Meet the Team: Shawn
ROI’s Meet the Team Series is meant to showcase some of our exceptional team members and share in their passion for all things economic development. We also have a little bit of fun to help you get to know the ROI Team more personally.
Meet Shawn Cady, Vice President of Operations at ROI. A specialist in data, analytics, FDI, and market research, Shawn leads our Operations and Business Intelligence teams. With a focus on business intelligence and strategic data solutions, he manages ROI’s outreach strategy, KPI tracking, and targeted prospect lists. Shawn’s expertise in data-driven insights is essential to our mission, supporting economic growth and empowering organizations through informed strategy.
Could you tell us about your role as vice president of operations at ROI?
As Vice President of Operations, I oversee and optimize all aspects of the company’s day-to-day operations to help drive efficiency, productivity, and client success and satisfaction. The role involves developing and implementing operational strategies, managing resource allocation, improving workflow processes, and ensuring quality across all our teams. I also work with our other fantastic leaders to help define and deliver on ROI’s strategic objectives, help guide the direction of our business intelligence team, support business development efforts, and lead initiatives to improve and refine our service delivery and client experience.
What originally drew you to a career in data, analytics, and market research, and how has your approach evolved over the last 10 years?
Candidly, the original draw was needing a job in Montreal after moving to the city! I had a friend who worked at ROI and spoke highly of the job and the environment, so I applied and joined the team 10 years ago. I started in the Economic Development Associate role and slowly worked my way up to where I am now – a very rewarding journey. Through the process, I discovered that I really enjoyed playing around with data and numbers (despite being burdened with a degree in English Literature) and the rest is history.
In your opinion, how does data-driven insight shape economic development strategies?
I may perhaps be biased, as I heavily rely on data-driven strategies to shape most aspects of my job, but I would say that they’re foundational in shaping any effective economic development strategies as they allow for targeted, efficient, and informed decision-making. For example, by analyzing local and regional economic data, communities can identify sectors that are growing or have high growth potential and shape their investment attraction strategies accordingly.
You can also leverage data to predict and adapt to trends in the economic development world - and doing so faster and before other regions can bring a clear benefit to your region. Economic conditions, consumer behaviors, and industry trends can shift rapidly so being able to anticipate these shifts and adapt will allow you to be competitive.
If there was one thing you wished everyone knew about economic development, what would it be?
There are many potential answers here (keep up on trends, be pragmatic and realistic about your region’s attractiveness, be flexible, etc.) but I’d say the most important one is: to be patient. Economic development is a long game – investment projects don’t materialize overnight, but rather are products of processes that can take many years to fully come to fruition. From conception within a company to actual boots on the ground in a region can take years, so it’s vital as an economic development agency that you engage with companies as early as possible and maintain contact with them throughout the entire process – follow-ups and nurturing efforts are key!
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting out in data and business intelligence?
Be curious and ask questions. Try to understand both the “why?” of any project or task you’re a part of but also the “how?”, especially if the work involves using tools or data or reports that you’re unfamiliar with. If someone prepares a report or shares some data with you, try to get them to show you how they acquired the data and if it’s something you can learn to do yourself. The more you know, the more successful you’ll be!
Outside of work, are there any hobbies or interests that keep you inspired?
I’m a big fan of video games and probably spend altogether too much time playing them – which, to be fair, is a lot more interesting now that my son is old enough to join in. I imagine a large part of my interest in data and numbers comes from decades of engaging with various systems in games (I tend to prefer RPGs and MMOs, which both heavily feature number-crunching as core game mechanics.)
I’m also a huge reader and probably go through 1-2 books a week (depending on the size of the novel). I almost exclusively read fiction since…I get enough reality out there, books are for escaping! Big fan of speculative fiction, with the occasional mystery novel thrown in as a palate cleanser.
What’s a fun fact about you that might surprise your colleagues?
I honestly can’t think of one, I’m a fairly open book. I’d say that I’m generally anti-social and love nothing more than spending time at home with my family, but that’s probably the least surprising thing I could possibly say.
Favorite book?
Dance, Dance, Dance by Haruki Murakami