A Century of Excellence
Scroll
With more than 5,000 aircraft delivered, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited is a global leader in turboprop and special-mission aircraft.
Our aircraft operate reliably in some of the world's harshest climates and provide vital connections between rural communities and urban centres – transporting essential cargo and millions of passengers annually. Our aircraft also support a wide variety of operations including aerial firefighting, search and rescue, medical evacuation, reconnaissance, and coastal surveillance.
In 1928, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada was created to build aircraft and train personnel for military missions in the defence of freedom.
Over generations, the company evolved to lead Canadian aerospace innovation by designing and delivering over 5,000 aircraft that access remote communities, deliver aid and cargo, save lives, and safeguard communities the world over.
From our aviation roots with legendary aircraft like the Beaver, Buffalo, Caribou and Otter; to today’s fleet of Dash 8s, Twin Otters and Aerial Firefighters, including the new De Havilland Canadair 515, that help protect and move people around the world, De Havilland Canada is dedicated to advancing our near-100-year reputation of excellence in innovation, production, and customer support, while manufacturing aircraft that get the job done.
Our Leadership
Brian Chafe is the Chief Executive Officer of De Havilland Canada and was appointed to this position in January 2022. In this role, he oversees the strategy and operations of all divisions of De Havilland Canada.
Brian was born and raised in Newfoundland and received a commerce degree from Memorial University before earning an MBA at the Ivey School of Business at Western.
Brian has a long history in the Canadian aerospace industry, spending 22 years at PAL Aerospace, with his last role as President and CEO.
At PAL, Brian and his team took a small, regional company, found market segments in which they could not only participate but win, and transformed PAL into a global aerospace participant with staff and operations on three continents.
Brian retired from PAL in 2019; however, he was enticed back into aviation after applying for and earning the role of CEO at De Havilland Canada, which he views as the best aerospace job in the country – taking on the task of rebuilding an iconic Canadian company and preparing it to succeed in its second century.
Brian and his spouse Kara have three sons and reside in Calgary, Alberta.
Brenda Allen is the former Chief People Officer for Westerkirk Capital, and current Chief Disruptor where she is accountable for all people matters in companies held by the company. Brenda has worked closely with the aviation portfolio of Westerkirk Capital since 2018, when the acquisition of the final De Havilland type certificate (Dash-8) from Bombardier kicked off. Brenda is now dedicated to De Havilland Canada full-time, to work with the senior executive team to assist with the significant change and growth being experienced.
Brenda started her career working with the federal government in labour market adjustment and employment programs, before moving on to education, where she spent time in the post-secondary system. From there, Brenda worked with a joint federal/provincial initiative to open alternative educational institutions that were established to better serve rural communities and industry. Since then, she has spent more than 20 years in human resources and teaching, primarily in heavy industry, including logging, sawmills, pulp and paper, and shipping.
Brenda is a certified executive coach and has a master’s degree in leadership and training. She lives in Victoria, BC, where she is close to her two adult children and seven grandchildren. In her spare time, Brenda enjoys hiking and trips on her motorcycle.
Leanne McLean brings over two decades of diverse leadership experience to her role as Chief People Office at De Havilland Canada. Her leadership philosophy is founded upon “Facilitating Connections to Create Thriving Ecosystems,” and she believes success is not solely defined by individual accomplishments but through synergy between interconnected elements within an organizational ecosystem.
Leanne’s career journey has been marked by a commitment to operationalizing values to execute on priorities and a keen focus on aligning people, processes, and strategy for maximum impact. Leanne is an expert at helping individuals and teams clarify and operationalize purpose, navigate challenges and complexity, enhance their leadership skills, and achieve their full potential. Her approach is deeply rooted in brain-based coaching principles, her relentless pursuit of root causes of friction in organizations, and in fostering meaningful conversations that empower individuals and organizations to thrive.
Leanne holds a Master of Science in Exercise and Health Physiology from the University of Calgary, a Bachelor of Science from St. Francis Xavier University, where she was a varsity athlete. She also has her CPHR designation and a Brain-Based Coaching Certificate from NLI.
Todd is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over 30 years of experience in diverse industries, including technology manufacturing, power and utilities, and renewable energy. Todd has a proven track record of developing and financing large-scale capital projects, implementing ERP systems and building finance teams for growing public companies.
Todd is responsible for all financial reporting, treasury and tax activities within the De Havilland Canada group of companies. Prior to joining DHC in 2023, Todd served as Chief Financial Officer for Enlighten Innovations Inc., a cleantech battery manufacturer. Todd’s previous roles included VP of Finance & Administration for Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp., a role that included business development of large-scale power generation projects, and Director Corporate Finance at Psion PLC, a rugged mobile computer manufacturer. Todd holds a Master of Accounting degree from the University of Waterloo.
