Paul has been President and CEO of Top Aces since 2012. He co-founded the company in 2000 and has held various executive positions since its inception. Paul is a widely-respected thought leader in the rapidly emerging contracted adversary industry worldwide.

Paul is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada and a former CF-18 fighter pilot. He is also a graduate of the prestigious CF-18 Fighter Weapons Instructor Course, Canada’s Top Gun School.

Paul has led businesses and organizations through international growth, operations, and M&A. He has also led startups, private companies and publicly-listed companies to success. In 2007, Paul and his partners were recognized as finalists for the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the startup success of Top Aces (Discovery Air Defence). Since that time, Top Aces has grown to become the recognized world leader in the delivery of highly specialized advanced adversary, air-defence and JTAC training services around the globe.

Paul was recently honored to receive the 2018 J.A.D. McCurdy Trophy, presented by the RCAF Association to Top Aces in recognition of outstanding and praiseworthy achievements by Canadians in the field of civil aviation. The award recognized the company’s very unique skillset and thorough dedication to its mission of providing adversary training of the highest quality, for the benefit of air forces in the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia and their allies.

In addition to his professional pursuits, Paul gives back to the community by being a proud supporter of Canada’s active duty and retired personnel. He combines his years of corporate experience and his support to military personnel as a member of Canada Company, a charity that assists Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, Reservists, and Veterans through a series of initiatives.

Didier is the Group President of Top Aces Inc. and is responsible for all Top Aces Operations and Program. Didier founded Top Aces in 2000, and along with his partners expanded this Canadian aerospace company to make it the world leading Combat Support Training Services provider flying one of the largest fleets of privately-held operational Fighter Aircraft in the world.

Didier is an honours graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada in mechanical engineering and a former CF-18 pilot. Didier flew the CF-18 for over 8 years and was awarded the prestigious “Top Gun” award for best overall performance on the CF-18 Fighter Weapons Instructor Course. He has accumulated over 4500 flying hours over his career, and was involved in numerous operations worldwide, including leading the Canadian CF-18 contingent in the Kosovo conflict. Prior to leaving the Canadian military, Didier was the Deputy Project Director for the CF-18 Modernization Program and Project Director of the CF-18 Weapons Projects.

Didier held the position of President of Top Aces and DA Defence from 2000 to 2012, along with various senior executive positions while at Discovery Air and Top Aces between 2007 and 2017. Didier is now the Chief Operations Officer, and is responsible for all Top Aces Operations and Program P/Ls. Didier is a widely-respected Defence business executive and leader, and has led several organizations through business capture, successful implementation of operations, Government contract management of complex aviation services, as well as several successful M&A activities in the last 10 years.

Didier was recently honored to receive the 2018 J.A.D. McCurdy Trophy, presented by the RCAF Association to Top Aces in recognition of outstanding and praiseworthy achievements by Canadians in the field of civil aviation. The award recognized the company’s very unique skillset and thorough dedication to its mission of providing adversary training of the highest quality, for the benefit of air forces in the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia and their allies.

In addition to his professional pursuits, Didier likes to give back to the community as a mentor and guest speaker in Canadian Universities, in the fields of Entrepreneurship, Engineering, R&D and Ethics.

Vincent Morello was appointed as CFO for Top Aces in 2018. In addition to his core duties overseeing the company’s Finance team, Vincent oversees the global legal, security and IT functions.

Before joining Top Aces, he held several senior finance roles with European and U.S companies in a variety of leading-edge industries including pharma and aerospace. He was most recently the Vice-President Finance and Administration for Rolls Royce Canada supporting the Aerospace, Naval Marine and Civil nuclear business units.

An experienced finance professional with strong leadership and people management skills, Vincent has a broad experience base in strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions as well as business transformation and integration. He is particularly adept at identifying areas of improvement, simplification and streamlining with the goal of driving better team performance and business results.

He earned his degree from McGill University and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1998.

Chantal joined Top Aces in 2010 and became Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) in 2018. In this role, Chantal is responsible for the overall People & Culture Strategy, and leading an HR team in reinforcing strong company culture, creating and leading employee engagement programs, and implementing reward and talent management strategies that enable the achievement of business goals and objectives..

Before joining Top Aces, Chantal held a variety of senior HR roles for various large IT and management consulting firms, more specifically leading the HR function for Eastern Canada at PricewaterhouseCoopers and specializing in mergers and acquisitions at IBM Consulting.

She is an experienced HR leader with a track record for developing and executing human resource strategies to enable the overall business plan and strategic direction of the organization, specifically in the areas of talent management, change management, organizational and performance management, and total rewards.

Chantal is a graduate of McGill University and Concordia University and is a member of the Certified Human Resources Professional Association (CHRA).

Daniel joined Top Aces in 2006. In his role as CTO, Daniel oversees all technical operations namely aircraft maintenance, engineering, supply chain operations as has overall responsibility for technical airworthiness at Top Aces.

