Honourable Gordon Campbell
British Columbia Premier
Premier Gordon Campbell was elected to his third consecutive term as Premier of British Columbia on May 12, 2009.
Since being elected, Premier Campbell has worked to break down economic barriers and enhance labour mobility, trade, and tourism opportunities across Canada. His government has launched projects to upgrade more than 35 community airports and made record investments to improve ports, highways and border infrastructure across the province to build B.C. as Canada’s Pacific Gateway.
Premier Campbell has long supported Open Skies because it will create hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity and thousands of jobs in B.C. and across Canada.
Honourable Stockwell Day
Minister of International Trade, Asia Pacific Gateway And Senior Minister Responsible for British Columbia
Stockwell Day was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 2000 and was re-elected in 2004, 2006 and 2008. Upon his election in 2000, he was named Leader of the Official Opposition and remained in this role until December 2001.
Following that, Mr. Day served as Official Opposition Critic for Foreign Affairs. Mr. Day has been Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. In 2006, Mr. Day was appointed Minister of Public Safety and became a member of the Cabinet Committee on Priorities and Planning. Upon his re-election in 2008, Mr. Day was appointed Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway. He was also appointed Chair of the Cabinet Committee on Afghanistan.
From 1986 to 2000, Mr. Day represented Red Deer North in the Alberta Legislature, where he served in the Progressive Conservative Government in a variety of senior roles including Chief Whip, Government House Leader, Minister of Labour and Minister of Social Services. From 1997 to 2000 he was Provincial Treasurer (Minister of Finance) and acting Premier. As the Alberta Treasurer, Minister Day introduced Canada’s first single rate (flat) tax.
Mr. Day was born in Barrie, Ontario in 1950. He attended the University of Victoria and has lived in various regions of Canada. He is a member of the Royal Canadian Legion and the Rotary Club.
He and his wife, Valorie, have three sons.
Mr. Barry Rempel
Chairman, Canadian Airports Council
Barry Rempel was appointed President & CEO of Winnipeg Airports Authority Inc. (WAA) in 2002. There, his leadership has resulted in strong financial performance and a renewed commitment to customer and community service. The Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport is well-positioned for its airport redevelopment program, encompassing construction of a new airport terminal and future airport campus development.
Barry has some 30 distinguished years in the Canadian aviation industry. Prior to his appointment with Winnipeg Airports Authority, he was President & CEO of Tradeparks Development Corp., the land/business development subsidiary of the Calgary Airport Authority, and served as Chief Executive for two of Canadian Airlines International operating divisions: Cargo and Canadian North.
Barry was elected Chair of the Canadian Airports Council in April, 2008 and has served as a director of Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Airports Council International, Canadian Airports Council, and most recently, CentrePort Canada.
Mr. George Petsikas
President, National Airlines Council of Canada
As Senior Legal Counsel and Director, Government and Industry Affairs, for Transat A.T. and its airline subsidiary Air Transat, George Petsikas is responsible for all policy, legislative and regulatory matters, as well as bilateral air transport negotiations, airport affairs, facilitation, and international relations. He has worked for his current employer since 1990.
Transat is Canada’s leading holiday travel company and one of the five largest integrated tour operators in the world. Mr. Petsikas has served as an industry advisor to the federal government in the context of international air transport negotiations for almost 20 years and was a member of the teams that concluded the landmark air agreements with the United States and the European Union. He is a past chairman of the Canadian Bar Association’s Air and Space Law Section and a guest lecturer at McGill University. Mr. Petsikas holds a Masters degree in law from McGill’s Institute of Air and Space Law. He was appointed the first president of the newly-formed National Airlines Council of Canada, representing Canada’s largest commercial passenger airlines, in January 2009.
Dr. David Gillen
Director, Centre for Transportation Studies, Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia
Dr. David Gillen is the YVR Professor of Transportation Policy and Management in the Sauder School of Business, and Director of the Centre for Transportation Studies at the University of British Columbia. His other current positions include: Associate Editor of Transportation Research; editorial board member of the Journal of Transport Economics and Policy and Journal of Transportation Statistics; and member of the Greater Vancouver Gateway Council.
Dr. Gillen has published over 100 articles and books dealing with a variety of topics in transportation economics and management. His current research includes: examining the linkages between governance structures, ownership and regulation particularly with respect to airports, pricing and auction mechanisms for roadways and runways; measuring performance of transportation infrastructure; evolving strategies and business models in airlines and airports; and linkages between transportation and the economy including leading the research in strategic approaches to the
Asia Pacific Gateway and in international aviation policy.
