Introducing a New President and CEO of Challenger Geomatics

As we look forward in early 2021, we are excited to officially announce that Challenger Geomatics has a new President and CEO.

Paul Burbidge has been with Challenger for over 15 years, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer and previously as VP of Northern Operations and Branch Manager of our Whitehorse office.

“I can’t express how pleased I am to be a part of a company that shares my reasons for working in geomatics,” said Paul.  “I came to Challenger because of the varied and interesting work they do and this continues now more than ever.  I’ve always enjoyed coming up with solutions to our clients’ toughest problems, and see our staff at their best on projects with these challenges.  I’m excited by the future and thankful for the continued guidance of our transitioning leaders.”

Paul is an experienced Canada Lands Surveyor (CLS), acting as the survey lead on several large construction and mining projects. Along with conventional surveys, he has also managed projects for a wide range of clients that leverage new geomatics technology in UAV imagery, laser scanning, and bathymetry.

During his time with Challenger, Paul has worked on several large legal survey projects including supporting Indigenous Land Claims and subdivisions. One of the largest recent legal surveys on Canada Lands was the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway project for which Paul was the surveyor of record. Paul has always specialized in challenging and remote projects. These projects have taken him across the Arctic, into southern British Columbia and even South America.

As a member of the Association of Canada Land Surveyors, Paul has contributed on several committees and has recently served as the Chair of the ACLS Regional Group.  In his spare time Paul is active in several local organizations and spends as much time as possible in the mountains.

Paul replaces Dave Thomson, one of the founders of Challenger Geomatics, and President for the past 20 years. We are grateful for his leadership and vision for Challenger over this time. Dave will continue to provide support and mentorship to Paul and will serve as Executive Vice-President. Dave remarked that:

“In our 37-year history, Challenger has experienced two generational changes in its leadership. We are now embarking on our third such change, and I could not be more optimistic about the future for Challenger with Paul Burbidge and his team leading the way. Paul’s vision for our company is consistent with our well-established direction, and his values will firmly reinforce our culture.”

Congratulations Paul!!! We are excited for what lays ahead for Challenger Geomatics.