Marc Parent

Deeply passionate about aviation, Marc Parent earned his pilot’s license at 17, before he could even drive a car. Now the Chief Executive Officer of CAE, he has been a leader in Canada’s aerospace industry since the 1980s.

Although there were few French-Canadian mentors in the aviation industry when Marc graduated from university with an engineering degree this did not stop him from joining Canadair. Over the course of the next two decades, he assumed greater managerial responsibility, eventually rising to the position of Vice-President and General Manager at Bombardier. In 2005 he joined CAE as Group President, Simulation Products. Four years later he was President and CEO. Under his leadership the company has flourished, expanding beyond the aviation simulator market into healthcare, where it has played an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2020, Marc Parent’s leadership and contributions to aviation and to his wider community have been recognized by the Society of Automotive Engineers and the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada, among many others.

For his longstanding commitment to the growth and development of Canadian aerospace, Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame is pleased to induct Marc Parent as a member for 2022.