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Even as uncertainty and volatility continue to roil Canada’s economy, it’s an exciting time to be assuming a leadership position in the mechanical contracting industry, says one of the chief spokespeople for the sector.

Ken Lancastle, COO of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada, was part of the organizing team that hosted the MCAC 2026 Emerging Leaders Conference held late last month in Toronto.

Lancastle said in a mid-conference interview the annual event brings together young mechanical contractors from across Canada who are looking for management insights and, these days in particular, interested in strategies to address the disruptions and opportunities constructors are now facing.

“There’s a recognition that this sector, in particular the mechanical and electrical building systems contractors, are going to be so fundamental and so critical and so essential for the next 10, 20 years as we talk about building a stronger, more resilient economy,” Lancastle said. “None of that can happen without the work that the sector is going to be doing.”

Lancastle said it’s incumbent on the mechanical sector to maximize current opportunities while addressing threats.

“There’s a lot of extenuating circumstances. There’s a lot of outside forces that are impacting our industry, impacting the economy overall,” he said. “So, it’s a very exciting time to be a part of this industry.”

The conference agenda included such sessions as Bridging the Gap Between Office and Jobsite; Design by RFI – The Hidden Costs and Legal Risks of Delegated Design; and Contractor Conversations –Lessons Learned from the Experts.

Kyle Getty, general manager with Sutherland-Schultz, spearheads the Emerging Leaders program for MCAC.

Future is bright

“I think there’s a general feeling, when I look around this room, the future of the sector is bright,” said Lancastle. “There’s a lot of enthusiastic, very intelligent people who are going to be leading this industry for years to come.”

Another session, held March 26, was billed as Positioning Yourself for Success(ion).

The focus addressed equipping new leaders at all levels within a firm with the tools to achieve results.

“You really do need to set up your existing leaders, and your future leaders, for success,” said Lancastle.

“Often leaders end up in leadership roles not necessarily fully prepared to take that on. So there’s an element of providing the ideas and the planning. If I want to be in that role, what do I need to do when I get to that role.”

The Succession session was helmed by Natasha Jeshani, the president and CEO of Career Contacts. She told delegates the optimal timetable for grooming a new senior leader is when there is a lengthy transition, ideally of six to 24 months.

Gradual transition

“This is a perfect scenario,” said Jeshani. “They now know in the next six to 24 months they’re going to retire. There’s a gradual transition period. There’s opportunity for overlap. What makes it unique is that it’s controlled and structured in its succession. This is the dream…there’s an actual talk about knowledge transfer.”

The exiting leader often leaves with little plans for continued involvement with the company – but, if possible, there should be an arrangement for check-ins.

“‘Can I call you for the next six months when I run into something, or there’s a personality I don’t understand or a roadblock I can’t seem to get around?’” Jeshani suggested.

“I can tell you, more often than not, people will be fine with that.”

A frequent mistake when firms hire a new manager is to mandate they’re supposed to “hit the ground running.”

But, Jeshani said, “No one can hit the ground running…We’re going to all pretend like we can.”

Instead, both parties should relax that expectation.

Once in position, the new manager should adopt the attitude they will seek the help they require to do the job properly.

This can mean obtaining training on technology or asking to be sent to conferences.

“My biggest advice when you start in a new role, especially a new company, don’t just meet people in your department,” said Jeshani. “Meet people adjacent to you, above you, what people are going to categorize as beneath you.”