Born in France, Pierre Jeanniot spent most of his youth in Ethiopia before settling in Quebec in 1947. Educated in physics and mathematics at Concordia University (Quebec), Mr. Jeanniot worked from 1952 to 1955 in avionics design at Sperry Gyroscope of Canada. In 1955, he started a 35-year career at Air Canada (then Trans Canada Air Lines), first in research and development. He distinguished himself by contributing to the early development of flight recorders, the famous “black boxes”. The design proposed by Pierre Jeanniot extended the recorded flight parameters from 5 to 90, a truly revolutionary achievement for aircraft accident investigators. Mr. Jeanniot also directed the computerization of Air Canada in the 1970’s. At Air Canada, Pierre Jeanniot held various executive positions (Sales, Marketing and Planning, Technical services, Subsidiaries direction) before being appointed in 1984 as President and Chief Executive Officer, retiring in 1990. At this level, he successfully directed the transition of the airline from the public to the private sector. From 1993 to 2002, he was Director General and Chief Executive Officer of IATA (the International Air Transport Association), headquartered in Montreal. During his mandate, the IATA became the internationally recognized organization that it currently is, in matters of air transport. For his important contribution in international civil aviation, Mr. Jeanniot was attributed the title of Director General Emeritus of IATA. During his long career, Pierre Jeanniot held a number of positions in various Boards of Direction (telecommunication, airports, air navigation societies, editing, banks, universities). On May 1st, 2003, Mr. Jeanniot was appointed Chairman of the board at Thales Canada, a world leader in avionics and electronics design, with more than 65 000 employees in nearly 50 countries. Recognized as a distinguished aviation ambassador of international status, his involvements in social and charitable causes are also well known.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame on November 2nd 2004.

• Officer of the Order of Canada
• Officer of the Ordre national du Québec