Organizational Announcement

As you know, the leadership team recently got together to talk about where De Havilland is today and where we’re headed next.

To be successful going forward, we need to be more focused, move faster, and be clear about our strategy and how to deliver on our commitments.

That’s especially important as we grow our defence business.

Defence has always been part of De Havilland’s story. For decades, our aircraft have supported sovereignty, surveillance, security, and special mission operations in Canada and around the world. Today, that legacy continues through platforms like the Guardian, our special mission Dash 8 variants, and the De Havilland Canadair 515.

The opportunities in front of us are significant. The global defence environment is changing rapidly, driving unprecedented demand for trusted aerospace partners that can deliver mission-critical capabilities at scale. This represents one of the most important growth opportunities in our company’s history. To ensure we are positioned to lead and succeed in this environment, we’re making several organizational changes within De Havilland Defence and across the company.

• We are pleased to announce the appointment of Andy King as Vice President, Strategy Execution and Business Development, De Havilland Defence. Andy is a proven leader with extensive experience in multinational aviation programs, operations, and business development, complemented by a distinguished military career as a senior officer, veteran and fighter pilot. We look forward to his leadership in advancing De Havilland’s defence strategy and driving the continued growth of our defence programs.
• Phil Poutissou will take on the new role of Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, De Havilland Defence. He will lead our portfolio of emerging business opportunities and continue building relationships with key global partners. By bringing greater focus to our strategic partnerships, Phil will support the growth of the De Havilland Defence program and help ensure we make the most of new opportunities created through the Government of Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy.
• Sandra Howell will take on the role of as Vice President, Government Relations, De Havilland Defence, based in Ottawa. She has a background in defence and deep experience working within government, which uniquely positions her to help drive our defence strategy forward. She will report to Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Neil Sweeney. Their focus will be to continue to strengthen our relationships with government stakeholders in support of our defence programs. These programs represent key opportunities for De Havilland Defence and depend on strong engagement and collaboration with government partners to turn conversations into action.
• We are also pleased to welcome David MacNeil to the team. David joins us from Field Aviation in Ontario and will serve as Director, Bids & Proposals, De Havilland Defence. He will play a critical role in helping De Havilland identify, shape, and secure new business opportunities, strengthening our ability to compete, and win, strategic programs that support the company’s long-term growth.

Alongside these changes, we are also evolving several leadership roles to strengthen our operations and support our long-term strategic direction:

• Jake Hoeppner will expand his responsibilities as Senior Vice President, Governance, Quality & Flight Operations, and General Counsel, assuming oversight of Corporate Governance, Flight Operations, led by John Gronlund, and Quality, led by Aman Haque (Manufacturing) and Andriy Szkwarek (Aftermarket and AMO). His background as a commercial pilot, combined with his experience leading the Air Safety Office, makes him uniquely well positioned to lead this expanded team, bringing deep operational insight and a strong focus on safety, compliance, and performance. This expanded mandate brings together several critical functions that underpin De Havilland’s operational excellence, regulatory compliance.
• JP Côté will lead De Havilland’s strategic direction as Chief Strategy Officer, helping shape the company’s long-term growth and future success. His team will include Research and Development, led by Riaan Myburgh, and the newly formed Artificial Intelligence (AI) team. By bringing these capabilities together under a unified strategic vision, JP will help position De Havilland to accelerate innovation and strengthen its competitive advantage in the years ahead.

Additional information and updates will be communicated to the teams as details are finalized.
There are a lot of opportunities ahead of us, and these changes will help make sure we’re ready to take advantage of them.

Thank you for everything you are doing to keep the business moving forward. If you have questions at any point, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your leader.