EXECUTIVE WATCH Toby Gauld
CEO and founder of Optima Aero By Rick Weatherford O
ptima Aero and its founding CEO have been having a “moment” — for approximately 15 years. Toby
Gauld founded his business in 2010 from zero in Quebec, Canada. His company has been adding numbers in front of that 0 by providing refurbished and certified parts, components, and engines
to helicopter
operators, maintenance centers, and OEMs worldwide. By “adding numbers,” we mean growing Optima Aero at a 38% annual rate (with 60 employees now) and putting a 42 in front of six zeroes to add up to $42 million (USD) in sales this year. Optima Aero expanded its Beloeil, Quebec, headquarters for engine maintenance and component repair to 30,000 square feet, plus it has equally sized centers in Tarnos, France, for part-out activities, and Grand Prairie, Texas, for MROs. Expected this August is an Asian landing in Singapore to further spread Optima’s reach. The globally ambitious Gauld also is looking for acquisition opportunities around the world.
12
July/Aug 2025
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