Hélène V. Gagnon is Chief People and Sustainability Officer at CAE and is a member of the Executive Management Committee. In her role, Hélène leads all aspects of the company’s Human Resources organization globally, while harnessing the power of our people and creating an exceptional workplace. She acts as a role model and driver of CAE’s innovative and collaborative culture, and is a strong advocate of CAE’s people as one of the company’s most competitive advantages.
Hélène also leads CAE’s sustainability, environment, health and safety and social impact strategy across CAE’s worldwide operations, and as a true business partner, helps CAE fulfill its strategic objectives and mission of making the world safer and more sustainable. She is accountable for CAE’s global communications with employees, media and other stakeholders as well as collaboration, government programs (R&D) and academic partnerships. She also oversees the overall diversity, equity and inclusion corporate strategy, exemplifying our company’s core values and playing a key role in creating an inclusive culture.
Before joining CAE in 2015, Ms. Gagnon worked for 11 years at Bombardier, the last eight as Vice President, Public Affairs, Communications, Corporate Social Responsibility and Achieving Excellence System for Bombardier Aerospace, at the time, the third largest civil aircraft manufacturer. From 2003 to 2007 she was Senior Director of Public Affairs at Bombardier Transportation.
She began her career in 1995 with the law firm Fasken as a specialist in environmental law. In 2000, she joined mining and metallurgy multinational Noranda Inc./ Falconbridge Limited (now known as Glencore) as Director of Public and Corporate Affairs for Québec.
Ms. Gagnon has always been very active in the community. She has been involved in more than 50 organizations including government advisory boards, industry associations, cultural and charity organizations and was appointed to more than 25 Boards of Directors including 4 corporate Boards.
She currently serves on the Board of Directors of a publicly listed clean tech company, NanoXplore Inc. (GRA.TO) and serves on the Board of the IAEG (International Aerospace Environmental Group). In 2023, she completed her 9-year mandate as Board member and Vice Chair of the Montreal Airports and in 2024, her 9-year mandate as an independent member of the Board of Directors of Hydro Quebec and Chair of the Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility Committee. She has been a Board member and Vice Chair of the Canadian American Business Council from 2017 to 2024. Hélène chaired the Board of Directors of Aéro Montréal, Greater Montréal’s Aerospace Cluster (2015-2018) and the Board of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada’s (2012-2013) and has been a Board member of both for more than 15 years, until 2024.
She has been a speaker or panelist around the world on topics such as sustainability, social impact, environmental policy, corporate social responsibility, public policy issues, crisis management, issue management and social media. She has garnered more than 70 scholarships, awards, distinctions and excellence prizes notably, the prestigious Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100™ award from the Women Executive Network in 2007, the top 50 of Best Executives in Canada from the Globe and Mail Report on Business in 2022, and the Top 100 Chief Sustainability Officers of North America from Futur/io in 2024.
A graduate of McGill University with a degree in Civil Law (B.C.L.) and Common Law (LL.B.), Ms. Gagnon also holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics (M.Sc). She is a member of the Québec Bar, holds the professional certifications of Accredited in Public Relations (APR) and Fellow (FCPRS) from the Canadian Public Relations Society as well as the Global ESG Competent Boards Designation (GCB.D).
