Greg Burton

Background

About Greg Burton

Greg Burton retired at the end of 2024 after 49 years in two careers, the military and the defence industry. From 2015-2024, he was the Senior Director Strategic Business Development at DEW Engineering in Ottawa, where he worked to expand the company’s long-term business prospects, as well as to provide advice on Canadian defence procurement opportunities. He led the DEW effort to team with SH Defence of Denmark, and with Vard Marine to become a Preferred Supplier to Team Vigilance which aims to propose a modular ship for the RCN’s Canadian Multi-mission Corvette program. With DEW, he traveled to the United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czechia, Romania, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt. Prior to joining DEW, Greg was a career infantry officer, serving for 40 years in both the British and Canadian Armies. He retired in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel as an officer of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. His service in a variety of command and staff appointments provided him with broad training, operations and leadership experience, and included postings and deployments across Canada, including the Arctic, as well as in the United States, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Germany, Cyprus, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Afghanistan. From he served in Canadian Army Headquarters in various technical staff appointments with Director Land Requirements (DLR). He directed the Army’s priority Weapon Effects Simulation project which included the creation of the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre in Wainwright, Alberta. He headed the Soldier Systems and Simulation and Training Systems sections, and was Canadian Head of Delegation to the NATO Army Armaments Group Topical Group 1 on Soldier System Interoperability. During the early Afghanistan war years, Greg coordinated the fast-track procurement of mission critical systems, and sponsored research to characterize the threat posed by improvised explosive devices. After leading a technical assistance team to Kandahar, he was appointed Director Survivability Systems, and was commended for his outstanding support to the war effort. He spent his final nine years of service as Deputy Director, and was the senior technical staff officer for the Army responsible for programming and coordinating the entire Army equipment program, and for creating the conditions for its success. In retirement, he plans to dedicate more time to his grandchildren, charities and hobbies, as well as to his various military and academic associations.