Lieutenant General Yvan Blondin

Lieutenant General Blondin holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Manitoba and an M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix in Arizona. He is also a graduate of the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College and the United States Air War College.

Lieutenant General Yvan Blondin grew up in Aylmer, Quebec, and enlisted in the Canadian Forces in 1980. After completing his flight training in 1982, he was assigned to 32nd Squadron at Shearwater, Nova Scotia, where he flew T-33 aircraft. In 1986, when Canada acquired CF-18 fighter jets, he was assigned to Bagotville with the newly formed 433rd Tactical Support Squadron. He logged more than 3,000 flight hours in North America and Europe flying various types of Canadian Forces aircraft.

Lieutenant General Blondin developed cutting-edge expertise in aerospace defense, initially as a CF-18 fighter pilot. He has also demonstrated remarkable leadership in various operational and strategic command positions. During his military career, he notably served as commander of a CF-18 squadron, as commander of Bagotville Air Base in the Saguenay region, and as the head of national and international air operations—the “VP Operations” of the RCAF—before becoming Chief of Staff and Commander of the RCAF from 2012 to 2015. His years of leadership have enabled him to develop a solid, hands-on understanding of a leading military force, extending to the highest levels of military, government, and political decision-making.

Since leaving the Canadian Armed Forces, he has served as a strategic advisor to several key players in the Canadian defense and aerospace industry.