CAE president & CEO Marc Parent is to be inducted as a ‘Living Legend of Aviation’ today, alongside The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, and US Navy pilot and aviation writer Fred George, at the organisation’s prestigious Beverley Hills gala.
Previous winners of the annual award include, John Travolta, Harrison Ford, plus over 100 other people that have been recognised for their exceptional contribution to aviation.
“For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about aviation and driven by the desire to make the world safer. I feel humbled to be joining the ranks of some of the most iconic figures of this industry,” said Parent. “In the same way that I have been influenced by the Living Legends who came before me, I hope the stories of today’s aviation leaders inspire the next generation to take to the skies and become the Living Legends of tomorrow.”
Each year, aviation entrepreneurs, innovators, astronauts, industry leaders, and pilots that have become celebrities, and celebrities that have become pilots. They gather each year to celebrate individual accomplishments and advancements during aviation’s second century. The event is produced by Kiddie Hawk Air Academy, an organisation that educates and sparks children’s interest in aviation.
Parent joined CAE in 2005 and became president and CEO in 2009. He has led CAE to grow beyond flight-simulation products to become the one of the largest provider of civil aviation training services worldwide. Committed to accelerating the development and safe adoption of world-changing innovations, Parent led CAE to become the first Canadian aerospace company to be carbon-neutral in 2020.
Parent also helped shape the aerospace industry in Canada and around the world throughout a career spanning more than 40 years. At just 17, he earned his private pilot’s licence, two years before his driver’s permit. Parent graduated from Mechanical Engineering at Montreal’s École Polytechnique in 1984 and joined Canadair as an engineer on the Challenger and Canadair Regional Jet programs.
From 2000 to 2004, Parent held numerous executive positions within Bombardier Aerospace, leading a number of facilities and product lines. He ran operations for Bombardier’s de Havilland site in Toronto. Later, he held the position of vice president and general manager, US operations, with responsibilities encompassing Learjet facilities in Wichita, Kansas, and Tucson, Arizona.
Parent returned to Montreal in 2004 as vice president and general manager of the Challenger 300, 604, and 850/870 programs as well as the CRJ-200 Regional Aircraft product line.
Images accredited to CAE multimedia library and GOV UK Ministry of Defence
