Jonathan Dunnett of Moncton, N.B. was one of six inductees into the Council of Competitive Intelligence Fellows this year. A global non-profit organization, the Council has a mission to advance competitive intelligence (C.I.) as a discipline. Members inducted into the organization represent the domain, showcasing the value of C.I. to the private, public and non-profit sectors and are respected thought leaders in this space.

Dating back to the 1990s, the Council has an annual induction program where current members nominate potential new candidates. A selection committee then evaluates each nominee in relation to how their work embodies the organization’s mission. Dunnett says he provided an extensive amount of information throughout the process, which took about three to four months to complete. In 2023, six fellows were inducted into the organization, but this number varies each year.

The Council hosts an annual C.I. summit, as well as a variety of webinars throughout the year. These educational initiatives and the work of its members impact stakeholders in academic and business communities; developing future C.I. practitioners, upgrading employee skills and helping organizations avoid information overload.

“It’s always looking at and evaluating what’s happening in the business environment, what that means and what an organization should do next,”

—Jonathon Dunnett, Council of Competitive Intelligence Fellows, 2023 Inductee

Simply put, competitive intelligence is the practice of gathering information to refine business decisions and planning. Through C.I., organizations use data to understand their environment and improve future performance. “It’s always looking at and evaluating what’s happening in the business environment, what that means and what an organization should do next,” explained Dunnett. The use of C.I. extends to essentially any functional area of a business—legal, marketing and sales, product development, finance, human resources, etc. Dunnett said organizations that engage in C.I. will see greater success by being better able to compete and more resilient against future challenges.

In today’s world of technology, Dunnett sees advancements like A.I. as a tool for C.I. practitioners. The intelligence cycle of planning, collecting data, processing data, analysis and providing feedback has come a long way since the ‘70s. Digitalization means information is more accessible, however, it does come with risks of poor data inputs, data misinterpretation and technical errors. Jonathan sees transformative potential for A.I. in the field but says it has a way to go.

As one of only a handful of Canadians to have been inducted into the Council, Dunnett considers it a great honour. Passionate about helping Canadian businesses compete globally, he says C.I. can help organizations get there. Dunnett began working in C.I. as a university student and has since built an impressive career. He has worked with small start-ups and global organizations in a variety of industries. Through his company Enable Leaders, Dunnett also provides training and development in the discipline.

Commenting on Jonathan’s induction into the Council, Derek Johnson, president, said: “I’ve been tracking Jonathan Dunnett’s contributions to the field of Competitive Intelligence for several years now. He has an uncanny and unique ability to apply and synthesize this set of business activities to a level that is applicable to any size of company. For that reason, and many others, Jonathan was a natural addition to the future efforts of the Council and I look forward to working with him closely.”

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