Accountability Relationships
CATSA is an agent Crown corporation with a Board of Directors appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister of Transport.
Board of Directors
CATSA is governed by an eleven-member Board of Directors. Two of the Directors are nominated by the airline industry and two by the airport industry. All Directors are independent of CATSA management. The Board of Directors and its committees generally meet on a quarterly basis, and as required to effectively oversee the corporation’s business.
The Government of Canada recently appointed a new Chair as a result of a comprehensive appointment process. Additionally, the terms of three members of the Board of Directors have expired and there are two vacancies. CATSA remains committed to working with Transport Canada to support timely appointments by the Government of Canada.
The Board of Directors has a number of ongoing responsibilities, including:
- Establishing CATSA’s strategic direction through its annual corporate plan and safeguarding the resources of the corporation by approving annual reports, and capital and operating budgets;
- Approving CATSA’s corporate plan for recommendation to the Minister;
- Ensuring the fulfillment of the corporation’s mandate;
- Monitoring corporate performance;
- Ensuring the principal risks of CATSA’s business are identified and that appropriate systems to manage these risks have been implemented;
- Approving the President and Chief Executive Officer’s (CEO) objectives for the year and evaluating his/her performance;
- Drafting, amending or repealing corporate by-laws; and
- Reviewing and approving management’s succession plan for senior management.
Board Committees
The Audit Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with respect to financial reporting, financial risk management, climate disclosure, cybersecurity, internal controls, internal and external audits and budgets. All directors are members of this committee.
The Governance, Human Resources and Pension Committee (GHRP) assists the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with respect to governance matters including areas such as human resources and compensation, management succession plans, policies and processes relating to employee business conduct and ethical behaviour, annual objectives for the President and CEO, management and administration of the employee pension plan(s) and any other matter assigned to it by the Board. All directors are members of this committee.
The Transaction Committee assists the Board with respect to the potential sale or disposition of CATSA’s assets and liabilities to the designated screening authority, as required. This Committee was constituted on September 10, 2019.
As of March 31, 2022, CATSA’s Board of Directors included:
|
Board Members |
Total |
Appointment |
Mandate Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thao Pham, Chairperson |
$1,212 |
2023/03/13 |
2028/03/12 |
|
Melissa Coulson * |
$17,749 |
Original: 2014/01/30 |
2023/02/21 |
|
Patricia Anne Kennedy |
$18,660 |
Original: 2015/03/26 |
2021/06/24 |
|
Sharon Duggan * |
$18,855 |
2018/02/21 |
2022/02/21 |
|
Jean-Philippe Brunet * |
$14,955 |
2018/02/21 |
2022/02/21 |
|
Gilles Lalonde |
$16,125 |
Original: 2018/02/21 |
2025/05/21 |
|
Diane Trenn |
$18,660 |
Original: 2018/06/14 |
2026/10/28 |
|
Penny Westman * |
$17,880 |
2019/03/22 |
2023/03/22 |
|
Rosemary Capparelli |
$7,570 |
2022/10/28 |
2026/10/28 |
|
Jennifer Sullivan |
$7,375 |
2022/10/28 |
2026/10/28 |
|
Former Board Members |
|||
|
Marguerite Nadeau, |
$10,740 |
2017/09/13 |
2022/09/13 |
|
William Restall |
$6,625 |
Original: 2014/09/29 |
2021/06/14 |
|
Allan Rowe |
$0 |
Original: 2012/05/03 |
2021/03/12 |
Per the Financial Administration Act, any Director (other than the Chairperson) whose term has expired, may continue in office until a successor is appointed.
* Members of the Transaction Committee.
CATSA’s Senior Management Team
Until April 3, 2023, CATSA was led by President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Michael Saunders. On April 3, 2023, CATSA welcomed a new President and CEO. Nada Semaan was appointed for a five-year term by Order in Council.
In 2022/23, the President and CEO was supported by a senior management team, including:
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
|
Neil Parry |
Senior Vice-President, Operations |
|
Nancy Fitchett |
Vice-President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Financial Officer |
|
Martin Corrigan |
Vice-President, Technology and Chief Technology Officer |
|
Lisa Hamilton |
Vice-President, Corporate Services, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary |
Martin Corrigan retired from CATSA on April 3, 2023. Denis Perron (Senior Director, Screening Technology) was appointed acting Vice-President, Technology and Chief Technology Officer.
CATSA’s Executive Compensation Structure
Maintaining a competitive total compensation package is key to CATSA's ability to attract and retain a diverse and qualified workforce. As such, the organization’s total 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 organizations.
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 (2023-0236), wherein the base salary is within the range of $244,800 - $287,900 per annum.
In 2023/24, the base salary range for Vice-Presidents is $207,774 to $373,994. CATSA’s Vice-Presidents are also eligible to receive incentive pay in the range of 0 – 30%, depending on their performance.