Top 10 under 40: Terri Govang, WSP Canada Group Ltd.

Working in security and technology means that no two days are the same, WSP Canada Group Ltd.’s Terri Govang quickly learned.

“I am fortunate to work with a team of brilliant people — both security and technology professionals — who are all equally passionate about what they do,” Govang says. “We come together to help engineer building systems, such as high-performance buildings, intelligent technologies, smart buildings, along with sophisticated integrations, and can then take engineering and design to the next level.”

Govang was first introduced to the world of security when she was working as an electrician for a systems integrator based in Calgary, where she eventually took on an executive role.
When the financial crisis of 2008 hit, Govang attended the company’s annual general meeting and saw the success and growth trajectory of the industry, despite the recession.

“I don’t know how being so young back then I had the kind of foresight to recognize how small the industry was and the way the world was evolving both for a security requirement and technology advancement,” Govang says.

Looking ahead, Govang would like nothing more than to help establish security as a destination career and show others who are interested in the industry that there are many different career opportunities beyond frontline personnel. Govang is also the current chair of the Calgary chapter of ASIS International.

“If I can contribute to the overall betterment of the industry as a whole and the betterment of technology and security programs and applications throughout corporate Canada, that would be something remarkable to achieve,” Govang says.