ABOUT
About Hovester Consulting
Hovester helps major contractors win complex public infrastructure bids. We're a small firm that punches well above its size. Senior leads on every engagement. A sharp analyst team embedded in the work. A cohesive unit focused on delivery results to our clients.
200+
PROPOSALS DELIVERED
$7.2B
IN CONTRACTS SECURED
81%
WIN RATE ON MAJOR PUBLIC BIDS
20+
YEARS LEADING MAJOR PURSUITS
Meet The Founder
Chris Bassila, Founder & Principal
Chris spent twenty years inside the world he now advises on. He started his career as an aerodynamic engineer, moved into bid management and proposal strategy at CAE, and spent the better part of two decades leading some of Canada's most complex public procurement competitions across aerospace and defence.
What he kept noticing was the gap. Companies with strong technical solutions would lose bids they should have won because nobody was seeing the whole picture at once. The specialists each owned their piece but the story didn't hold together. The evaluators couldn't score what they couldn't see. Chris founded Hovester in 2021 to fill that role: senior, focused, integrated bid advisory for the pursuits that matter most.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University and an MBA with great distinction from HEC Montréal. He is trilingual in English, French, and Arabic, and holds certifications in procurement, competitive intelligence, and project management. He is a recognized voice in the bid and proposal community, with speaking engagements at APMP, PMI, and industry forums on AI in proposals and procurement strategy.
THE TEAM
Geovanni Stephan
Director, Transport Infrastructure
Geovanni brings over twenty years of experience across transport infrastructure, telecommunications, and major civil systems. He spent a decade at the STM and Métro de Montréal leading telecommunications and infrastructure engineering, and has worked with some of Canada's most complex infrastructure operators, including CAE, Bell Canada, CN, and STM.
At Hovester, he brings deep domain knowledge to the transport and transit pursuits at the heart of our AEC practice. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications from Polytechnique Montréal and works in English and French.
Lea Farhat
Proposal Research Analyst
Lea brings a rare combination of writing skills and research depth. She has experience managing high-stakes submissions in demanding, criteria-driven environments, first in legal marketing and RFP management across MENA and UK markets, then in defence and geopolitical intelligence research.
At Hovester, she works across the full bid lifecycle: RFP deconstruction, compliance mapping, competitive and owner research, and content development from first draft to final review. She holds a Master's dergee in Diplomacy and International Security and is trilingual in English, French and Arabic.
Dalia Kisserwan
Proposal Research Analyst
Dalia brings a strong mix of systems thinking and analytical discipline. As an Industrial Engineer from the American University of Beirut (AUB), she graduated with Distinction and held prominent leadership roles. As President of AUB's Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), she led the organization to be recognized as Society of the Year.
Her experience spans project management, strategy, process optimization, supply chain and data analytics. At Hovester, Dalia works across the entire bid lifecycle, including RFP analysis, compliance, market research, bid strategy, content development, and quality assurance. She holds multiple AI certifications and is trilingual in English, French, and Arabic.
Pascale Alpha
Special Contributor, Communications & Indigenous Relations
Pascale Alpha is one of Canada's most recognized leaders in strategic communications, diversity and inclusion, and Indigenous relations. She spent 20+ years at CAE, including as Chief Diversity Officer and Global Head of Indigenous Relations, and founded Sea & Sky Consulting after leaving the firm in 2024.
She brings two capabilities that matter directly to Hovester's clients. First, Indigenous benefit requirements are now embedded in a growing number of federal and provincial infrastructure RFPs. Pascale has engaged with close to twenty Indigenous communities across Canada and led CAE’s reconciliation journey, including the development and implementation of the policies, governance structures, and initiatives required to advance toward certification. Second, she brings communications depth that goes beyond proposal writing: brand, reputation, and stakeholder strategy for organizations competing in complex public environments.
Pascale is quadrilingual, a former CBC journalist, a recognized keynote speaker, and sits on the boards of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and John Abbott College. She was named one of Canada's Top 10 DEI Leaders by HR Magazine in 2023.
What We Believe
We take on work we can win. Hovester stays focused on the sectors and pursuit types where our experience is direct and our impact is real.
We don't chase volume or spread across every market. That focus is what lets us do the work well.
We say what's true. If a bid has a problem, we name it. If a pursuit looks unwinnable, we'll tell you before you spend the money. Our clients are making high-stakes decisions and they deserve an honest read.
We treat every bid like it's ours. The deadline pressure, the internal politics, the competitor you're worried about. We've been on the client side of this work for decades. We know what it feels like, and we bring the same urgency our clients bring.
We earn the relationship before we ask for the next engagement. Every mandate is a chance to prove that the investment was worth it.
Trainings & Certifications
Speaking Engagements and Industry Contributions
Small and Medium Enterprise Committee member
Your next pursuit is already taking shape.
The strongest bids are built early, but wherever you are in the pursuit, we can help: an independent read on a near-final draft, a partner embedded from the start, or a team to run the whole thing. The first conversation is free, and worth having before the clock runs out.