Board of Directors
CATSA is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors, appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade. The airline industry and the airport industry nominate two directors each. The Board of Directors and its committees meet on a quarterly basis to oversee the corporation’s business and strategic direction, and their responsibilities include:
- Establishing and approving CATSA’s strategic direction through various means, including its strategic plan and annual corporate plan;
- Safeguarding the resources of the corporation by approving annual reports, quarterly financial reports as well as capital and operating budgets;
- Ensuring the fulfillment of the corporation’s mandate;
- Monitoring corporate performance;
- Ensuring the principal organizational risks are identified and that appropriate systems/mitigations to manage these risks have been implemented;
- Approving the President and Chief Executive Officer’s (CEO) objectives for the year and evaluating their performance;
- Drafting, amending, or repealing corporate by-laws; and
- Reviewing and approving the succession plan for senior management.
Board of Directors Remuneration and Meeting Attendance
Directors and the Chairperson are paid an annual retainer and per diem set by the Governor in Council and pursuant to the Financial Administration Act. The retainer for the Chairperson is $10,800; for Directors, it is $5,400. The Chairperson is paid a per diem rate of $420 and Directors are paid a per diem rate of $390 for time spent preparing for and attending meetings, as well as events such as conferences. Members of the Board of Directors are reimbursed for expenses related to travel, accommodation and meals while performing their duties; such expenses are disclosed each quarter. Attendance is based on the number of meetings attended out of the total number of meetings that occurred while a director was a member of the Board of Directors and/or committee. In 2024/25, the Board committees met 14 times and the Board of Directors in its entirety met a total of 10 times.
Committees of the Board of Directors
The Audit Committee assists the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities concerning financial reporting, financial risk management, climate disclosure, cybersecurity, internal controls, internal and external audits, budgets, and any other matter assigned by the Board of Directors. The Governance, Human Resources and Pension Committee (GHRP) assists in fulfilling oversight responsibilities with respect to governance matters, human resources and compensation, management succession plans, ethics and business conduct policies, annual objectives for the President and CEO, management and administration of the employee pension plans, and any other matter assigned to it by the Board of Directors.
| Board Member | Appointment | Retainer Earned | Per Diem |
Travel or Training Reimburse-ment |
Value of any other taxable benefit | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunet, Jean- Philippe |
Appointment: Term ended: Mandate expiry date: |
$3,825.00 | $5,070.00 | $1,627.12 | $0.00 | $10,522.12 |
| Capparelli, Rosemary |
Appointment: Mandate expiry date: |
$5,400.00 | $8,580.00 | $2,794.35 | $0.00 | $16,774.35 |
| Chan, Kenneth |
Appointment: Mandate expiry term: |
$1,575.00 | $3,315.00 | $1,257.48 | $0.00 | $6,147.48 |
| Coulson, Melissa |
Original appointment: Resignation: Mandate expiry date: |
$1,215.00 | $2,730.00 | $1,138.27 | $0.00 | $5,083.27 |
| Duggan, Sharon (GHRP Chair) |
Original appointment: Mandate expiry date: |
$5,400.00 | $13,455.00 | $8,904.17 | $0.00 | $27,759.17 |
| Kennedy, Patricia |
Original appointment: Mandate expiry date: |
$5,400.00 | $11,895.00 | $5,319.15 | $0.00 | $22,614.15 |
| Lalonde, Gilles |
Original appointment: Mandate expiry date: |
$5,400.00 | $8,970.00 | $1,802.77 | $0.00 | $16,172.77 |
| Loschmann, Andrew |
Appointment: Mandate expiry term: |
$1,575.00 | $2,340.00 | $87.94 | $0.00 | $4,002.94 |
| Maxwell, Michael |
Appointment: Mandate expiry term: |
$1,035.00 | $3,315.00 | $1,571.08 | $0.00 | $5,921.08 |
| Pham, Thao (Chairperson of the Board of Directors) |
Appointment: Mandate expiry date: |
$10,800.00 | $21,630.00 | $33,963.66 | $0.00 | $66,393.66 |
| Redburn, Theresa |
Appointment: Mandate expiry term: |
$675.00 | $2,730.00 | $1,497.36 | $0.00 | $4,902.36 |
| Sullivan, Jennifer |
Appointment: Mandate expiry date: |
$5,400.00 | $7,605.00 | $2,532.97 | $0.00 | $15,537.97 |
| Trenn, Diane (Audit Chair) |
