Board of Directors
Tracy Medve, Board Chair
France Hébert, President
Mario Poirier
David Nemes
Jesse Bernhardt
Rick Giacomuzzi
Leadership Team
Kevin Lemke, General Manager
Charles Caldwell, FAcT Program Manager
Luana Cotsman, Head of People and Culture
Alberto Coutino-Hill, Head of Quality
Red Curtis, Head of Commercial
Patrick Fodjeu, Head of Finance
Ilya Malikin, Head of Information Management & Information Technology
Harrison Ruess, Head of Communications, Collaboration, and Stakeholder Relations
Devi Shantilal, Head of Indigenous Relations
Denean Tomlin, Head of ITB/VP – Offsets
Tracy Medve, Board Chair
Board Chair, SkyAlyne
President, KF Aerospace
Tracy Medve is the Board Chair of SkyAlyne – a partnership between KF Aerospace and CAE.
Since she began her career in aviation in 1985, Tracy has held various senior airline management positions, including at Norcanair, Time Air, Canadian Partner and Canadian Regional Airlines. Tracy was the co-founder of C.T. AeroProjects, a Calgary-based consultancy focused on air transport resource management, working with a wide range of public and private aviation clients around the world. From 2007 to 2012, Tracy was the President of Canadian North Airlines.
In May 2013, Tracy was appointed President of KF Aerospace and became President and CEO in August 2021.
Tracy is the Past Chair of the Air Transportation Association of Canada (ATAC) and the first woman in Canada to be inducted as an Honorary Life Member of the organization. She previously sat as a Director of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) and was a member of the University of British Columbia, Okanagan External Advisory Board. Since 2003 she has served as a part-time member of the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada (TATC). Tracy is the current Chair of the Fortis BC Board of Directors and the current Board Chair of SkyAlyne.
Tracy is a lawyer by training (University of Saskatchewan, 1982) and a graduate of the John Molson School of Business Global Aviation MBA program at Concordia University (2009). She is the 2007 recipient of the John Molson School of Business MBA Scholarship and was inducted as a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honour society in 2009.
Tracy also served in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves as a Signals Officer from 1975 to 1981. She has two sons and enjoys golfing, cycling and learning to play the piano in her spare time.
France Hébert, President
President, SkyAlyne
Division President of Defense & Security (D&S) Canada, and Global Operations Lead, CAE
France Hébert is the Board President of SkyAlyne and Division President of Defense & Security (D&S) Canada, and Global Operations Lead for CAE. She leads over 1,900 employees globally and is shaping the operational strategy for both CAE’s divisions, Civil Aviation and Defense & Security.
Ms. Hébert joined CAE as Vice President and General Manager of D&S Canada in 2019. In her previous role, she executed a strategy that led to significant growth in CAE’s D&S business in Canada. As the Board President of SkyAlyne, a joint venture between CAE and KF Aerospace, France’s success also included the award of the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) Program for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The transformative initiative, set to last 25 years with a value of $11.2 billion, reimagines training for the RCAF. Under her leadership, CAE Defense & Security was also selected as a strategic partner to the Government of Canada.
Ms. Hébert has over 35 years of experience working primarily in defence and aerospace. From becoming an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces and to her civilian career with major defence contractors, she has extensive leadership experience and a proven track record of winning and executing complex programs.
Ms. Hébert is additionally the President of CAE Military Aviation Training (CMAT) for the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) and is a Professional Engineer who holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Physics) from the Royal Military College of Canada. She has also earned a certificate in Business Administration from McGill University and holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) designation.
She currently sits on the boards of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), the True Patriot Love Foundation and Invest Ottawa, where she is the Vice-Chair.
Mario Poirier
Vice-President, Finance, CAE Defense & Security
A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) since 1992, Mario Poirier was appointed Vice-President, Finance for CAE Defense & Security division in 2011. He started his career at CAE as a Finance Director for the same division in 2006.
Mario is a senior executive with over thirty years of experience in the defence & security, IT consulting and software industries. He came to CAE from Cognicase Inc. – an IT consulting company acquired by CGI in 2002 -where he worked as Vice President and Controller for 6 years. Previously Mr. Poirier was the Controller of a very successful software company called Softimage Inc., which was acquired by Microsoft in 1997. Mr. Poirier started his career with Mallette, Benoit, Boulanger, Rondeau as an auditor.
