OTTAWA, Aug. 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NAV CANADA President & CEO Neil Wilson announces changes to his executive team, reducing his executive management committee from 13 to nine members effective September 1, 2020.
Today’s announcement comes after four NAV CANADA executives recently made their respective decisions to retire after long and valued careers. “Their contribution will have a lasting effect on the Company’s future success. I want to sincerely thank Rudy Kellar, Larry Lachance, Trevor Johnson and Claudio Silvestri for their exceptional leadership during their tenure with NAV CANADA,” said Wilson.
These recent departures are an opportunity to streamline operations and leverage synergies where possible. The direction, leadership and oversight provided by the new executive team will ensure that NAV CANADA remains a world leading air navigation service provider and is well positioned to navigate the unprecedented challenges facing the aviation industry today.
Under the leadership of the President and Chief Executive Officer, the following executives have retained their responsibilities:
- Sandy Struthers, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer will retain his responsibilities for the financial management of NAV CANADA, ensuring sound financial planning and forecasting, capital and operating budgets and labour costing.
- Raymond G. Bohn, Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer will retain his responsibilities for the development of a skilled and motivated workforce at NAV CANADA, providing leadership and oversight of corporate planning and performance, operational training, stakeholder relations and communications.
- Leigh Ann Kirby, Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary will retain her responsibilities as the NAV CANADA top legal officer, continuing to oversee the corporate security; real estate; records and distribution; supply chain; and insurance and risk management functions.
- Elizabeth Cameron, Vice President, Labour Relations will retain her responsibilities for developing labour relations strategies and mandates for collective bargaining for NAV CANADA and act as chief negotiator at the collective bargaining tables and managing the grievance and arbitration portfolios.
- Donna Mathieu, Vice President, Chief Investment Officer and Treasurer will retain her responsibilities for the investment and management of the assets of the NAV CANADA pension plan and the corporate treasury function.
Effective September 1, the following executives now oversee new responsibilities:
- Mark Cooper, Vice President & Chief Technology and Information Officer, is responsible for the operational and business technology strategies of NAV CANADA, encompassing business processes, technology development and maintenance, cyber security and data management.
Prior to joining NAV CANADA, Mr. Cooper was lead Partner for Aviation Technology with Deloitte, after an 18-year career with Lockheed Martin. At Lockheed Martin, Mr. Cooper was the Managing Director for the Global Aviation organization responsible for services and solutions deployed to over 100 clients worldwide across the air traffic management, airport and airline domains. - Ben Girard, Vice President & Chief of Operations, is responsible for the delivery of NAV CANADA’s air traffic services (ATS) with a focus on providing safe, efficient, and cost-effective services for customers.
Mr. Girard started as an air traffic controller in 1989. From 2004 to 2020, he held various positions within operations’ management, including Director of ATS Standards and Procedures, General Manager of the Montreal Flight Information Region and more recently, Vice-President of Operational Support. - Diana Kelly, Vice President & Chief Safety & Quality Officer, is responsible for the NAV CANADA safety management program related to operational risk. Her responsibilities include leadership of the NAV CANADA safety programs and culture, safety investigations, safety audits and human performance.
Ms. Kelly began her career as an IFR air traffic controller in 2001 in the Winnipeg Flight Information Region. In the following years, she assumed progressively more senior positions, including General Manager of the Edmonton Flight Information Region and more recently in 2018, she filled the role of Assistant Vice President, Corporate Planning & Performance responsible for Corporate Planning, Change Management, Corporate Performance, Analytics and Workforce Planning in support of NAV CANADA’s strategic direction.
“The new streamlined structure will support the Company’s ability to effectively meet our core safety and service mandate while implementing strategic initiatives that will deliver value to our stakeholders and enhance the Company’s long-term financial sustainability,” added Wilson. “These changes will build on our strengths and set the course for us to successfully navigate through these unprecedented times.”
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