He has worked in aircraft operations, aircraft engineering, and project management for government and industry for over 25 years. He also worked in complex aircraft simulation systems as a Program Manager at CAE, where he distinguished himself as the leader for the development, production and delivery of 27 visual systems for the Euro fighter simulator.

In the area of aircraft maintenance operations, he was chief of engineering and maintenance in a tactical fighter squadron operating a fleet of eighteen CF-18 aircraft in Bagotville, Quebec, and was the maintenance leader of a contingent of 80 maintenance technicians during Canada’s participation in the NATO Air Campaign over the Former Yugoslavia.

Prior to that, he was part of the CF-18 Fighter Aircraft Engineering Organization as a Chief engineer for the Canadian Program of live air-to-air missile firing, and as the Project Manager for the acquisition of Canada’s air-to-air missile fleet.

Daniel is a graduate of the Royal Military College in Kingston with a Bachelor in Mechanical engineering; and of the United States Naval Postgraduate School, where he obtained a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering and an Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering degree. He also has an MBA from the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Annie joined Top Aces in 2022 as our Vice-President of Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. Annie brings over 25 years of experience in senior roles overseeing the legal functions for a number of companies including Quebecor, Cogeco, St-Hubert Group, MTY and most recently Targray Technology International.

Mr. Rotman has been a Director of Top Aces and a member of the Human Resources Committee since 2017 and been involved with the company in different capacities since 2005. He is the C.E.O. and a Managing Director of Clairvest Group Inc., a Toronto based merchant bank with 2.4 billion of assets under management that makes investments of $20-100 million in support of management owners in target industries, including specialty aviation.

Mr. Rotman has worked at Clairvest since 1994, was promoted to Co-President in 1999, Co-C.E.O. in 2000 and C.E.O. in 2018. During his tenure at Clairvest, he has overseen over $1.3 billion of long-term private equity investments in 49 companies in numerous different industries, as well as the realization of $2.65 billion from the sale of 35 of those investments which had a cost of $0.7 billion. Mr. Rotman has been personally involved in investments in the defense, specialty aviation, solar, behavioural health, home medical equipment, auto parts, oil field services, electronic security, cable television, textile manufacturing, waste management and bottled water industries.

In addition, Mr. Rotman was the Chairman and co-founder of Wellington Financial, a leading North American specialty lender to emerging companies, primarily in the technology arena. Prior to joining Clairvest, he spent just under three years in New York at E. M. Warburg, Pincus & Co. principally focusing on private equity investments in media and communications transactions in North America and the United Kingdom.

Mr. Rotman earned a B.A. from Tufts University in 1988, a M.Sc. from the London School of Economics in 1989 and a M.B.A. from New York University in 1991. He is currently a Director of the following corporations: Clairvest Group, Top Aces and Also Energy. He also sits on the not for-profit boards of HonestReporting Canada and The LSE North American Advisory Board and was previously a director of the University Health Network, The Power Plant Art Gallery and The Canadian Opera Company.

Mr. Fluet has been a Director of Top Aces since August 2018.

As CEO and founder of MAG Aerospace (MAG), Mr. Fluet provides corporate leadership and strategic vision for MAG, the industry’s most comprehensive “tip to tail” services provider for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), able to support federal, international, and commercial customers worldwide with ISR training, operations, and sustainment support. MAG, headquartered in Fairfax, Va., is a privately held, private equity backed company.

Mr. Fluet has founded and led multiple highly successful companies in a wide variety of industries.  He sits on numerous corporate and non-profit boards and committees.  Earlier in his career, he served as Washington, D.C. Attorney specializing in government contracts and international law.  Prior to that he served as a judicial law clerk to the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.  Mr. Fluet has also had a distinguished career in the military and national security. His career includes service in both active and reserve forces, spanning 20 years in a variety of aviation units. A veteran of conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other overseas locations, he is an experienced combat commander with expertise in security, combat aviation, special operations, and counter-narcotics.

Mr. Fluet hails from Boca Raton, Florida and is a member of the Virginia, Florida, and District of Columbia Bars.

Mr. Hickey has been a Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Top Aces since 2017.

Prior to joining the Board, Mr. Hickey was a director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Discovery Air Inc. from 2017 to 2018.  Prior to that time, he acted as Managing Director, Head of Investment Banking in London for Scotiabank Europe plc and was a member of the London Executive Committee. Mr. Hickey focused on cross border M&A, capital raising and lending to global energy businesses from 2006 to 2016. Previously, Mr. Hickey worked at CIBC in Toronto in various Investment Banking roles including M&A, Head of Mid-Market Investment Banking and Mezzanine Lending from 1998 to 2006.

Mr. Hickey is currently the CFO at Loop Industries.

Mr. Krediet has been a Director and member of the Human Resources Committee of Top Aces since 2017. 

Mr. Krediet is chairman of C.F. Capital Management LLC, an investment company which he founded in 1987.

Mr. Krediet is a director of Clairvest CVG a Toronto-based private equity firm which manages about C $1.7 billion. He is an active member of the investment and compensation committees. He is also a board member of Top Aces Inc. and Can-Eng.

