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Our Team

Mercedes Zanon

Director of Strategy and Partnerships

Mercedes Zanon is an experienced consultant and executive specializing in strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, government relations, and partnership development. With two decades of experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, she helps organizations strengthen their strategic direction, build meaningful partnerships, and identify opportunities for sustainable growth. 

Mercedes brings extensive expertise in strategic planning, funding navigation, business development, and stakeholder relations. She has supported organizations in evaluating and refining their mission, vision, and strategic priorities while ensuring alignment between organizational culture, stakeholder expectations, and long-term objectives.

Prior to joining Vectors Defence, Mercedes served as a Business Development Officer at the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa, where she expanded executive education partnerships and helped secure multimillion-dollar program revenues through relationships with government, industry, and defence organizations.

As Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Vectors Defence, Mercedes works with senior leaders and organizations to develop practical strategies, strengthen stakeholder relationships, build strategic partnerships, and position organizations for long-term impact and growth.

Earlier in her career, Mercedes worked at the Ontario Legislature in ministerial offices, providing her with firsthand experience in government operations, public policy, stakeholder relations, and the intersection of political, institutional, and community priorities.

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Susan Campbell Director Academia and Industry Relations at Vectors Defence defence innovation and partnerships leader

Susan Campbell

Director of Academia & Industry Relations

Susan Campbell leads Academia and Industry Relations at Vectors Defence, fostering strategic collaboration between research institutions, industry partners, and government stakeholders. She plays a key role in bridging innovation with operational requirements, ensuring that emerging technologies and academic insights are effectively translated into real-world defence and security capabilities.

With a strong focus on partnership development and knowledge integration, Susan works to build sustainable ecosystems that support advanced research, technology transfer, and joint initiatives across Canada and allied networks. Her efforts strengthen collaboration across sectors, enabling the development of integrated, future-ready solutions in areas such as C4ISR, dual-use technologies, and systems integration.

Susan is committed to advancing meaningful engagement between academia and industry, supporting innovation, talent development, and long-term capability growth within the defence ecosystem.

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Serkan Sevim Director of Defence Projects

Serkan Sevim

Director of Defence Projects
Serkan Sevim is a former Air Force Colonel and accomplished jet pilot with extensive operational experience in military aviation and international defence environments. Over the course of his career, he has held key roles in both operational and strategic capacities, including serving as a Military Attaché, where he represented his country in high-level defence and diplomatic engagements.

His experience includes participation in NATO-aligned missions and multinational operations, contributing to mission planning, coordination, and execution in complex operational settings. As a jet pilot, he supported international deployments and developed deep expertise in tactical aviation and mission-critical decision-making.

Serkan brings a unique combination of operational excellence, defence diplomacy, and strategic insight. His ability to bridge technical, operational, and policy dimensions enables effective coordination across allied forces, government institutions, and defence stakeholders.

At Vectors Defence, Serkan leads defence project initiatives, supporting the design, development, and execution of programs aligned with national and NATO priorities. His leadership strengthens the organization’s capacity to deliver impactful, coordinated, and forward-looking defence solutions.

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Dr. Daniel O. Livvarcin CEO Vectors Defence retired Navy Captain defence systems expert

Daniel O. Livvarcin, PhD

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Daniel O. Livvarcin, PhD is a retired Navy Captain with over 25 years of distinguished experience in defence research and development. Throughout his career, he has led and contributed to numerous high-impact national and NATO projects, specializing in advanced systems, strategic innovation, and defence technologies. 

Dr. Livvarcin combines deep operational expertise with a strong academic foundation. He currently serves as a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa and the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC), where he contributes to the development of future leaders in defence and security. His career reflects a unique blend of military leadership, technical excellence, and strategic vision, making him a key asset in bridging the gap between research, policy, and operational implementation in defence environments.

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Our Advisors

Vectors Defence’s advisors bring extensive military, government, academic, and international experience to our work. They provide strategic insight, strengthen key relationships, and help align our initiatives with Canadian defence priorities, allied requirements, and emerging international opportunities

Dr. Chris Kilford, CD – Senior Advisor, Government & Defence Relations

Dr. Chris Kilford, CD

Senior Advisor, Government & Defence Relations

Dr. Chris Kilford is a member of the national board of the Canadian International Council (CIC) and since 2017, he has served as President of the CIC Victoria branch, the largest branch in Canada with over 700 members. He is also the former editor of CIC’s online foreign policy magazine Open Canada.

Chris holds a PhD in history from Queen’s University, specializing in civil–military relations in the developing world. His dissertation, The Other Cold War – Canadian Military Assistance to the Developing World 1945–1975, was published by the Canadian Defence Academy Press in 2010.

Today, Chris is a Fellow with the Queen’s University Centre for International and Defence Policy.  In addition, he is a sessional professor at the Canadian Forces College and Royal Roads University where he teaches geopolitical focused courses.

Chris also enjoyed a distinguished 36‑year career in the Canadian Armed Forces. As an artillery officer, he commanded 4th Air Defence Regiment and later held several senior appointments in National Defence Headquarters including with the team that helped craft the 2008 Canada First Defence Strategy, Acting Director Future Security Analysis and Military Liaison Officer to the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence. During his career he completed the year-long Air Defence Instructor in Gunnery course, the Army Staff College Course, the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff Course, the Advanced Military Studies Course, and in 2009 he received an equivalency for the year‑long National Security Program.

From 2009 to 2010, Chris served at Canada’s Embassy in Kabul as the Deputy Military Attaché. Following Turkish language training and promotion to Acting Colonel, he was posted to Canada’s Embassy in Ankara as the Canadian Defence Attaché with cross‑accreditation to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkmenistan from 2011 to 2014. He retired from the military in September 2014.

Since retiring, Chris has remained deeply engaged in Canadian foreign and defence policy issues. His book chapters, articles, and opinion pieces have appeared in numerous Canadian and international publications, and he has become a frequent speaker and commentator on geopolitical issues for audiences across Canada and for Canadian and international media outlets.

Chris brings an exceptional combination of tactical, operational, and strategic military experience to Vectors Defence combined with extensive contacts in the academic, research, business and government sectors.

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Francis Bleeker LLM, MBA

Senior Advisor

Francis Bleeker is a senior defence and security executive and strategic adviser with more than 30 years’ experience in the global defence industry and government. He advises companies on strategy, business development, market access and government procurement. Most recently, he was Vice President, Business Development at DEFSEC Technologies Inc., and previously advised defence-industry clients on procurement, industrial participation and government policy with Hill+Knowlton Strategies.

His international business career includes senior roles with The Robotics Centre, Caracal International in Abu Dhabi, Colt Canada Corporation and Royal Bank. He has extensive experience across Europe, the Middle East and India and has served on committees of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI). He has also represented Canada at United Nations Arms Trade Treaty seminars in New York and Montevideo.
Before moving to Canada in 1998, Francis held senior positions in the Dutch government, including responsibility for international and EU police cooperation. He also served for 17 years in the Royal Netherlands Army, including as a reserve infantry officer, and was Secretary of the Legal Committee of CIOR, NATO’s reserve officers’ organization.
A former National President of Treble Victor Group, Francis has been active in veterans’ and community organizations. His volunteer service included helping identify an unknown Canadian soldier buried in the Netherlands and coordinating his commemoration with Canadian and Dutch authorities. He received the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers in 2023 and was appointed Honorary Captain of The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada in 2025.

Francis holds an LLM from Leiden University, an MBA from the Open University Business School, and completed the Canadian Security Studies Programme at the Canadian Forces College.

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