Mr. Robert Ready
Chief Air Negotiator, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT)
Robert Ready is Chief Air Negotiator for the Government of Canada with responsibility to lead Canada’s international air transport agreement negotiating program. Mr. Ready has held positions with Industry Canada, Investment Canada, the Department of Western Economic Diversification Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan.
Upon joining the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Mr. Ready was Canada’s lead services negotiator in the WTO Doha Development Round. His next assignment was as Director, Investment Trade Policy Division, where he was responsible for the conduct of Canada’s trade policy in the area of international investment. Mr. Ready was responsible for the negotiation of bilateral Foreign Investment Protection Agreements (the investment chapters of Free Trade Agreements), and responsible for government procurement negotiations.
Ms. Brigita Gravitis-Beck
Director General, Transport Canada
Brigita Gravitis-Beck was appointed Transport Canada’s Director General for Air Policy in 2004. In this capacity she is responsible for air services (carrier issues), international, airports and air navigation policy concerns.
Ms. Gravitis-Beck’s experience in the federal government includes working for Treasury Board, Environment Canada, Western Economic Diversification, Regional Industrial Expansion (now Industry Canada) and Energy, Mines and Resources (now Natural Resources Canada). Her experience includes policy development, international environmental policy, small business financing, naval procurements, major crown projects, expenditure management and project management.
Ms. Sara Wiebe
Director General, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
Sara Wiebe joined the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in 2007 as Director of US Relations and Intergovernmental Affairs within the Corporate Secretariat. She is now the CBSA Director General, responsible for the People Programs Directorate in Admissibility Branch. In 18 years with the Public Service of Canada, Sara Wiebe has served as a Canadian Foreign Service immigration officer, and worked in the Office of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and the Border Policy Directorate at Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
More recently, Ms. Wiebe worked with the Privy Council Office as an immigration and transport analyst, an advisor on travellers and law enforcement and as the Executive Assistant to the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister. Prior to joining CBSA she worked with the RCMP as the Officer in Charge, Strategic Partnerships, responsible for the Memorandum to Cabinet Unit and the Memorandum of Understanding Unit.
Mr. John Higginbotham
Senior Advisor, Pacific Gateway, Transport Canada
Mr. John Higginbotham is currently Principal Advisor for the Asia Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative, in Transport Canada He has served as Commissioner for Canada in Hong Kong (1989-1994) and as Trade Commissioner and Political Counselor in Beijing.
From 1994 to 2001, he served as Minister (Political/Trans-boundary Affairs) at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC. After working as Assistant Deputy Minister for Communications, Culture and Policy Planning, in the Department of Foreign affairs and International Trade, he went to the Canadian Centre for Management Development in Ottawa as Senior Visiting Fellow (International). There he led two major projects on relations between the USA and Canada. Prior to his APGCI assignment, Mr. Higginbotham was Vice President, Research and University Relations at the new Canada School of Public Service.
Honourable Ed Stelmach
Alberta Premier
Ed Stelmach became Premier of Alberta in 2006 after being elected leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party.
In 2008, he was re-elected with an overwhelming majority. Premier Stelmach entered provincial politics in 1993, when he was elected MLA for Vegreville-Viking. He has held four cabinet posts, including Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Infrastructure, Minister of Transportation, and lastly Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations.
Mr. Andrew Steinberg
former Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, US Department of Transportation
Andy Steinberg is a Partner in the Government Regulation practice at Jones Day in Washington, D.C., where he advises air carriers, aerospace firms, and other companies in the travel and transportation sector on strategic and regulatory issues before the U.S. government, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the Office of the Secretary of Transportation.
From 2006 to 2008, Steinberg served as the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs in the U.S.
Department of Transportation (DOT). There he oversaw the licensing of U.S. and foreign airlines, led international air services negotiations (including “Open Skies”) for DOT, and administered DOT’s economic programs.
Prior to 2006, Steinberg served as Chief Counsel of the Federal Aviation Administration. As the agency’s top legal advisor, he was responsible for all aspects of its legal activities, including its regulatory program, litigation, nationwide enforcement activities, legislation, and legal relations with foreign civil aviation authorities.
Mr. W.K. Lim
Regional Vice President, Americas, Singapore Airlines
In 2007, W. K. Lim was appointed Regional Vice President- Americas for Singapore Airlines, one of the world’s largest airlines by market capitalization and among the most profitable carriers in Asia. Based at the airline’s regional headquarters in Los Angeles, Lim is responsibile for the carrier’s regional sales, marketing, and communications, as well as oversight of 42 weekly flight operations at gateways in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Newark, and New York.
Within the first year of his tenure, he oversaw the growth of Singapore Airlines’ regional route network to include flights connecting Houston to Moscow and Singapore, and oversaw the launch of the first all-Business Class, nonstop flights from the USA (both Newark/New York and Los Angeles) to Singapore.