Original: Mandate expiry date: |
$5,400.00 | $13,455.00 | $5,581.77 | $0.00 | $24,436.77 |
| Westman, Penny |
Appointment: Term ended: Mandate expiry date: |
$2,475.00 | $3,705.00 | $1,199.38 | $0.00 | $7,379.38 |
| TOTAL | $55,575.00 | $108,795.00 | $69,277.47 | $0.00 | $233,647.47 |
| Board Member |
Board Meetings (of 10) |
Committee Meetings Audit (of 7) |
Committee Meetings GHRP (of 7) |
Training or Recruitment Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunet, Jean-Philippe | 6 | N/A | 5 | 0 |
| Capparelli, Rosemary | 9 | 6 | N/A | 1 |
| Chan, Kenneth | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Coulson, Melissa | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Duggan, Sharon (GHRP Chair) |
10 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
| Kennedy, Patricia | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| Lalonde, Gilles | 10 | 7 | N/A | 1 |
| Loschmann, Andrew | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Maxwell, Michael | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Pham, Thao (Chairperson of the Board of Directors) |
10 | 7 | 7 | 5 |
| Redburn, Theresa | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Sullivan, Jennifer | 9 | N/A | 7 | 0 |
| Trenn, Diane (Audit Chair) |
10 | 7 | 7 | 1 |
| Westman, Penny | 3 | N/A | 2 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 10 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
* Per the Financial Administration Act, any Director (other than the Chairperson) whose term has expired, may continue in office until a successor is appointed.
Board of Directors Strategic Retreat
In June 2024, the Board of Directors held a strategic retreat with the objective of developing a shared understanding of the key drivers that are expected to shape the business of CATSA in the future. The Board of Directors also set priorities for the year ahead, including oversight of continuous improvement initiatives aligned with the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade’s direction and CATSA’s strategic objectives. Transport Canada participated in discussions to shape CATSA’s vision and Strategic Plan.
CATSA Senior Management Team
On April 3, 2023, Nada Semaan was appointed as President and CEO for a five-year term by Order in Council2. Effective March 28, 2025, Neil Parry, Senior Vice-President of Operations, began serving in the role of interim President and CEO until a permanent appointment has been made; while Neil Parry is interim President and CEO, Kelsey MacTavish will serve as Acting Senior Vice-President, Operations. The President and CEO is supported by a senior management team, including:
| Kelsey MacTavish | Acting Senior Vice-President, Operations |
|---|---|
| Nancy Fitchett | Vice-President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Financial Officer |
| Vacant | Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer |
| Lisa Hamilton | Vice-President, Corporate Services, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary |
| Donna Achimov | Vice-President, People, Culture and Experience3 |
CATSA’s Executive Compensation Structure
Maintaining a competitive compensation package is key to CATSA's ability to attract and retain a diverse and qualified workforce; the compensation program consists of a base salary, as well as performance incentives, group benefits and pension plan. CATSA’s Board of Directors, through the Governance, Human Resources and Pension Committee, reviews the compensation package regularly to ensure that it is reasonable and is competitive with similar public sector entities.
Pursuant to subsection 20(2) of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority Act, the rate of any remuneration paid to the President and CEO is fixed by the Governor in Council by Order in Council (2023-875), wherein the base salary is within the range of $265,700 - $312,500 per annum. In 2024/25, the base salary range for Senior/Vice-Presidents was $212,968 to $383,344. CATSA’s Senior/Vice-Presidents are also eligible to receive incentive pay in the range of 0-26%, depending on their performance.
Annual Public Meeting
CATSA held its Annual Public Meeting by means of an audio-visual presentation, which was posted on its website on August 15, 2024.
2 Nada Semaan retired from CATSA effective June 19, 2025.
3 Donna Achimov, Vice-President, People, Culture, and Experience, joined CATSA on September 30, 2024. This new 18 month fixed-term position reflects the organizational commitment to supporting and enhancing the employee and client experience.