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Suzanne M. Benoît, president of Aéro Montréal. Aéro Montréal Photo
Maria Della Posta, chair of Aéro Montréal’s Board of Directors and senior vice president, sales and marketing, at Pratt & Whitney Canada, is proud to announce the appointment of Suzanne M. Benoît, president of Aéro Montréal, as Canada’s representative to the APEC Business Advisory Council, known by the acronym ABAC. The appointment was announced on Feb. 20, 2015, by Foreign Affairs Minister the Honourable Rob Nicholson and International Trade Minister the Honourable Ed Fast.
ABAC is an advisory group of business people whose objective is to promote the interests of Canada among political and business leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region. Ms. Benoît’s appointment as Canada’s representative, coupled with her current position in Aero Montreal, offers an excellent opportunity to position the country’s economic interests while allowing Québec’s aerospace industry to benefit from greater visibility on the international stage.
“Establishing close ties with Asia-Pacific has become a necessity in the current context of globalization and competitiveness,” said Ms. Della Posta. “The objective is to facilitate business and stimulate economic activities with this region of the world. Relations between North America and the Pacific countries are central to future economic development. By showing his confidence in Ms. Benoît and giving her the opportunity to participate in this advisory group, the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, is allowing her to help identify and develop a strategic and economic vision that will create jobs and promote the prosperity of Canadian workers and their families.”
Québec’s aerospace industry is a highly dynamic and innovative manufacturing sector. More than 80 per cent of its production is exported and 70 per cent of Canadian research and development activities are concentrated in the Greater Montréal region. In 2014, it generated sales of nearly $14 billion, an increase of 14 per cent compared with 2013. Ms. Benoît’s experience in this context represents a tremendous asset to the efforts of ABAC’s business members.
