This featured story is brought to you by the Power of Why Podcast in collaboration with Invest Ottawa, with critical support from BDC Capital’s Thrive Venture Fund, the Title Sponsor of International Women’s Month 2024.
We teamed up to produce this special series to celebrate women leading in Ottawa for International Women’s Month and shine the spotlight on our IWW 2024 featured leaders to unpack their passion and purpose.
Five inspirational leaders are selected each year to represent International Women’s Month. They are role models who significantly impact our economy, community and society and embody the spirit, goals and values of IWM.
From an early fascination with math, physics, and aviation to leading billion-dollar programs in aerospace and defence, France Hébert has never been one to accept limits.
At 18, she joined the Canadian Armed Forces, stepping into an environment of discipline, high-stakes decision-making, and relentless problem-solving. It was there that she learned one of her greatest leadership lessons:
The biggest limitations aren’t external—they exist in our own minds.
Throughout her 35+ year career, she’s challenged those limitations—her own, her team’s, and the industry’s. France has:
- Transformed defence and security training by integrating AI, simulation, and emerging technologies.
- Led the strategy to win the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) contract, revolutionizing military pilot training in Canada.
- Built and empowered high-performing teams to push boundaries, drive innovation, and execute at the highest level.
Her work isn’t just about technology. It’s about people, cultivating trust, and creating space for bold thinking.
Now, as Vice President & General Manager, Defence & Security Canada at CAE and President of SkyAlyne, she’s leading a new era in defence innovation—one that challenges assumptions and redefines how Canada prepares for the future.
Because leadership isn’t about knowing all the answers. It’s about removing barriers, trusting your team, and creating the conditions where innovation thrives.
This is episode three of a five-part series in collaboration with the incredible team at Invest Ottawa, Ottawa’s lead economic development agency for knowledge-based industries.
Learn more about Canada’s Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program:
https://www.cae.com/media-centre/press-releases/cae-awarded-contract-from-skyalyne-to-support-canadas-future-aircrew-training-fact-program/
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