Breaking New Ground—Stories from Defence Construction Breaking_new_ground | Page 124

A chartered accountant, Angelo Ottoni
joined DCC in 2001 and since then
has held the position of Vice-President,
Corporate Services and Chief Financial
Officer at Head Office in Ottawa. Prior to
joining DCC, he worked for nine years in
the technology industry and 15 years with
a major international accounting firm.
In 2007–08, meanwhile, DCC dedicated an employee Past and present…
to guiding and implementing CFB Suffield’s Green Plan, Ottawa, 2008—Franca Milito
I started in the accounting section and went to the
launched by the Base Commander as a grass-roots
engineering section and worked in the projects control
initiative to involve every person on the base—worker,
area with the two Vice-Presidents and the staff there—
resident, military and civilian—in making the environ-
I learned quite a bit from my co-worker, Viola Toole—she
ment a part of everyday decisions.
took a guiding hand with me. It was warm, like family.
Supporting operations
Rita Caminiti, who was hired two years before Franca
Over the years DCC has ensured that it has the right mix
and now works as a system support analyst, recalls a
of corporate services resources to help deliver services.
similar feeling.
These resources have included finance and accounting,
human resources, administrative services, information
Payday lunches…
technology support and corporate communications,
Ottawa, 2008—Rita Caminiti
and the corporate secretariat (as part of the Office of
Every payday we all went out for lunch and sometimes
the President). The corporate services group provides
the President would join us. I was 18 years old and
support services to the entire organization as well as
most people were double my age at that time. It was
contract financial administration services to the client.
really a family connection back then—everybody kind
of took you under their wing, and to this day some of
Looking back…
the mentoring and coaching has stayed with me—that’s
It can be a slightly bittersweet exercise to look back
at the past, something that’s not lost on accountant
the way that I still operate today… I’ve been fortunate to
Franca Milito, who has seen considerable changes over
go out in the field quite a bit and once you go out and
the 30 years that she’s spent with DCC.
see their environment, you have a better understanding
of what a day in their life is like. If they’re calling you,
they’re in trouble and so there’s always a bit of a
negative, but when you meet them on their turf, you
can develop great friendships across the country.
114
BREAKING NEW GROUND
DEFENCE CONSTRUCTION CANADA