David Nemes
CAE General Counsel – Defence and Security, International
David Nemes is the General Counsel for CAE Defence and Security – International, reporting to both the Division President, Global Defence and Security and CAE Inc.’s Chief Legal and Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary. In addition to his role as General Counsel, David leads D&S International’s Contracts, Offsets, and Procurement teams.
David joined CAE in 2021 with an initial focus on Defence and Security in Canada. Prior to CAE, David worked for a large aircraft OEM where he held key leadership roles for teams supporting sales, marketing, programs, and operations from a legal and commercial perspective.
Before entering the aerospace sector, David worked in private practice at top tiered law firms in both New York City and Montreal.
In his current role, David advises on complex matters, offering both legal and commercial guidance.
David holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Civil Law (B.C.L.) and Bachelor of Laws (LL.B), all from McGill University in Montreal, Canada and is admitted to practice law in New York State and Quebec, Canada.
Jesse Bernhardt
General Legal Counsel, KF Aerospace
Jesse Bernhardt leads the legal functions for KF Aerospace’s worldwide operations, shaping the operational and commercial strategy for the KF Aerospace group of companies which includes interests in Ireland, the United States and fixed operating bases in Canada. KF Aerospace’s Canadian operations include the Allied Wings Military Flight Training base that supports the Royal Canadian Air Force through the Contracted Flying and Training Support (CFTS) Program.
Jesse earned a Juris Doctor (Law) from the University of Alberta in 2013 and was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 2014. He has completed both levels I and II of the Certified Financial Analyst examinations. He began his career practicing Corporate, Commercial and Banking Law working for Canadian chartered banks and credit unions across British Columbia. He began his defence and aerospace career in 2017 with KF Aerospace as associate legal counsel and was appointed General Legal Counsel in 2019.
Rick Giacomuzzi
Rick Giacomuzzi, CA, CPA
In February 2020 Rick joined the Advisory Board of KF Aerospace and KF Capital. Rick has consulted on various financial and operating projects for the corporate group.
His career includes over 30 years of experience in aviation and aerospace activities including senior management and board positions with a variety of corporations. In 1996 Rick was a founding shareholder and Chief Financial Officer of Avmax Group in Calgary. Avmax was a vertically integrated commercial aviation business involved in aircraft leasing, maintenance, repair & overhaul (MRO), airline operations, spares management, pilot and technician training, airport development, engineering, and research & development products. Corporate responsibilities included financial reporting, debt and equity financings, domestic and international income and commodity tax management, mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiation, insurance management, and strategic planning. Avmax enjoyed exponential growth from a start-up to over 1,000 employees.
Rick has held vice president positions with two passenger airlines providing services to Air Canada and has provided consulting services to several other airlines. Before his aviation and aerospace activities, Rick was the owner-manager and partner of public accounting firms providing financial reporting, assurance, advisory, and tax services to small to medium-sized businesses in a variety of industries.
Rick obtained his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary and subsequently earned his designations as Chartered Accountant (CA) and Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA).
He is married and is an avid golfer and traveller.
Kevin Lemke
General Manager, SkyAlyne
Kevin joined the Armed Forces in 1983 and is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada (Mechanical Engineering, Class of 1987) and the Georgia Institute of Technology (Masters of Science in Material Engineering, Class of 1993). He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force for more than 20 years where he completed operational tours as an Aerospace Engineering Officer, including service as the Lead Engineer for Failure Analysis, and as the CC130 fleet Aircraft Engineering Officer.
After his military career, Kevin began as a Project Manager at Cascade Aerospace, and was later promoted to Director of Maintenance and Engineering at Heli-One, and Vice President of Production at IMP Aerospace. Most recently, Kevin returned to Cascade Aerospace and held the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Kevin was named General Manager of SkyAlyne in April 2024.
Originally a native of Longueil, Québec, today Kevin is Ottawa-based. He has had the good fortune to have called six provinces “home” throughout his career. Together with his wife Linda, Kevin has three adult children.
Red Curtis
Head of Commercial
Red has worked in commercial/contracts management for over 25 years for several different aerospace and defence organizations, including IMP Aerospace and Defence, Babcock Canada, and General Dynamics Mission Systems. Over his career, Red has been involved in many large and complex Canadian and international defence contracts worth bilions of dollars. Red joined SkyAlyne in July 2024.
Red is a graduate of Saint Mary’s University (Bachelor of Commerce in 1992) and the University of Ottawa (MBA in 2002).
