as women founders, female founders? I would love to be able to do more things that are of value to our entrepreneurial community.”
Farmer’s dedication to giving back to the community is also evident in her volunteer work as an advisor and mentor to entrepreneurs and startups. Outside of work, she sits on the board of the Wesley Clover Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting local charitable organizations.
With a deep understanding of the Kanata tech community, Farmer says she is excited about the role Wesley Clover plays in positioning Ottawa as an innovation hub and raising the profile of Canada’s largest tech park.
When asked what her vision is for Wesley Clover, Farmer says she plans to take a conventional 90-day period to look at the brand inside out and then bring her experience in branding, marketing, and entrepreneurship to the table.
“I think the benefit that I bring is that adage of having fresh eyes to look at it,” she says. “Not only through the lens as someone external and stepping in as a woman, but also as someone who has gained a certain set of experience and is walking in to support what is already a well performing machine.”
Written by: Melanie Coulson