About the Company

Cardinal Defence Consulting Inc. was founded in 2018 by Rick Bowes. Rick is the sole owner.

Rick graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1984 and commenced his military career as an armour officer with the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise’s) in Petawawa, Ontario. During his military career, Rick served as:

• The armour reconnaissance troop commander to the Canadian Airborne Regiment Battle Group

• An armour squadron Second-in-Command on secondment to the British Army; serving with the Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars as part of 4th (UK) Armoured Brigade in Munster, Germany; and then as part of 3rd (UK) Infantry Division in Catterick, North Yorkshire

• An operations and training staff officer at Land Force Central Area (now 4th Canadian Division) Headquarters in Toronto, ON.

• Officer Commanding Reconnaissance and B Squadrons of the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians); and deployed with the Regiment to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1994 as part of the United Nations Protection Force where he served as Battle Group Adjutant and the Officer Commanding Combat Support Squadron

• An operations and operational planning staff officer at the Canadian Forces Joint Headquarters in Kingston, ON; Directorate Land Command Information (DLCI) at NDHQ Ottawa; and as G3 Operations for Multi-National Division (South-West) in Banja-Luka Bosnia as part of the NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR). During this period, Rick was also seconded to the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (DCDS) Group as part of the core planning team for Canada’s military participation in the NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission in 1999.

Rick released from the Canadian Armed Forces as a Lieutenant-Colonel in 2003 and immediately began employment in the Canadian defence industry as a project manager with General Dynamics Canada as part of the British Army BOWMAN program. In 2005, Rick changed roles and became a senior business development manager focusing on Canadian Joint C4ISR programs and pursuits.

In 2008, Rick joined DRS Technologies Canada as Director Land Programs where he had both program oversight and business development responsibilities to expand and grow DRS’ market share in Canada specifically within the Land C4ISR sphere.

In 2013, Rick joined ATCO Frontec as Senior Director Business Development. In this role, Rick designed and executed the company’s strategic business growth and diversification strategy particularly focused on both private and public sector clients and markets in Northern Canada, and with NATO clients and opportunities in Eastern Europe and South-West Asia.

In 2016, Rick joined ADGA Group as Vice-President Defence. In this role, Rick had both profit and loss, and strategic growth responsibilities for ADGA’s defence services line of business.

In September 2018, Rick stepped down as Vice-President Defence at ADGA to pursue opportunities as an independent consultant within the Canadian Defence and Security Industry particularly focused on advising and assisting select companies and industry stakeholders with growth and capture strategies, bid and proposal support, market insight and networking, and general management consulting support. 

The company’s past and current clients include the full spectrum of large Tier 1 systems integrators and small-to-medium size businesses providing a variety of products, systems, and services to Canada’s Department of National Defence, and the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces.