CAE president and chief executive officer Marc Parent has been honoured with the Living Legends of Aviation's highest award, the Industry Leader of the Year Award. The ceremony was hosted by John Travolta and held in Beverly Hills, California.

"I am truly honoured to be recognised by the Living Legends of Aviation and join men and women who have made significant contributions to our industry," says Parent. "My professional journey has been enormously fulfilling. At a time when we need to encourage young people to pursue a career in aviation, especially as pilots, I hope the stories of today's aviation Legends inspire the next generation to take to the skies and become the Legends of tomorrow."

Throughout his career, Parent has helped shape the aerospace industry in Canada and around the world. His contribution was recognised in 2020 when he was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada, one of the country's highest honours, and in 2021 when he was inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame. Under his leadership, CAE has become a global leader in training pilots and crew members, a symbol of excellence globally, with a noble purpose to make flying safer.

Parent joined CAE in 2005 and became president and CEO in 2009. He led the company's growth beyond simulation products to become the largest provider of civil aviation training services and a global leader in training and mission support solutions for defence and security forces, and healthcare sectors. Through its broad global network of more than 60 training locations, CAE serves all sectors of aviation, including the world's airlines, business and helicopter operators, and defence forces. Parent is a firm believer in good corporate citizenship. During the pandemic, CAE manufactured much-needed ventilators and administered 33,000 injections at its corporate vaccination centre. He also led CAE to become carbon neutral as of September 2020, the first Canadian aerospace company to achieve this goal.

Today, Parent is heading a corporate transformation, positioning CAE as a high-tech leader, bringing the digital and physical worlds closer together through technology. With nine acquisitions since March 2020, CAE has significantly increased its capabilities and expanded its offering.

Marc Parent's passion for aviation was sparked as a young boy. At just 17, he earned his pilot's licence, two years before his driver's permit. He graduated in mechanical engineering at Montreal's École Polytechnique in 1984 and joined Canadair as an engineer on the Challenger and Canadair Regional Jet programmes. He rose through the ranks and assumed responsibility for all Bombardier aircraft development programmes. In the early 2000s, he ran Bombardier's US operations, including the Learjet manufacturing facility, and was then appointed vice president and general manager of the Challenger and CRJ aircraft programmes.