Between 1987 and 2009 he was actively involved as CEO and or chairman building businesses in the soft drink and bottled water industries.  Before founding his own company, Mr. Krediet worked for Citibank, AmroBank and G.E. Capital. He has a masters degree in Economics from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam

Admiral Mullen has been a Director since 2017.

Considered one of the most influential chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in history, Admiral Mullen takes a fresh approach to the most important geopolitical issues of the 21st Century, including America’s position in the world and how economic health directly impacts our national security.  He believes our national debt is our greatest security threat.

Admiral Mullen, who spent four years as chairman—the top military advisor to Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama—is a broad-minded, intellectually curious leader widely recognized as an “honest broker” by policymakers, members of Congress and senior military officers.  He brought bold and original thinking to the work of strengthening the U.S. military and advocating for those who serve.

Admiral Mullen oversaw the end of the combat mission in Iraq and the development of a new military strategy for Afghanistan, while promoting international partnerships, new technologies and new counter-terrorism tactics culminating in the killing of Osama bin Laden.

A 1968 graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Admiral Mullen sought challenging positions including command at every level to develop his leadership skills during his naval career.  He rose to be chief of naval operations prior to assuming duties as chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.  In an unprecedented in-depth feature article, Fast Company called him “not just a new model for military officers-and a new kind of business titan-but also a case study in 21st Century leadership”.

Since retiring from the Navy, Admiral Mullen has joined the boards of General Motors, Sprint and the Bloomberg Family Foundation. He teaches at the Woodrow Wilson School of International and Public Affairs at Princeton University. He is also known for his efforts on behalf of service members, veterans and their families. He is renowned for his role in dismantling “don’t ask, don’t tell” and allowing gay service members to serve openly.

Today, he shares with audiences his deep experience in leading change in complex organizations, his assessment of geopolitical relationships, diversity implementation, crisis management, economic policy, risk management and the growing and existential threat of cyber.

Mr. Torrie has been a Director and member of the Top Aces Audit Committee since 2017 and brings more than 25 years of experience as a senior executive leader in the health and life science industry.

From 2017 to 2018, Alan was President and Chief Executive Officer of Discovery Air Inc. His responsibilities included the development and execution of the company’s overall strategic direction and leading enterprise performance to achieve both its short-term and long-term business results.  

Mr. Torrie served as President and CEO of Morneau Shepell, from 2008 to 2017; President and CEO of MDS Diagnostics; Executive Vice President of MDS Inc.; and Chief Operating Officer of Retirement Residences REIT (Revera).

Alan has also served on numerous community boards including past Chair of AMREF Canada (African Medical Research and Education Foundation) and past Chair of Trillium Health Partners. He is currently a director and Chair of the Finance Committee of Appleby College and the Chair of Extendicare Inc.

Earlier in his career, Alan was the CEO of Joseph Brant Hospital.   

Ms. Garneau became a Director and Member of the Human Resources & Compensation Committee of Top Aces Holdings Inc. in December 2022.

Previously, she was the President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Rail Inc. from May 2019 until May 2022. She also was a member of the Board of Directors for this Crown Corporation and worked closely with the various federal government agencies and numerous stakeholders across the country.

Prior to that, Ms. Garneau worked at Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Ltd. for 15 years, where she acted as President between 2016 and 2019 and led all Canadian operations for Bell Helicopter. Ms Garneau also held various leadership roles at Bombardier Aerospace between 1995 and 2004.

Possessing over 25 years of experience in the transport industry, she is known for her collaborative approach and contributing by sitting on various Boards, including the Railway Association of Canada, the International Union of Railways where she was Chair of the Regional Assembly for North America, the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada, where she also served as Chair, and Aéro Montréal Aerospace Cluster in Quebec. She has also been a Board member of the Fondation de l'Hôpital Régional de St-Jérôme and of National Youth Orchestra of Canada.

In addition, Ms. Garneau was a member of the Economic Strategies Table on Advanced Manufacturing (2017-2018), an initiative launched by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development as part of the Government of Canada’s Innovation & Skills Plan, which is made up of industry leaders.

Possessing a Bachelor of Specialized Education as well as a Bachelor of Law, both from Sherbrooke University, she has been a member of the Québec Bar since 1994.

Mr. Ringuet has been a member of CDPQ’s private equity team since 2017, focusing on Quebec-based, large-cap private equity opportunities. He has since led the execution of several transactions for investments totaling over C$ 5 billion, notably in the transportation and aerospace and defense sectors. He serves as a member of the board of directors of various portfolio companies.

Prior to joining CDPQ, Mr. Ringuet was a member of the valuations practice at PwC, where he also started his career in the audit and assurance group. He holds a Bachelors’ Degree in Commerce and a Graduate diploma in public accountancy from McGill University where he graduated on the Dean’s Honour List. He currently holds the titles of Chartered Financial Analyst, Chartered Business Valuator and Chartered Professional Accountant.