François Laganière: Building Strategy with Heart

When François Laganière attended his first strategic planning session at Consortech, he wasn’t supposed to be at the table. “I was just invited on the side,” he recalls. But what happened next would shape the rest of his career.

“I came home and told my girlfriend, ‘That’s what I want to do. I want to be involved in defining the strategy of a business.’”

François isn’t a geographer or a cartographer. In fact, he openly says, “I’m not a GIS person.” With a background in economics and business development, his introduction to the geospatial world came in 2006 when he joined Consortech, a Canadian firm specializing in GIS consulting. What he lacked in technical background, he made up for in curiosity and a deep interest in people.

“When you're in business development, you have to care about people—their needs, their goals. That’s how you create value.”

That people-first philosophy became the bedrock of his approach to leadership. As he grew into an executive role, François focused on building an internal culture rooted in trust, clarity, and ownership. “You need clear roles and a lot of confidence in people. That’s what was done with me, and I try to do the same with my team.”

But it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Transitioning Consortech from a technical services firm to a strategic advisor in 2015-2016 took courage—and tenacity. “When you’re used to solving well-defined problems, it’s hard to shift toward asking open-ended questions and digging deep,” he says. “But if you want to be an advisor, you have to be in listening mode. You have to be okay with not having all the answers.”

That mindset shift wasn’t just professional—it was personal. François speaks candidly about the self-doubt that can come with offering advice that might not always work out.

“You have to accept that sometimes you’ll make mistakes. But you also have to create space for your team to do the same.”

For François, humility is more than a leadership trait—it’s a business strategy. “I’m often surrounded by people who are smarter than me. And that’s a strength. When you’re surrounded by strong people, you become stronger yourself.”

Today, François sees his mission clearly: empower GIS managers to demonstrate the value of their work and data. Whether through Consortech’s “Ignition Kits” or low-code solutions like FME, his goal is simple: help people unlock efficiency, clarity, and influence.

“Technology is just a means,” he says. “What matters is people—and helping them succeed.”