A Century of Excellence

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 Chief People Officer for Westerkirk Capital, 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. 

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 Mobilio is Vice-President, Engineering for De Havilland Canada, and the delegated head of the company’s Design Approval Organization (DAO). Robert’s mandate includes responsibility for the Engineering Product Development, Continuing Airworthiness and Technical Support teams in the organization.

Robert has more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience in the aviation industry. Prior to joining De Havilland Canada, he held a variety of positions within Bombardier Commercial Aircraft – supporting and leading both technical services and engineering product development organizations. By 2015, the team of professionals reporting to Robert provided 24/7/365 support to over 1,200 Dash 8 turboprops and 1,800 CRJ regional jets worldwide.

In his last role prior to joining De Havilland Canada, he served as Senior Director, Engineering and Technical Services, where he was responsible for the entire set of Engineering and Technical Services of the Dash 8 Series Program. His responsibilities included all Product Development, Production Support, and In-Service Technical Support functions. Robert also played a key role in standing up the Transport Canada approved Design Approval Organization (DAO) during the launch of De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited in 2019.

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.

Robert 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 leads the professionals engaged in sales and marketing activities for the Dash 8, Twin Otter and CL-415/DHC-515 programs.

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 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, and holds a Professional Engineer’s License in Ontario, Canada.

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.

Leighton is the Vice-President of Aftermarket and Business Development at De Havilland Canada, where his responsibilities include the customer service and support for all DHC platforms and customers.

A graduate of the University of Manitoba, Leighton worked the majority of his career in the oil and gas and transportation sectors. Previously, Leighton worked in directorship roles in TC Energy and Bombardier, as well as managerial roles in Canadian Natural Resources Limited and Shell. A supply chain professional by trade, Leighton has extensive experience in supply chain and organizational transformation and has a passion for leadership and people development.

Leighton lives in Calgary with his wife and three children, and enjoys playing music, running, and spending time outdoors in his spare time.

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.