OMVIC’s new Director of Investigations is no stranger to regulations and compliance
Sep
12
Thursday, September 12, 2019
To Steven Byrd, the pursuit of excellence has always been a team effort.
Since taking on OMVIC’s Director of Investigation’s role in June this year, Steven Byrd has been busy familiarizing himself with the demands of his new role.
Byrd’s 33-year career has spanned across several sectors: military, policing, municipal and provincial governments, a Crown Corporation and now, motor vehicle sales regulation. There are however two common threads that have crisscrossed his professional journey.
First, all of Byrd’s roles have all been in the compliance and regulations realm. Second, whether he was building regulatory systems or writing standards, the hallmark of Byrd’s professional career was and continues to be about influencing human behaviour.
“In my earliest days in the military, I was an advisor doing compliance inspections as I could even then look at rules and interpret them,” Byrd said. “What I didn’t realize then was that would really set me on my career path for the next 30 years of my life.”
Byrd credits the trajectory of his stellar career to his leadership skills he learned during his military and policing stints.
Prior to joining OMVIC, Byrd was the director of corporate investigations as well as corporate compliance at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG). Before that, he worked as a manager of municipal licensing and standards with the City of Toronto, and as a police service advisor with the Ministry of Solicitor General. His professional journey includes several note-worthy moments.
Byrd’s education -- (public administration); experience (in policing/military) and grasp of public policy helped him successfully tackle several prestigious projects. He not only co-authored Ontario’s first Policing Standards Manual but was responsible for co-managing the review of policing in Ontario and making corresponding amendments to the Police Services Act.
Byrd said he’s excited to bring his experience and expertise to OMVIC.
“I am taking in all of that compliance, regulatory experience in many different sectors and applying to this role,” he said. “It’s exciting because my background has taught me there are lessons from many different sectors which apply equally to this sector because at the end of the day, we’re talking about regulatory behaviour and influencing human behaviour.”
OMVIC is happy to have Steven on-board to helm our Investigations department.
About OMVIC
As the regulator of motor vehicle sales in Ontario, OMVIC’s mandate is to maintain a fair and informed marketplace by protecting the rights of consumers, enhancing industry professionalism and ensuring fair, honest and open competition for registered motor vehicle dealers. Visit omvic.ca to learn more about your car-buying rights as well as additional tips for buying a car in Ontario.
For car buying tips, check out the OMVIC Academy. You can view other resources such as multilingual videos and download the OMVIC Car-buying Guide.
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