Pierre Gagnon

Experience

• 

  Canadian Forces

  Feb 1986 - Mar 2006

  Officer

  Managed and directed a multidisciplinary team (up to 500 people) in the achievement of national and international mandates of defence and peacekeeping. Managed budgets for operations and the communications (written and verbal) for and between personnel at various hierarchical levels.• Ensured the development and implementation of strategic action plans. • Gave briefings and conferences at national and international level. • Managed a large fleet or vehicles (armoured and conventional). • Has extensive experience in the management of sensitive or classified information.• Enforced strict standards of individual and collective protection, sometimes under dangerous conditions.• Determined the needs for training of personnel and scheduled training and improvement courses as required.• Established one of the first teams responsible for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV): logistics of transfer and transport of personnel and equipment, staff training, deployment in zone of operation and supervision.• Completed 5 peacekeeping missions for both the UN and NATO in Cyprus (2), Somalia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Afghanistan. Show less

• 

  Rheinmetall Canada Inc.

  Mar 2006 - May 2009

  Account Manager

  Responsible for international customers and commercial development. Managed contracts in several countries, performed competitive and technological benchmarking, prepared business plans, acted as liaison between customers and engineering, provided advice and direction during product development and improvement phases.• Collaborated in re-orienting the technological development of a key product of Rheinmetall A.G. Group, which resulted in the development of a leading-edge product within the market.• Participated in the development, integration and implementation plans for business development for the global market.• Skillfully combined technical and management know-how while mentoring group members as they resolved complex technical issues and provided expert technical advice to management for business decision.• Collaborated closely with senior government officials at central and local levels.• Supported the proposal process. • Established, coordinated and sustained a contact plan for key customers, OEM and industry partners for strategic partnerships and alliances. Show less

• 

  Drone Solutions

  May 2009 - Nov 2010

  President

  Developed a new concept of UAV services by adapting military technologies for use in civilian markets. Endeavoured to convince potential customers that using a UAV is more efficient than using a manned aircraft for certain applications.• Held a controlled goods licence (ITAR).

• 

  COFELY AIRPORT AND LOGISTICS SERVICES

  Jan 2010 - Jan 2012

  Site Manager - Montreal International Airport

  Hired to be the Site Manager at the Dorval Airport, I was given the responsibility for a 7-figure annual budget with final P&L accountability. Overseeing revenues, profit margins, cash, inventory & customer satisfaction, I was able to increase profits by 5%.The functional responsibilities included the administration of the domestic/international baggage room that consisted of 4km of conveyor belts, employee management & all sundry of maintenance activities.The skills used in this role to advantage were: ► Supervised all HR issues for 100+ technical staff ► Established & chaired the H&S committee across all operationsThe achievements attained in this role were:✔ Unlocked over 40% cost reductions on Hydro costs through IT redesign✔ Optimized several components of the value chain via technology✔ Deployed Six Sigma DMAIC for cross-functional teams & mission critical redesign projects Show less

• 

  Le Groupe Simoneau

  Apr 2013 - Apr 2014

  Operations Manager

  Rising to the role of Operations Director, I originated process improvements that bolstered growth, financial results & operational efficiencies. This was facilitated in large part through a customer satisfaction feedback process that I implemented, as it allowed for continuous improvement through timely issue identification & efficient remediation.These practical changes were implemented in an environment of managing all aspects of 20+ large projects with multi-million-dollar budgets. These overarching supervisory activities ensured the successful on-time completion of structural changes & project delivery within cost parameters.The skills used most effectively in this role were: ► Directed a multi-disciplinary team of 30 staff members ► Managed physical inventory & real estate across 4 sites ► Oversaw the day-to-day operations while implementing structural changesThe principal achievements attained in this position were:✔ Took over purchasing activities & supplier relations✔ Reduced costs by 5% through JIT buying, drop shipping & a new ERP✔ Spearheaded & integrated a corporate acquisition✔ Strengthened market position through process mapping, cost reductions & improved quality Show less

• 

  Lanctôt couvre sol design

  Jan 2014 - Apr 2015

  Director Of Operations

  Undertook an engagement to transform an existing organizational infrastructure to reconfigure the company operations with retail locations, warehouses & productions facilities. In the year long process, I reorganized the operations to meet & exceed the strategic objectives.The action plan included a major restructuring of the warehouse, completed 4 months ahead of schedule. In terms of production, I conceived & launched process improvement projects. As a result, we delivered covered cost reductions, better communication between Sales & internal stakeholders, H&S risk mitigation & increased efficiencies in route planning.The additional skills & competencies in this role were:► Drove changes in compensation, morale, financial results & employee turnover► Managed the facilities including renovations & operational streamlining► Restructured the supply chain & established strategic supply partnershipsThe main achievements & outputs were:✔ Collaborated with the commercial sales team to help grow sales by 30%✔ Implemented a JIT continuous inventory process✔ Contributed to the integration of an in-house ERP system✔ Allocated a 6-figure investment into H&S✔ Improved the physical warehousing infrastructure based in CSST findings Show less

• 

  Axis Lighting

  May 2015 - Mar 2018

  Director Supply Chain Management

  Recruited to the role of Director of Supply Chain Management, I spearheaded the planning, purchasing, transport & warehouse teams. The purpose of this mandate was to employ strategic & tactical plans to take an underperforming operation & revitalize revenue streams. To perform this transformation, I launched multiple continuous improvement projects within the warehouse & purchasing departments. This led to increased profitability through inventory turnover & turnaround times. The aptitudes used in this transformational process were:► Centralized all global purchasing for high-tech materials► Instituted a supplier accountability process► Coached vendors on best practices► Implemented SCM & SLA delivery best practices in the warehousing of goods at all stagesThe results of these actions were:✔ Piloted & implemented KPI dashboards that improved supplier performance by 40%✔ Participated in the migration to a new ERP & ASP module✔ Pioneered JIT inventory system increasing liquidity by 6 figures Show less

• 

  Pierre Gagnon Consultant

  May 2018 - now

  Senior Consultant

  Based on market demand, I created a consulting firm to help guide organizations & C-Suite leaders with high value project management. To do so, I ensure plans & workflows are properly set up for on-time project delivery, with all KPIs met. Delivering mandates across Canada & the US, I conducted detailed analyses to outline key issues, opportunities & potential risks. The bedrock of these plans was to implement continuous improvement methodologies & to drive process optimization. The key skills used in these projects were:► Multi-site evaluations & comprehensive diagnoses► Knowledge of the production of Electronics/Cabinets & Cables► Identifying opportunities for cost reductions & product improvementsThe achievements that were gained through these collaborative relationships were:✔ Implemented new one-piece flow assembly lines✔ Revamped the QA/QC departments across 4 organizations✔ Downsized & transferred production from a plant before sale✔ Improved plant performance by increasing hourly production by 50% Show less