Lim has more than 20 years’ experience in a variety of key management roles at Singapore Airlines, including corporate marketing, network planning, network revenue management, and cargo, both in Singapore and abroad.
Dr. Tae Oum
UPS Foundation Chair in Transportation, Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia
Tae is the UPS Foundation Chair Professor at the Sauder School of Business, the University of British Columbia. He is also President of the Air Transport Research Society (ATRS), Editor of the Journal of Transport Economics and Policy (JTEP) and an editorial Board Member of 10 other international journals.
Dr. Oum specializes in economics, policy analysis and strategic management issues in transport and logistics sectors. He has authored over 100 refereed journal papers, 26 books and numerous reports to government agencies and international organizations including World Bank and OECD in these fields. Dr. Oum has received numerous awards, including the Killam Research Prize, Distinguished Fellow Award from the Transportation and Public Utilities Group of American Economics Association, Distinguished Fellow Award from the US Transportation Research Forum (TRF), and Best Paper prizes from The World
Mr. Andrew Parker
Senior Vice President, Emirates Airline
Andrew Parker is Senior Vice President Public Affairs, International Affairs, Industry Affairs and the Environment at Emirates Airline. In this role, Parker manages the airline’s global government and international relations, public and industry affairs and the Group’s environmental policy, issues and engagement. He is also on the Board of the Emirates Airline Foundation.
Prior to joining Emirates Airline, Parker was Managing Director of a large public affairs firm in Australia and partner of the global public relations group Ogilvy. He has also been a Press Secretary and Senior Political Adviser to various Australian political leaders and Ministers and worked as a journalist and producer in newspapers and television in Australia, the UK and US.
Dr. Hugh Dunleavy
Executive Vice President, Commercial Distribution,WestJet
Dr. Hugh Dunleavy is the Executive Vice President Commercial Distribution & IT at WestJet Airlines, with responsibility for Sales, Distribution, Airline Partnerships, Cargo, WestJet Vacations, and IT. Currently Hugh is heavily involved in multiple strategic initiatives such as Codeshare, new reservation system, WestJet Vacations reservation system, revenue accounting and business traveler initiative.
During his 25-year career, Dunleavy has worked with many of the largest international airlines on a wide variety of commercial issues. He has a strong background across marketing, sales, distribution and IT aspects of the airline business with a particular emphasis on revenue management and pricing, and has also acquired extensive skills and experience in operations research. Past positions include Professor of Operations Management at the John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, and North American editor for the Journal of Pricing and Revenue Management. Dunleavy is a frequent speaker at academic and airline industry conferences.
Dr. Mike Tretheway
Executive Vice President & Chief Economist InterVISTAS Consulting Group
Mike Tretheway is Executive Vice President and Chief Economist with the InterVISTAS Consulting Group. InterVISTAS specialises in the transportation and tourism industries, and has grown to a practice of over 85 team members in eight offices around the world. It is jointly owned by the DHV Group of the Netherlands and Toronto based Delcan.
Dr. Tretheway earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Wisconsin and served for 14 years in the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia, where he continues as an Adjunct Professor. Before co-founding InterVISTAS Consulting in 1997, Dr. Tretheway served as Special Advisor to the CEO of the Vancouver International Airport Authority.
Dr. Yeong Heok Lee
Professor, Korea Aerospace University
The author of more than 70 books and journal articles on a wide range of transportation issues, Yeong Heok Lee is President of the Korean Society of Transport Policy and Economics and President of the Institute for Air Transport Policy and Industry. He is also a Network Committee Member of the Air Transport Research Society (ATRS), a Board Member of the Korea Logistics Society, and a member of the National Transportation Policy Committee, Ministry of Land, Transportation, and Maritime Affairs, Korea.
From 2003 to 2005, Lee was Dean of Academic Affairs at Korea Aerospace University, prior to which he was Professor and Head, School of Air Transport, Transportation, Logistics and Law, Korea Aerospace University, as well as Director of Air Transport & Maritime Research, Korea Transport Institute. Lee earned a Ph. D in Economics from Pennsylvania State University in 1988.
Honourable Shirley Bond
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
Shirley Bond was re-elected to a third term as MLA for Prince George-Valemount on May 12, 2009 and appointed Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure on June 10, 2009.
Minister Bond is a strong advocate for Open Skies as it will open up BC.s regional economies in the North, the Okanagan, the Kootenays and the Island. She looks forward to working with government, international airlines, airports and businesses from across Canada and around the world to promote unfettered air access between BC and other nations.