Red has never lost his love of music, and has been a semi-professional musician intermittently since the mid-90s. He is also a proud Cape Bretoner, and while Sydney willl always be home, Red has been living in Ottawa since 2000 with his wife, with whom he has one adult son.
Sebastien Cote
Head of Operations
Sebastien spent over 32 years in service of Canadians as a member of the Department of National Defence, both as a military member and a civil servant. He served as an Aerospace Engineer and Project Manager in various operational and staff positions, mainly supporting Tactical Aviation across the world. He participated in the introduction into service of several aircraft fleets. Highlights of his career include creating and joining the Canadian Helicopter Force Afghanistan, and serving with dedicated aviators, aircraft technicians and support personnel.
Sebastien is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada (Space Science, 1996, Masters of Public Administration, 2013, and Masters of Defence Studies, 2015). Born in Alma, Quebec, he now calls Almonte home where he enjoys various sports and life in the country with his wife Tina and their talented daughter.
Luana Cotsman
Head of People and Culture
Luana Cotsman has over 20 years of experience in Human Resources in a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, high tech and not-for-profit. Luana has extensive experience in all aspects of human resources, with particular strengths in building positive relationships and work culture and providing strategic guidance to leadership.
Prior to joining SkyAlyne, Luana led the Human Resources department for the international non-profit, Oxfam Canada. In this role, she was responsible for all human resources related functions within Canada, as well as representing the organization in various global forums.
Luana holds a degree in psychology and business and is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL), in addition to holding other related certifications.
As a mother of three, Luana spends her free time driving between hockey rinks, curling rinks, and robotics competitions.
Charles Caldwell
FAcT Program Manager, SkyAlyne
Charles has held various program management and executive leadership roles in the defence and security and telecommunications industries over the past 25 years. In these roles, he has led teams developing and delivering complex customer solutions across the globe. This includes emergency management simulation solutions for US Northern Command, the US National Guard and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as simulation centres for command and staff training in the United Kingdom, Czech Republic and several locations in the Middle East.
Charles holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree from the Royal Military College of Canada, a Master of Business Administration degree from Rollins College and Master’s Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University. Charles is a Professional Engineer and Certified Project Management Professional (PMP). After graduating from RMC, Charles was commissioned as a Signals Officer in the Canadian Army and served on peacekeeping duties in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia and the United Nations Headquarters.
Charles grew up in Calgary and now calls Ottawa home. He enjoys spending time in the outdoors hiking, biking, canoeing and cross-country skiing with his wife and their two sons.
Alberto Coutino-Hill
Head of Quality
Alberto completed a bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering in Mexico. After graduation he came to Canada to start a MSc in Systems, completing his degree in 1990. Upon graduation, he worked for a consulting firm as a quality consultant, and then moved to SHL Systemhouse as the Manager of Quality for their Postal Group. After SHL, he became the Manager of Quality for Texar, a security software startup. After Texar, he joined Xwave as the Manager of Quality for the Defence & Security Unit. When CAE acquired Xwave, Alberto became the Manager of Quality for CAE D&S Canada. His role expanded to include Environment, and Health & Safety, for which he created and integrated system, which became certified in 2023 to ISO: 9001, 14001, and ISO 45001, in the 12 D&S Canada Sites.
Alberto has helped all the companies he worked with receive significant awards for quality and he is recognized for his innovative and cost-effective ways of not only meeting the quality requirements demanded by his customers, but surpassing them. Alberto joined SkyAlyne in January 2024.
Alberto is happily married and has four sons.
Patrick Fodjeu
Head of Finance
Patrick is a bilingual Chartered Professional Account (CPA) with over 17 years of experience navigating global, multicultural, fast-paced environments. His finance career is geographically spread across Cameroon, UAE, and Canada. He has worked with a variety of industries before joining the aviation realm, from Shipping to Logistics & Supply chain, Automotive, Ports Management, and more recently Education.
Patrick presents a multifaceted finance profile with various leadership positions. He started his career as Working Capital Analyst, then held various Controllership roles (Chief accountant, Business Controller, Financial Controller), Finance Manager, Finance Business Partner, Head of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) before relocating from UAE to Canada.
Joining SkyAlyne from Queen’s University where he was Director of Finance, he completed his Master of Accounting and Finance & Bachelor of Economics at the Catholic University of Central Africa.
Patrick settled in Ottawa with his wife Sandrine in July 2021. His hobbies include tennis, swimming, jogging, and – fun fact – three of his four children share the same birthday, two years apart from each other (a sheer coincidence!).
