The head of an Ottawa-based group that represents more than 100 of Canada’s largest aerospace companies is stepping down after a decade on the job.
The Aerospace Industries Association of Canada said Thursday that Jim Quick will be retiring as the organization’s president and CEO effective Jan. 29. Current senior vice-president Mike Mueller will replace Quick on an interim basis.
“Jim’s long career in not-for profit management and his impressive background in public service has been instrumental in the success of AIAC and our solid reputation for co-operation and partnership with our many stakeholders, both nationally and internationally,” Lee Obst, an Ottawa-based executive at Collins Aerospace and chair of the association’s board of directors, said in a statement.
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“His exceptional leadership and focused advocacy on behalf of the industry has positioned the association as a committed and willing partner with our government stakeholders.”
Quick joined the organization in 2011 after five years as leader of the Canadian Paint and Coatings Association. He was a driving force behind the Emerson Report, a 2012 review led by former federal industry minister David Emerson that urged the government of then-prime minister Stephen Harper to beef up spending on space technology and more aggressively promote the industry in foreign markets.
More recently, Quick spearheaded AIAC’s Vision 2025 initiative that called for more co-operation between industry, academic institutions and the government to help grow the aerospace sector in Canada.
In a statement, the association praised Quick’s “drive and focus on serving the long-term interests of the aerospace industry.”
AIAC represents more than 130 companies with operations in Canada, which is home to the world’s fifth-largest aerospace industry. Many of its members are either headquartered in the National Capital Region or have a significant presence here, including ADGA Group, Calian Group, MDS Aero Support, Lockheed Martin and Thales Canada.
