John Wilson (00:00)
Hartley, I can't thank you enough for being on the CEO Global Network podcast. It's great to see you again.

Hartley Harris (00:07)
Thank you, John. Great seeing you.

John Wilson (00:13)
Either listening or watching, I just want to let everybody know that Hartley is the CEO and President of Catch Engineering, headquartered in Calgary, with offices in Chicago and Texas.
You're calling in from Calgary today, aren't you?

Hartley Harris (00:40)
I am, yeah, live from my house.

John Wilson (00:42)
How good is that? Well, I've got a couple of questions for you. So let's get started.

How do you foster at Catch Engineering a culture that attracts top talent?

Hartley Harris (01:00)
Culture really has to come from the top. The CEO is instrumental in ensuring it flows throughout the organization. It starts with the recruitment of your leaders — the people managing the staff on the ground.
I'm a huge believer in core values. You need to live your core values — they form the identity of your company. Employees gravitate toward that.
You have to invest in your people. We're a service company; we don’t own assets — our people are our product. You have to create an environment that’s special. And you have to have fun together — that’s how culture becomes your best recruitment tool.

John Wilson (02:16)
Absolutely. What has been the most innovative solution your team has implemented in a recent energy project?

Hartley Harris (02:28)
I love this one. Alberta has been a leader in modularization — building complex systems in controlled environments and shipping them to site. That approach improves cost, quality, and safety.
We’ve taken that know-how beyond Alberta — exporting modularized substations to Ontario, the Maritimes, and the U.S. It’s efficient, reliable, and a competitive advantage for us.

John Wilson (03:47)
That’s fantastic. How do you balance technical leadership with business strategy in your role as CEO?

Hartley Harris (03:58)
It’s difficult. I’m a nerd at heart — I love solving problems. But as a CEO, you need to shift focus from technical execution to organizational leadership.
I surround myself with people whose technical expertise I respect — people who can teach me and carry that knowledge through the company. Leadership is a skill you have to develop, not just rely on what you’re good at.

John Wilson (05:30)
Exactly. Are there trends in the energy industry shaping the future of electrical engineering?

Hartley Harris (05:42)
Absolutely. Globally, we’re seeing the impact of renewable energy integration — but the sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow.
Battery technology and energy storage are the real game changers. Advances in the last few years are transforming how we store and deploy electricity.
We’re also learning about synthetic inertia — how batteries can stabilize grids the way rotating turbines used to. These innovations will redefine how power systems operate in the next decade.

John Wilson (07:52)
Fascinating. What advice would you give to engineers who want to move into leadership roles?

Hartley Harris (08:12)
Engineers are trained technically, not managerially. We need to step out of our comfort zones. Leadership and management are skills — they can be learned and practiced.
Empathy, for example, is essential and learnable. Practice it, and you’ll become a better leader and manager. The key is to keep learning and developing yourself beyond the technical.

John Wilson (09:42)
That’s terrific advice. Hartley, I can’t thank you enough for joining the podcast. This was a fascinating conversation — we’ll have to have you back again soon.

Hartley Harris (09:47)
Thank you for the opportunity, John. I really appreciate it.