Nuclear Promise X supports its employees in exploring emerging technology, from robots to AI and beyond.Supplied
While studying for a commerce degree at the University of Ottawa, Sydney Thompson discovered her passion for data analytics. Excited to turn her interest into a career, she set her sights on Nuclear Promise X (NPX), a consulting firm in Ontario known for delivering innovative services and products to nuclear clients across Canada and the United States.
And she’s happy she did. “NPX’s culture is built on curiosity, continuous learning and innovation,” says Thompson, now a business operations specialist at the company. “We challenge the status quo, break barriers and make sure everyone has a seat at the table.”
Her internship is an example of that culture in action. During her time at NPX, she developed a PowerBI dashboard to manage the company’s professional development fund — a tool that’s still used by the company today.
Through NPX’s new grad program, she is rotating through three roles over 24 months, gaining a holistic understanding of the business. In her first rotation, she’s developing AI agents that streamline internal operations and improve efficiency. Thompson is sharing this newfound expertise by hosting technical workshops across NPX, including design engineering.
This impact hasn’t gone unnoticed. She now leads NPX’s AI Centre of Excellence, a team dedicated to ensuring the responsible use of AI and setting best practices across the organization.
“AI is something everyone at NPX is passionate about, including myself,” she explains. “We recently attended an AI Summit and learned that our company was ahead of most in ethically implementing AI, both in internal operations and client projects. I feel grateful to be in this role.”
Margaret McBeath, NPX co-founder and chief people and brand experience officer, says she’s proud to hear that.
“One of the driving forces in establishing the company was not only to improve innovation and technology adoption while modernizing the nuclear industry, but it was also to diversify it,” she says. “Creating a company culture that was attractive to people who were purpose-driven and wanted to innovate is important to us, and that’s why our second hire was a co-op student.”
Today, this commitment is paying off. NPX’s competitive edge with AI is a clear example of the impact young professionals can make when empowered to learn, innovate and lead, she says.
To support the company’s goal of advancing nuclear innovation, the workforce, now approaching 200, consists of nuclear and technology professionals who consult with nuclear clients across Canada and the United States. NPX has two offices, in Kincardine, Ont., and Port Elgin, Ont. The company hires across the country because it has a flexible, hybrid work model — most people only need to come into the office for major events and occasional team or client meetings.
Beyond nuclear, NPX prioritizes community engagement through biweekly community impact meetings. “Anyone can pitch an idea about an initiative they want to support, whether it’s tree planting, building an app for the food bank, doing a robotics course with the Scouts, or teaching girls to code,” McBeath says. It’s an opportunity for employees to deepen their connection with their community and create meaningful change, she adds.
For Thompson, preparing for another rotation, NPX ticks all the boxes. “Everyone at NPX has had such diverse experiences,” she says. “There’s a lot of space to grow professionally and personally regardless of what stage of career you’re in.”
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Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail’s editorial department was not involved.
Video: Life at NPX