Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
COO | CEO-level Operator | Aerospace, Mission Aviation & Emergency Response | Private Equity Value Creation Executive leader with 30+ years in international aviation, defence and aerospace, delivering operational transformation, scalable execution frameworks and PE-backed value creation. Former CEO of a private equity–owned aviation group and current COO of Conair Group, North America’s leading aerial firefighting operator with 80+ aircraft deployed across Canada, the United States and Australia. As COO, I focus on operational performance, safety culture, fleet readiness, international deployments, training systems and multi-base seasonal operations. I work across operational divisions to strengthen execution, enhance reliability, and ensure mission-ready aircraft and crews where and when agencies need them. Previously, as CEO of SAF Aerogroup, I led a major transformation under Oaktree Capital Management & BPI, scaling the organisation to 550+ staff, 100+ aircraft and 8 maintenance bases while expanding internationally across EMS/HEMS, firefighting, humanitarian logistics and advanced training. My background combines military leadership (French Air Force Captain), entrepreneurial experience, and senior positions within Airbus Helicopters. I have operated aviation platforms in Europe, North America, Asia, Central Asia, Africa and the Pacific. Core strengths include: • Leading organisations through LBO integration, turnaround and value creation • Scaling mission-critical aviation operations & multi-base deployments • Operational governance, safety oversight & performance improvement • Regulatory fluency across EASA and Transport Canada • P&L leadership, organisational restructuring & international expansion • Emergency response, special missions & government contracting • Cross-cultural leadership across 5 continents I thrive in environments requiring decisive leadership, operational discipline and international coordination.
Scope : Serving as COO and Accountable Executive of Conair, supporting day-to-day operations within a specialised aerial firefighting environment. Contributing to operational readiness, safety culture, training systems, supply chain coordination, ground infrastructure management, and the seasonal deployment of aircraft and crews across bases in Canada, the United States and Australia. Impact : • Supporting teams to strengthen alignment, consistency and operational execution. • Working across operational, supply chain and ground-support functions to maintain mission reliability. • Contributing to safety oversight, fleet readiness and training standardisation. • Assisting with international seasonal deployments in coordination with partner agencies.
• Oversight of governance and continuity during executive transition. • Supported the CEO and team on strategic and operational priorities.
Backed by Oaktree Capital Management & BPI France Scope: CEO of a private equity–owned mission-aviation group operating 100+ aircraft across Europe, Africa, and the Indian Ocean. Oversaw EMS/HEMS, firefighting, humanitarian logistics, training and MRO activities with a diverse fixed-wing and rotary-wing fleet. Impact: • Led the international expansion of the group into new geographies, securing contracts and establishing operational capability on several continents. • Diversified the fleet into heavy-lift helicopter operations (Super Puma/AS332) to serve demanding EMS, firefighting and logistics missions, significantly enhancing the group’s capability spectrum. • Executed strategic M&A, including the combination with Starlite Aviation (Africa/UAE) and the integration of Hélilagon (Réunion Island), strengthening the group’s operational footprint, fleet size and market presence. • Rebuilt governance, leadership teams and organisational structure to support a multi-country aviation platform. • Modernised training, MRO, safety systems and mission-readiness standards across entities. Results: • Transformed SAF Aerogroup into a multi-pillar, multi-continent mission-aviation platform with increased scale, capability and resilience. • Expanded the business into heavy rotorcraft, long-range EMS, mountain operations and international firefighting. • Improved operational performance, availability and customer confidence across business units. • Strengthened the group’s strategic positioning as one of Europe’s leading mission-aviation operators.
• Contributed to the development of Airbus’ drone- and satellite-based data services platform. • Structured operational models and delivery workflows across Europe and North America. • Supported Airbus' early commercial UAS intelligence roadmap.
• Led an Airbus exploration programme for autonomous parcel delivery in urban environments. • Coordinated design, testing and operational concepts for complex UAS “system-of-systems.”