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Yoan Marier officially assumed the role of Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) chair Aug. 21, replacing Kathy Fox, who retired after a decade in the position.
A member of the TSB since September 2020, Marier was nominated to succeed Fox in July by Canada’s Governor in Council (CGC). A former commercial pilot, Marier also served as a dangerous goods specialist in Transport Canada and spent nearly four years with the Social Security Tribunal of Canada.
Fox’s TSB tenure extends an iconic aviation career. As board chair, Fox earned a reputation as being unassuming yet effective, using her position to spotlight perceived safety deficiencies and not call attention to TSB’s accomplishments or her role in them.
Frustration with Transport Canada’s slow responses to TSB recommendations prompted the Fox-led board to add the issue to its semi-annual Watchlist of safety items in 2016 and again in 2018.
“We understand some of these are tough issues, but there’s no excuse that when Transport Canada agrees with us, they should take over 10 years” to act, Fox said at a 2018 Flight Safety Foundation conference.
Fox’s 17 years at TSB, including 10 as chair, followed a decade in leadership roles at Nav Canada, including four years as VP-operations. Her roles with Canada’s safety watchdog and private air navigation services provider followed stints as an air traffic controller, commercial pilot, and competitive parachute team standout. The work earned her numerous accolades, including spots in Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame and Women in Aviation Hall of Fame.
“Kathy’s tenure has been marked by her commitment to transparency, accountability, and the continuous improvement of safety protocols,” the CGC said in a statement. “She has championed a proactive approach to safety, emphasizing the importance of learning from incidents to prevent future occurrences. Her contributions have made a lasting difference, and she will be remembered as one of the most influential figures in Canadian transportation safety.”
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