Todd is married with three grown children and has held numerous volunteer positions over the years focusing on the environment and mentoring youth. In his spare time, Todd enjoys many outdoor and fitness activities including running, golfing and skiing.
Jason Connolly is the Vice-President of De Havilland Canada’s Qualified Refurbishment Program that was officially launched at Farnborough Airshow in 2024. In this role, he oversees all commercial, production, and planning activities of the program. Jason brings 20 years of combined experience in the aerospace and manufacturing industries to De Havilland Canada.
Jason was born and raised in Newfoundland & Labrador and completed a BBA degree from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. Jason started his career in Alberta articling for a public accounting firm and attained his Chartered Professional Accountant designation in 2010 while working in industry.
Choosing to move into industry early in his career, Jason began working with a British Columbia based international forest products company, where he assumed responsibility for the woodlands financial reporting function for the region’s sawmills. Jason returned to his home province of Newfoundland & Labrador to commence working with PAL Aerospace, an international provider of end-to-end aerospace solutions for defence, maritime, environmental, and public safety missions.
At PAL, Jason held a variety of senior management roles in finance, environmental and medevac missions, and participated in numerous successful business development pursuits before relocating to the United Arab Emirates as a member of the management team delivering a turnkey multi-aircraft maintenance support contract for a MPA ISR platform. On returning to Canada, Jason joined PAL Technical Services, providing asset management and maintenance, focusing on increasing efficiencies across the global fleet.
Jason resides in Calgary with his spouse, son, and daughter.
Jean-Philippe (JP) Côté is the Vice-President of Programs and Business Improvement for De Havilland Canada, where he is accountable for all new and developmental programs offered to customers. He is also responsible for commercial relationships with key external partners and stakeholders. He joined Westerkirk Capital and De Havilland Canada in 2021.
JP is a business transformation leader with more than 20 years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, JP was Vice-President and Head of Integration at Bombardier Inc., where he was instrumental in one of the aerospace industry’s largest turnaround and restructuring efforts of the last decade. He led multiple significant integration projects, carve-outs, and M&A divestitures during his tenure at Bombardier.
Prior to Bombardier, JP held commercial and leadership roles at Pratt & Whitney Canada and PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he led strategy, sales and marketing, and supply chain management teams.
JP is an engineer and has an MBA from HEC-Montréal.
Ryan DeBrusk joined De Havilland Canada as Vice-President, Sales & Marketing in September 2023 with over 23 years of experience in the commercial aviation industry.
Ryan started in the aviation industry with Bombardier, where he initially managed procurement activities related to the Dash8-400 aircraft interiors. He then moved to oversee customer support activities in the Asia/Pacific region before entering the Sales realm, where he held increasingly senior sales roles spanning all regions of the globe. His last position at Bombardier was Vice President of Sales with overall accountability for sales activities of Bombardier’s Commercial Aircraft portfolio in Europe, Russia, and CIS region. In this position he oversaw a team based in offices in Munich, London (Farnborough) and Toronto.
After leaving Bombardier in 2019, Ryan joined Nordic Aviation Capital as Managing Director of the Americas, where he oversaw NAC’s marketing team and activities in the Americas region.
Ryan lives in Oakville, Ontario with his wife and two children. When not travelling, he enjoys relaxing with his family, skiing, biking and spending time at the stables with his daughter.
Jake Hoeppner is General Counsel of De Havilland Canada and oversees all legal services, contracts and compliance matters for the organization.
Prior to joining De Havilland Canada, Jake was a Partner in the Securities, Mergers & Acquisitions Group of a Calgary-based corporate law firm. During his fourteen years of private practice, he advised public and private companies on a variety of corporate matters including financings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, stock exchange listings, corporate governance and compliance, and intellectual property and technology matters. His clients included aircraft and helicopter operators, energy producers and service providers, technology companies and investment funds.
Jake is a member of the Law Society of Alberta and received his law degree from the University of Alberta. He is also licensed as a commercial pilot and volunteers his time as a Director of the Calgary Flying Club. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children and doing just about anything outside.
Sandra Howell is the Vice-President of Corporate Operations and Programs for De Havilland Canada, and is accountable for Internal Program/Project activities, the Program Management Office, Quality Management Office and Certification for De Havilland Canada.
Sandra has spent her career in both the private and public sectors. In the public sector, she most recently held the executive role of Director of Operational Planning for the Canadian Coast Guard. There, she was responsible for Operational Planning for the Coast Guard’s fleet of ships and helicopters, as well as service delivery. During her tenure with the Canadian Coast Guard, under Sandra’s leadership as Program Manager, she successfully delivered and transitioned the Coast Guard’s new fleet of Bell 429 and 412 EPI helicopters. Prior to that she spent three years at Transport Canada.
