Rebuilding Canada’s defence resilience and industry’s role

The Vanguard Podcast

In the latest episode of Vanguard Radio, host J. Richard Jones sits down with France Hébert, Vice-President and General Manager of Defence & Security Canada at CAE. She leads operations across 16 sites with 800 employees. She also serves as President of SkyAlyne and CAE Military Aviation Training, and sits on the boards of CADSI, True Patriot Love, and Invest Ottawa.

With 35 years in defence and aerospace, France has held senior roles in strategy, business development, and operations, achieving success in complex billion-dollar programs. Her career includes service as a Canadian Armed Forces officer and roles at Bombardier, Nortel, and GDMS-C.

France holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Physics) from the Royal Military College of Canada, a Business Administration certificate from McGill University, and a PMP designation.

CAE provides critical expertise and solutions to enhance safety worldwide. As a technology company, it digitalizes the physical world through software-based simulation training and operational support. CAE empowers aviation and defence professionals to excel, especially in high-stakes situations.

With around 13,000 employees across 240+ sites in over 40 countries, CAE boasts over 75 years of industry-leading innovations in flight simulators and digital training programs. Committed to sustainability, CAE ensures its customers are always ready for key moments.

As Canada’s largest defence company, CAE supports national security across NATO and its allies, equipping service members with advanced training and technologies to complete missions safely.

In this episode:

• How CAE is a leader in simulation and training.
• What is CAE's role in SkyAlyne the Future Aircrew Training program contract?
• Is Canada’s 2% GDP contribution to NATO enough?
• What challenges still exist for the CAF and RCAF?
• What are the challenges for General Carignan, the new Chief of the Defence Staff?
• What challenges does the government need to overcome for proper aerospace and defence industrial strategy in Canada?
• And more!