Jim Gillespie

Industry Advisory Group

Background

Jim Gillespie had a successful career spanning 32 years in the Royal Canadian Air Force prior to transitioning to 15 years of leadership of Harris Canada (later Peraton Canada) in Canada’s aerospace and defence industry.

Jim joined the RCAF as a Radar Systems Technician for 19 years before completing his degree and being commissioned as an Aerospace Engineering officer. He occupied key planning staff positions in the Air Force Operational Headquarters and in the Canadian NORAD Regional Headquarters. He was a member of the Air Force Battle Staff and deployed operationally several times. Prior to retirement, Jim was the Deputy Commanding Officer of the largest maintenance squadron in the RCAF.

Jim received a Commander’s Commendation for his efforts in Canada’s operations in Aviano, Italy enforcing a no-fly zone over Kosovo, and also as the primary coordinator for RCAF ground operations in Operation Noble Eagle, Canada’s NORAD response to the 9/11 attacks in the US. He was also awarded the Group Captain John Syme award for Professionalism and Ethics, and has a Canadian Forces Decoration with Bar and the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee medal.

Following his RCAF career Jim joined Harris Canada, as the Program Director for the Optimized Weapons System Support Program. He was promoted to Vice President, and he became fully responsible for the program’s growth to a full scope In-Service Support and Sustainment program including corrective and perfective maintenance, aircraft system engineering and upgrade, end to end supply chain services from initial procurement to disposal, publication and document management, and a full complement of configuration management services. He successfully led the company to a fully registered AS9100D system and obtaining four Airworthiness accreditations from the RCAF, the only company in Canada to do so.