In the private sector, Sandra previously held the roles of Director of Training Safety and Security, Director of Quality, and Manager of Maintenance, Production, Planning, and Technical Services at Provincial Aerospace and Provincial Airlines. It was at Provincial Airlines that Sandra discovered her passion for aviation and began her journey into the world of program management.
Sandra is also an advocate for promoting the advancement of women as leaders in the aviation and aerospace professions. She is an active member of Women in Security and Defense (WIDS) and participates in many events that bring more women to the forefront of the aerospace industry.
Sandra currently lives in Ottawa with her husband and three young adult children. When in Ottawa, she spends time volunteering in different capacities, including with the Ottawa Lady 67’s Junior Elite Women’s hockey program, where her daughter plays. Sandra enjoys many outdoor and fitness activities including kayaking, hiking and going to the gym.
Gerry Kelly is the Vice-President, Manufacturing for De Havilland Canada. Gerry has 30 years of international experience in the aviation industry. He joined De Havilland Canada from Bombardier, where he started in 1992 as a member of the graduate intake program. During his time there, he took on increasingly senior roles in business transformation, industrialization, and manufacturing, until achieving his final position of Program Director, Global Platform.
Gerry has a solid reputation for driving growth, optimizing production, and achieving on-time and on-budget product delivery. A Master of Aeronautical Engineering and Master of Science in Business Management complements his extensive experience in aviation.
Originally from Northern Ireland, Gerry has lived in Canada for over 20 years. He loves the outdoors, cycling, camping, and hiking, and he shares four (almost) grown-up kids, three sons and one daughter, with his wife of 27 years.
Robert is Vice-President, Aftermarket and former VP of Engineering for De Havilland Aircraft of Canada. Robert’s mandate includes responsibility for the oversight of all aspects of the organization’s global aftermarket operations including Customer Support, Customer Operations, In-Service Engineering Technical Support Teams, and strategic growth initiatives.
With a deep commitment to operational excellence and customer satisfaction, Robert leads a team of professionals dedicated to delivering innovative, cost-effective solutions that Keep Our Fleet Flying safely and efficiently worldwide.
Robert has more than 27 years of progressive leadership experience in the aviation industry with a proven track record of leading teams focused on delivering to the highest standards of customer satisfaction. Prior to joining De Havilland Canada, he held a variety of positions within Bombardier Commercial Aircraft in increasingly senior roles – supporting and leading both technical services and engineering product development organizations across multiple aircraft types. Robert is recognized as an action-oriented, innovative leader with a reputation for developing practical solutions focused on our customers’ needs.
Robert is a member of multiple industry working groups and a member of various Canadian University Advisory Boards that advocate for recommendations for curriculum development in support of industry requirements. He holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada and lives in the Toronto area with his wife and three children. He enjoys travel and sports of all types.
Keith Moore is responsible for the implementation, security and operation of information systems services and processes that both support and enable the many diverse facets of the De Havilland Canada business. Additionally, Keith is responsible for driving strategic technology changes necessary to facilitate business growth and transformation.
Keith has spent a large part of his career working for major global information technology service providers in both the public and private sector on large-scale, business enabling programs, transformation programs, and corporate restructuring programs.
Keith has held a number of different roles including Chief Technology Officer for several major UK Government departments, Global Chief Architect for a major news agency, and Head of IT Operations, North America for a major global service provider.
Philippe Poutissou joined De Havilland Canada as Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, in June 2019. As a member of the De Havilland Canada leadership team, Philippe now leads De Havilland’s Asset Management function supporting the OEM Certified Refurbishment Program as well as Product Strategy activities aimed at defining future products.
With over 25 years’ experience in the Canadian aviation industry, Philippe’s broad professional expertise is aligned with De Havilland Canada’s vision, with deep specialization in the regional aircraft and regional airline market.
Before joining De Havilland Canada, Philippe spent four years as Head of Strategy & Marketing at Elix Aviation Capital, where he focused on the growth and direction of Elix’s portfolio strategy and the ongoing development of its leasing platform and systems. Prior to joining Elix, Philippe spent 19 years with Bombardier Aerospace in engineering, airline analysis, and marketing roles, and served as Bombardier Commercial Aircraft’s Vice-President of Marketing from 2008 to 2014.
Throughout his career, Philippe has been a keen observer of market trends and a frequent contributor and speaker at aviation industry conferences and seminars. Philippe earned a BSc (Honours) in Engineering Physics from Queen’s University, an MSc in Aeronautics & Astronautics from the University of Washington. Philippe is based at DHC’s Toronto office.
David Riggs assumed the role of Chief Transformation Officer (CTO) at Longview Aviation Capital in July of 2021.
Prior to taking on the CTO Role at De Havilland Canada in June of 2020, Mr. Riggs was a Senior Partner with an International Management Consulting firm with clients based primarily in Canada and the United States. In 2010, David’s firm engaged with Viking Air to re-start production of the Twin Otter in Calgary, and he has provided consulting services intermittently to the organization over the past 10+ years.
