Defence Procurement Conference 2025

12 November 2025 | 8:30AM - 6:30 PM EDT | Governor General Ballroom, Westin, 11 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON, K1N 9J1

SYNOPSIS

Join CGAI for our annual full-day Defence Procurement Conference. This year we intend to focus on the major changes the government put forward including the commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defence this year and 5% of GDP by 2035, the creation of the Defence Investment Agency and the forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy.

REPORT

Read the Conference Report by Justin Nakao, Érika Dupuis, and Abigail Dyer here

PROGRAM

To view details about speakers and view full program, click here!

8:30 - 9:30 AM - Arrival and Welcome Coffee

Sponsored by Saab

9:30 - 9:35 AM - Opening Remarks

David Perry, President & CEO, Canadian Global Affairs Institute

9:35 - 9:40 AM - Conference Introduction

Simon Carroll, President, Saab Canada

9:40 – 9:45AM - COVE Fellowship Announcement

Melanie Nadeau, CEO, COVE

9:45 - 10:25 AM - The View from the Deputies’ Offices

Stefanie Beck, Deputy Minister, National Defence
Philip Jennings, Deputy Minister, Innovation Sciences Economic Development Canada
Arianne Reza, Deputy Minister, Public Services and Procurement Canada
Moderator: Lieutenant-General (ret'd) Michael Day, CGAI Fellow

10:25 - 10:55 AM - Coffee Break

Sponsored by STANTEC

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM - The CAF and The Path to 5%

Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force
Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy
Lieutenant-General Michael Wright, Commander of the Canadian Army
Moderator: Charlotte Duval-Lantoine, VP Ottawa Operations, Canadian Global Affairs Institute

12:00 - 1:15 PM - Lunch

Sponsored by RTX

1:20 - 2:25 PM – The Industrial Policy, What Opportunity?

Kristen Leroux, CEO, Lockheed Martin
Major-General (ret'd) Sylvain Menard, GGR Canada Country Director, RTX
Brigadier-General (ret'd) Kevin Whale, Senior Director Defence Strategy, MDA Space
Dr. Craig Stone, CGAI Fellow
Moderator: David Perry, Canadian Global Affairs Institute

2:25 - 3:00 PM - Coffee Break

Sponsored by ATCO

3:00 - 4:00 PM – An Industrial Strategy & A New View on Exports

Dr. Duncan Stewart, Partner, venture capital, BDC
David Hutchison, Director General, Trade Strategy, Global Affairs Canada
Nicolas Todd, Vice President, Government Relations and Communications, CADSI
Ravi Singh, Director General, Defence Industrial Strategy, Department of National Defence
Moderator: David Perry, President and CEO, Canadian Global Affairs Institute

4:05 - 5:05 PM - The Evolving Acquisition Ecosystem around the Defence Investment Agency

Siobhan Harty, Senior Associate Deputy Minister Defence and Marine Procurement, Public Services and Procurement Canada
Marc Rodgers, Chief of Programme, Department of National Defence
Heather Sheehy, Assistant Deputy Minister Materiel, Department of National Defence
Moderator: Brigadier-General (ret’d) Chris Ayotte, CGAI Fellow

5:05 - 5:10 PM - Closing Remarks