News
Iain Christie joins AIAC as executive VP
May 30, 2013, Ottawa - The Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC) has announced that Iain Christie will be joining the Association as Executive Vice President, effective June 17. Mr. Christie will be responsible for policy files relating to Small Business, Defence Procurement, and Space. He will also play a key management role, focused particularly on the Association’s growth and development.
May 30, 2013 By Carey Fredericks
“We are delighted to welcome Iain to the AIAC management team,” said Jim Quick, President/CEO of AIAC. “Iain’s business acumen, deep knowledge of the industry, and his previous work with AIAC as a Board Member all make him the ideal candidate for this position. As we continue to work towards the implementation of the important recommendations contained in the Emerson and Jenkins Reports, Iain’s background and abilities will provide great benefit to AIAC, its members, and the industry.”
"I am very excited to take on this new role. I have seen Jim and his staff at work in recent years on the Aerospace Review and other high profile files. They have always impressed me and I am looking forward to joining the team," he said. "Deciding to leave Neptec after 22 years was not easy but everyone here, including the board, has been very supportive of my decision and that has really helped."
Christie comes to AIAC with a long history of achievement in the space industry, having spent 22 years with Neptec Design Group, a specialist in spaceflight engineering. He has worked at NASA’s Johnson Space Center training astronauts, including Canadian Chris Hadfield, and in the Space Shuttle Mission Control Center. Christie headed Neptec’s Research and Development (R&D) and Business Development efforts before his appointment as President in 2007 and Chief Executive Officer in 2010. Mr. Christie has also been a member of AIAC’s Board of Directors since 2010 and served as the Vice Chair of the industry-led Space Working Group during the Aerospace Review.
Christie holds a BSc. (Hons) in Physics from the University of King's College, an MSc. in physics from Dalhousie University and a PhD. in Physics from the University of Ottawa. He also served as a member of the Canadian Forces Primary Reserve for 12 years, retiring as a Major from the 30th field regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery in 1993.