Neil Sweeney is the Vice-President of Corporate Affairs for Westerkirk Capital, where he is accountable for the government relations and communications activities of the companies held by Westerkirk, including De Havilland Canada.
Neil has spent his career in both the private and public sectors. In the private sector, he most recently held the roles of Vice-President of Stakeholder Relations for TC Energy in Calgary and Vice-President of Stakeholder Relations for Coastal GasLink, in addition to previously holding the role of Vice-President of Corporate Affairs for the Labatt Brewing Company.
In the public sector, Neil previously held the roles of Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Relations, Corporate Policy and Planning, and Government Communications in the British Columbia provincial government under Premier Christy Clark, as well as served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Premier Gordon Campbell.
Neil lives in Victoria with his wife and three children where he enjoys running and the occasional game of golf when he can find the time.
Al Young is the Vice-President of Technical Services at De Havilland Canada, where he is responsible for manufacturing, Aircraft Maintenance Organization (AMO), and Mobile Repair Team (MRT).
Al has spent his entire 30-year career in aviation, with significant experience in heavy maintenance and airline operations. Al has progressed through the industry holding mainly key positions and senior leadership roles. With a diverse background, Al has operated and maintained aircraft in some of the most challenging environments in the world, both politically and geographically.
Prior to joining De Havilland Canada, Al held the positions of Chief Commercial Officer and Vice-President Global Operations for Avmax.
Al has lived in many regions of Canada and has lived in Alberta since 2000. He has a wife and four children.
Our History
1920s
The Beginning
De Havilland Canada produced its first aircraft in 1928, delivering a DH.60 Moth to the Toronto Flying Club. De Havilland Canada solidified its manufacturing facility north of Toronto at Downsview.
1930s
Establishing Ourselves
Built out the all-Canadian DH.82 Tiger Moth, designed to meet Royal Canadian Air Force specifications, including an enclosed cockpit and heater for flying in cold winters. By the end of the decade DHC had delivered 439 aircraft of 18 different models.
1939–45
Wartime Production
With the outbreak of the Second World War, DHC became one of Canada’s largest aircraft manufacturers with 7,000 people employed at Downsview, including thousands of women.
1945–49
Post-War Innovation
Designed as a bush plane to serve Canada on wheels, skis and floats, the iconic DHC-2 Beaver first flew at Downsview on August 16, 1947.
1950s
Accessing the World
Introduced the DHC-3 Otter, with the prototype making its first flight on December 12, 1951. The DHC-4 Caribou was developed in the late 1950s for the US Army’s need for a twin engine STOL aircraft – its first flight was July 30, 1958.
1960s
Turbine Era
The 1960s was the beginning of a commuter airline boom. This period marked the transition of DHC’s business from military aircraft sales to the commuter and regional airline market.
1970s
Dash 7
DHC marked its 50th Anniversary in 1978, half a century after the first British De Havilland Moths arrived in Canada. The prototype Dash 7 was revealed to a packed hangar at Downsview in 1975. Developed with funding from the Canadian government, the Dash 7 first flew on March 27, 1975.
1980s
Dash 8
The Dash 8 Series 100 made its first flight on June 20, 1983. This was the start of significant demand for fuel-efficient turboprops in the 30 to 60 seat class.
1990s
Dash 8 Gains Momentum
The 1990s was an exciting time at Downsview as the Dash 8 family grew to four models.
2000s
Dash 8 Demand Sharply Increases
In the 2000s, demand for the Dash 8-400 sharply increased as fuel prices rose and the aircraft demonstrated its turboprop economy. To this day, the aircraft's dynamic design and jet speeds make it the turbo-prop leader throughout the world.
2010s
and beyond
A Global Aviation Leader
De Havilland Canada is well established across the globe. Our aircraft transport essential cargo and millions of passengers annually. We also support a wide variety of special mission operations including aerial firefighting, search and rescue, medical evacuation, reconnaissance, and surveillance across the Aerial Firefighting, Twin Otter, and Dash 8 platforms.
Ethics and Compliance
At De Havilland Canada, we are committed to ethical business practice. Our goal is to demonstrate the best practices with regard to ethics and integrity in all of our dealings with customers, suppliers, governments and other stakeholders.
This Code of Ethics and Business Conduct explains the standards of behavior that each DHC Entity expects of the employees, officers and directors of each of the DHC Entities (collectively referred to as “DHC Personnel”), and in certain cases, of its suppliers, consultants, representatives and agents, in their daily activities and dealings with others. The Code cannot foresee every situation that might arise. Rather, it identifies guiding principles to help DHC Personnel make decisions consistent with DHC’s values and reputation.
