Getting Prepared
Charette was ready to carry that weight because he was prepped throughout his life by education and experience. He was born and raised in the small town of Port Colborne located in Canada’s Niagara region. His father worked in quality assurance for an aviation company (Charette fondly recalls that his dad’s job was across the road from Airbus Helicopters’ current Niagara production facility). Charette’s mother and stepfather worked and owned various transportation businesses: a taxi company, a school transport company, and a gas station/garage. “Growing up, I was always exposed to businesses where there’s always something happening and going on operationally,” he observes.
Upon graduating high school in the early 1980s, Charette voluntarily joined his nation’s air force, where he served in logistics and supply. Upon being discharged, the young man attended Niagara College in the 1990s where he studied supply-chain management and business operations and subsequently received the professional designation of Certified Supply Chain Management Professional (CSCMP). Later, after Charette rose to the upper executive level at Airbus, he added to his formal education by graduating from the Ivey Executive Program at Canada’s academically respected Western University in 2016.
Charette cut his career teeth during the booming manufacturing decades of the 1980s and ‘90s as he honed his business operations skills in the automotive and appliance industries. Then, in 2003, Charette made a life-changing move to Airbus Helicopters (then Eurocopter) as a purchasing materials manager. “When the Eurocopter opportunity opened up, I jumped at it and haven’t looked back since,” he says. Charette laced up his business shoes and climbed the corporate ladder to become director of Global Supply Chain and Manufacturing for the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), as well as Head of North America Regionalization for Airbus’ helicopter division. (Charette displays his native Canadian humbleness by understating that he had “some” responsibility for North America regionalization, despite being the designated head of it.) He considers that experience his greatest career-development role, as it stretched him to grow professionally and culturally.
Thereafter, his ascension turbocharged when he became chief operating officer for Airbus Helicopters Canada in 2018 and then reached his current capstone a mere year later. Charette certainly appreciates his circumstances. “I am honored to serve Airbus Helicopters Canada as president,” he says. “Leading the Canadian division of Airbus Helicopters has and continues to be a truly rewarding and exciting experience. I’m very fortunate to work for a company that makes amazing products that save, serve and touch people’s lives every day. People here at Airbus have a passion for our products and aircraft. I’ve been here 18 years, the longest I’ve been anywhere, and there’s a reason for that.”
While he appreciates his current aviation career, Charette credits his career in other industries for his success. “The breadth of experience in my early career years (in supply management and manufacturing operations) positioned me well to look at challenges
Dwayne Charette and the Hon. Vic Fedeli, minister of economic development, job creation and trade for Ontario, tour the Airbus Helicopters Canada Repair and Overhaul Shop in Fort Erie.
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and problems through a different lens. Also, I started at an entry- level position in my career and that allows me to relate to all levels in an organization; we all have to start somewhere,” he says.
Character Trumps Genius
When looking to start on Charette’s Airbus team, it’s best to start with the right attitude. “I have a motto: character trumps genius every time,” he says. “Integrity is very important. So is reliability. I want to know that I can count on the individual without my direct supervision, because I can’t be everywhere. The third attribute I look for in an employee is collaboration. Are they open to other ideas and can they cooperate with others.” While it sounds like Charette is focused on “soft” skills, it is a mistake to assume that technical competency is given little weight; actually Charette is looking for balance. “A team has to have the right mix of competencies coupled with a commitment to deliver. That combination allows me to empower and trust people,” he says. “The higher you rise in an organization, the stronger team you need around you to deliver on your responsibilities.”
One of Charette’s responsibilities for Airbus Helicopter Canada is to interest students, as young as high school, in an aviation career. Why make this a corporate priority? “I foresee a critical skill shortage of technicians in aviation. People are no longer going into skilled trades where you work with your hands. In Canada, we’re going to have a shortage. It’s our responsibility to society to make sure kids know the opportunities that are available. I don’t think school guidance counselors really understand what’s available in our industry,” he answers.
Charette hopes that those students will benefit from Airbus Helicopters’ ongoing initiative to make the aircraft environmentally friendlier. “There’s been a shift in purchasing expectations in the past few years. Now, potential customers consider the environmental footprint of aircraft and they are interested in sustainable alternatives. I’ve seen this shift: it’s not good enough to just have a superior product; we also have to take care of the planet.”
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