Ilya Malikin
Head of Information Management & Information Technology
Ilya is a Tel Aviv University graduate with a B.Sc. in Electronics Engineering. His professional journey commenced in 2004 when he joined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), where he served over 6 years as a Test Engineer and Project Manager.
Post-military service, Ilya transitioned to CONTROP Precision Technologies (Israel). Initially assuming the role of a Project Manager, he later advanced to become a Program Manager, Integrated Logistic Support (ILS).
In 2015, Ilya immigrated to Canada and started his Information Technology career with Canadian Tire Corporation in Calgary. His leadership roles included Delivery Manager for Retail Technology and Platform Owner for Store Hardware.
Recently, Ilya relocated to Ottawa, where he assumed a short-term position with NAV Canada. His journey led him to SkyAlyne, where he joined the team in April 2024 as a Head of IM/IT.
Beyond his professional life, Ilya volunteers with the Ottawa Mountain Biking Association (OMBA) as a Board Member, Group Rides Leader, and Camp Fortune Coordinator. Alongside his spouse, Katy, Ilya is a proud parent to three children: two daughters and a stepdaughter.
Devi Shantilal
Head of Indigenous Relations
Devi Shantilal, leader of Indigenous Relations at SkyAlyne, is a seasoned professional with over 14 years of experience. Devi identifies as an Ally for Indigenous Peoples and is committed to advancing Reconciliation and fostering meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities and organizations. She has advanced Indigenous Relations efforts within the energy and utilities sector for over a decade.
Prior to joining SkyAlyne Devi held management role with Hydro One leading the Indigenous Relations program office. In the past she has led the Métis Nation of Ontario Lands, Resources and Consultation program and contributed to Indigenous engagement initiatives at the Nuclear Waste Management Organization.
With an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and an Honours degree in Civil Engineering, Devi is poised to drive inclusive business prosperity and seize opportunities for Indigenous Peoples in Manitoba and Saskatchewan through the Future Aircrew Training Program.
Denean Tomlin
Head of Industrial and Technological Benefits & Value Proposition
Denean Tomlin is the Head of Industrial and Technological Benefits & Value Proposition (ITB/VP – Offsets) for SkyAlyne. She is responsible for leading the ITB strategy, acts as the primary ITB customer interface, and supports the successful fulfillment of the ITB obligation and reporting to the Government of Canada. This includes leading the development of the company’s VP and ITB program, strategies, and commitments.
Denean is from British Columbia and has made Calgary home since 1989. Her career spans three decades in the areas of business development, government relations, economic development, and international trade and investment. Denean has been part of the Defence industry for over 17 years as an ITB Manager and prior to that as the President of the Western Canadian Defence Industries Association. She holds Board positions with IPAC (Industrial Participation Association of Canada), the Aerial Evolution Association of Canada, and was appointed to the SAAC (Strategic Aviation Advisory Council for Alberta). Denean has participated in numerous advisory roles for academia and government with regards to growth of the Aerospace, Defence and UAV sectors in Alberta.
When not at work, you will find Denean outdoors on her acreage, training Springer Spaniels in the field, hunting and competitive sport shooting across a variety of disciplines. She is also the co-host of the SHE SHOOTS Podcast, Canada’s only all female produced and hosted Podcast focused on Women in shooting and hunting sports.
Harrison Ruess
Head of Communications, Collaboration, and Stakeholder Relations
Harrison is SkyAlyne’s Head of Communications, Collaboration, and Stakeholder Relations. Having spent the last 15+ years building communications and marketing campaigns of every size and shape, Harrison is an experienced storyteller and bridge-builder.
First cutting his teeth working in the newsroom and leading social media for a national television news network and newspaper chain, Harrison learned early in his career about the importance of weaving together persuasive writing, personal stories, compelling visuals, and keeping cool under pressure. Since then, Harrison has worked for a Prime Minister on strategic and digital communications, two Opposition Leaders as a senior advisor and head of digital communications, Canada’s largest business association as the campaign director, and before joining SkyAlyne, as a Senior Director at an Ottawa-based advertising agency.
Throughout it all, he has gained an appreciation for translating a wide variety of complex — often challenging — issues into compelling narratives to engage audiences of all types, including for elected officials, in the B2B space, for stakeholders, and the general public.
Harrison hails from Toronto, however with his wife and son have called Ottawa home for the last decade. Fun fact: Harrison is also a commercially licenced pilot and has worked as a flight instructor.
