
Marc Parent
CEO of CAE
Education
- Graduated - Polytechnique Montréal
- bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering - Polytechnique Montréal
- Graduate - arvard Business School's Advanced Management Program.
Overview
Marc Parent CM is a French-Canadian business executive, mechanical engineer, and philanthropist. He has been the president and chief executive officer of CAE since 2009.
Career :
CAE :
In February 2005, Parent joined CAE to take on the role of group president, Simulation Products. CAE had been financially struggling since 2004, and Parent was hired to correct the situation. In 2006, he was promoted to group president, Simulation Products and Military Training & Services. His role at CAE was once again expanded in 2008, as he was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer. As executive vice president and COO, he was responsible for all four of the company's business segments and all new growth initiatives. In November 2008, he joined CAE's board of directors. Following the retirement of CAE's CEO Robert E. Brown August 12, 2009, CAE's board of directors announced that Parent would be chosen as his successor. Parent officially became president and chief executive officer of CAE in October 2009.
As president and CEO, Parent focused on expanding CAE's position in the flight training business and diversifying CAE's product portfolio, including expansion into the healthcare sector. Under his leadership, CAE expanded its core military training in the U.S. through the acquisition of L3 Harris' military training business.
Under Parent's leadership, CAE became the first carbon neutral Canadian aerospace company, and in November 2022, CAE was voted as one of Canada's top employers.
Early Life
Marc Parent was born February 5, 1961 in Verdun, Quebec. At the age of 12, he joined the 51st Air Cadet squadron in Ottawa. He later switched to the 783rd Air Cadet squadron in Montreal. Parent obtained his pilot's license through the Air Cadets at the age of 17. He remained in the Air Cadets for a total of 6 years.
Parent graduated from the Polytechnique Montréal in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. In 2012, Parent received an honorary doctorate from the same institution.
Parent is a graduate of the Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program.
Parent is an active pilot, holding an Airline Transport Pilot License from Transport Canada.
Career
- CAE - CEO
Other Activites
Parent serves on the board of directors of Telus, McGill University Health Centre Foundation, and the Business Council of Canada (BCC).
Parent chaired the board for Aero Montreal, Quebec's aerospace cluster, from 2008 until 2010. He is a past board member and chair for the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC). He also served as a member of the board of directors and executive committee for the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI).
Recognition
1999: Canada's Top 40 under 40
2005: Aerospace Engineering Leadership Award, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
2005: Forest R. McFarland award
2010: Fellow of Society of Automotive Engineers International
2011: Defence Executive of the Year, Canadian Defence Review
2012: Honorary Doctorate, Polytechnique Montréal
2016: Merit Award, Association of Polytechnique Graduates
2018: CEO of the year, Les Affaires
2019: James C. Floyd award
2020: Defence Executive of the Year, Canadian Defence Review
2020: Bernard-Landry prize
2020: Order of Canada CM
2021: Prix Prospère, Conseil du patronat du Québec
2021: Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame
2022: Industry Leader of the Year award, Living Legends of Aviation
2022: Panthéon de l’Air et de l’Espace du Québec
2022: Knight of the Ordre Nationale du Québec
2022: The Aviation Week & Space Technology 2022 Philip J. Klass Award for Lifetime Achievement