Vice President of Business Development | Safran Electronics & Defence Canada
Biography
Gerry Champagne is a bilingual strategic leader recognized for his ability to manage complex organizations in demanding operational, budgetary, and regulatory environments. His career has focused on operational readiness, organizational transformation, and resource optimization—key levers in the implementation of Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS). He has led unionized and non-unionized organizations with over 4,000 employees, coordinated multi-site, cross-functional teams, and administered operating budgets of up to $220 million and asset portfolios of up to $2.4 billion. His leadership has significantly improved organizational agility, operational performance, and financial discipline in challenging environments.
His expertise includes:
• Strategic planning and organizational alignment in the context of transformation
• Operational excellence and organizational readiness • Crisis management and integrated risk management
• The transition from national mandates to international operations
• The implementation of integrated corporate systems that promote predictability, resilience, and resource optimization.
Among his key achievements is the implementation of an integrated corporate-wide Operational Readiness Management System, which helps maximize the efficiency of limited resources and support sustainable performance in highly demanding environments. As a member of Inno-centre’s Strategic Advisory Board – Defence, Gerry Champagne brings an in-depth understanding of the operational and strategic requirements specific to the defence sector.
Its contribution helps to guide support for SMEs towards:
• Structured integration into strategic supply chains
• Strengthening of organizational and operational capacities
• The emergence of agile and competitive Canadian integrators
• Alignment with the objectives of industrial sovereignty and economic resilience promoted by the SID.
Its expertise supports Inno-centre’s mission: to strengthen the capacity of Canadian SMEs to play a strategic role in sectors critical to the country’s economic and security future.
