Innovative Insights

We speak to our chief digital officer about how we’re using digital technology and subject matter expertise across all our business lines to deliver more efficient services to clients.   Dave Roberts was promoted to chief digital officer in 2025. The regular co-host of the podcast, he is on the other side of the mic as the featured guest in this episode.  Using several examples, including digital...

In this episode of the Stantec.io podcast, we speak to three members of our geohazards team about the post-wildfire debris flow risk of mountainous communities. They also stress how the intersection of innovation and technology can help make our communities safer.  Joining the discussion are Rick Guthrie, vice president for geohazards and geomorphology, Thad Wasklewicz, principal for geohazards an...

In this episode of the Stantec.io podcast, we speak to four Stantec employees with diverse experience about how they use innovation to help solve complex problems for clients.   Joining the podcast are senior project manager Nadia Vogt, regional sector lead for clean generation Jag Singh, project director for treatment delivery Mark Wollina, and director of digital consulting and solutions Jeff Al...

Co-hosts Dave Roberts and Mike Arsenault speak with Rick Huijbregts, our global lead for smart cities, and Yahya Saad, the co-founder and chief development officer for GlobalDWS, a technology company based in Toronto, Ontario. They discuss workplace robotics technology and the potential applications for creating more efficient and high-performance workspaces.   They also talk about where robots in...

In this episode, co-hosts Dave Roberts and Mike Arsenault speak with Andrew Johns, Stantec’s nature-based solutions lead for the UK and Ireland, and Johnathan Scheibly, Stantec’s blue-carbon specialist for nature-based solutions. They describe nature-based solutions and why they’re often referred to as engineering with nature. And they talk about why collaboration with different design disciplines...

In this episode of the Stantec.io podcast, co-hosts Dave Roberts and Mike Arsenault speak with Don Erpenbeck, Stantec’s global sector leader for dams and hydropower, and Craig Scott, Stantec’s UK director for dams and waterpower. They describe the process of pumped storage hydropower. And they talk about the scale of pumped storage projects and why collaboration with different disciplines is neces...

The impact of digital technology on design In this episode, co-hosts Dave Roberts and Mike Arsenault talk to Brendan Mullins, Stantec’s discipline lead for design computing. They discuss the evolution of digital tools in the design industry and how they make the design process more efficient and effective for clients. And they talk about the challenges of incorporating these tools into an industry...

How to develop digital solutions for our clients In this episode, co-hosts Dave Roberts and Mike Arsenault talk to Brandy Little, Stantec’s flood suite solutions product manager. They discuss the effective development of digital solutions to help solve client problems, like using machine learning to help better predict floods.  Brandy talks about the teamwork required between our subject matter ex...

Best practices for AI deployment In this episode, co-hosts Dave Roberts and Mike Arsenault talk to Lalitha Krishnamoorthy, Stantec’s director of artificial intelligence. They ask her several AI-related questions provided by Stantec clients about how to ethically integrate artificial intelligence into business practices. She also provides advice for organizations embarking on their own AI journeys.

The future of extended reality technology In this episode, co-hosts Dave Roberts and Mike Arsenault talk to Chuck Lounsberry, Stantec’s visualization technology leader, to discuss the history of extended reality technology, the possible uses for the AEC industry, and where he sees applications for the technology in the future.

The march toward decarbonization In this episode, co-hosts Dave Roberts and Mike Arsenault talk to Ghina Annan, Stantec’s decarbonization business lead, to discuss different types of decarbonization, the challenges facing clients and communities, and the role technology and digitization play in the decarbonization process.

Utilizing advanced technology In this episode, co-hosts Dave Roberts and Mike Arsenault invite two members of Stantec’s UK digital team to discuss drone capture and photogrammetry, two advanced technologies that helped catalyze our Reality Insight digital solution.  They are joined by Brett Stewart, head of digital solutions, and Pete Jackson, principal CAD technician. They also discuss the evolut...

The three pillars of our strategic plan In this episode, co-hosts Dave Roberts and Mike Arsenault discuss Stantec’s approach to innovation and the global trends that informed the company’s three strategic growth initiatives that were announced at the end of 2023. They are joined by Stantec’s chief growth and innovation officer, John Take, to discuss the strategic pillars and our clients’ needs in...

Making the rail industry safer and more efficient In this episode, co-hosts Dave Roberts and Mike Arsenault tackle a pertinent topic facing the transit and rail industry: safety. They are joined by Stantec’s Rail and Transit Lead, Firas Al-Tahan, and Project Manager, Damian Pianta, to discuss two distinct solutions that will help will rail operators’ efforts to provide safer movements in train yar...

Mitigating risk and making dams safer In this episode, co-hosts Dave Roberts and Mike Arsenault once again dive into the world of dams. They are joined by Stantec’s Senior Geotechnical Consultant, Mike Davis, to discuss the Dam Insights digital solution from Stantec and how it utilizes technology to help dam owners and operators address the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Mitigating risk and making dams safer In this episode of the Stantec,io podcast, co-hosts Dave Roberts and Mike Arsenault dive into the world of dams. They are joined by Stantec’s Vice President, Energy, Vik Iso-Ahola, to discuss his experience in the industry, the unique challenges facing owners and operators with increased scrutiny from regulators.  They also discuss how extreme weather poses ad...

In this episode of the Stantec.io podcast, co-hosts Dave Roberts and Mike Arsenault discuss the increasing severity of extreme weather events and how digital applications can be used to help bolster communities’ preparation and protection against heavy rainfall.  They are joined by two guests: Dr. Rick Guthrie, a geohazards expert and the brain behind Stantec’s Slope Manager and Jeff Albee, vice p...

Making solar facilities more efficient and cost-effective In this episode, co-hosts Dave Roberts and Mike Arsenault talk about solar power and solar facility design. They are joined by the creator of Stantec Beacon, civil designer Kyle Jones.  They discuss the benefits of solar facilities, the challenges of construction, and the inefficiencies inherent in the solar facility design process.  They t...

In this episode, we learn about advances in satellite imagery and remote sensing technology and how they provide unparalleled insight into minute changes occurring on the Earth’s surface. Host Dave Roberts is joined by Grant Wiseman, Stantec’s Remote Sensing Technology Manager, who explains the benefits of remote sensing and how the ability to quickly map surface-level changes at ground level can...

In this episode of the Stantec.io podcast, we dig down into the world of Dutch soil and learn how technology is being used to provide instant insights into soil quality. Host Dave Roberts is joined by Arthur Coevert, Environmental Services Account Manager, and Christiaan Jolly, Business Development Manager. They tell us how the tech can help utility and construction companies make quick—and compli...

In this episode of the Stantec.io podcast, Dr. Rick Huijbregts, Smart Cities Lead, unpacks what it means to be a smart city—sharing five key pillars for how to get there—and discusses how digital technology can help cities address challenges, like fighting climate change and filling equity gaps, while creating immense opportunities for growth and transformational experiences. 

Andrew Cole and James Mazza discuss digital twins and the evolution of data and the built environment and answer the big question: how are digital twins helping communities be more successful? 

In this episode of the Stantec.io podcast, Jeff Albee discusses how using digital technologies provides communities with critical information and insights quickly and when they need it most. 

In this episode of the Stantec.io podcast, Gus Sukkurwala, Innovation Principal, and Mark Johnston, Director of Planning, talk about how, by seamlessly incorporating virtual engagement efforts into public consultation, project owners can gather more feedback from more people and enable smarter and more informed decision-making. 

Andrew Burnham discusses the importance of testing “what ifs” and comparing scenarios in giving municipalities and utilities a clear and comprehensive foundation to make smart financial decisions.