Panel 5 Speakers
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Moderator
Cdr Alexis Dieryckx
Northern Approaches Branch, Strategy and Policy Devision, NORAD and USNORTHCOM
Cdr Dieryckx completed a Royal Military College of St-Jean, Quebec, Bachelor’s degree in Military and Strategic Studies, with a minor in Military Psychology. He served as a Naval Warfare Officer on IROQUOIS and HALIFAX class warships and progressed through myriads of staff positions in various headquarters, including, Canadian Forces Recruiting Group in the Quebec City Recruiting Centre, Chief of Maritime Staff in Ottawa, NATO’s Joint Force Command in Naples, Combined Maritime Forces in Bahrain, and NORAD in Colorado Springs.
His current assignment with NORAD in Colorado has afforded an opportunity to study the Arctic problem set and to join military planners to design North American campaign plans to provide military response options to security challenges in the Arctic.
Panelist
Dr. Andrea Charron
Professor, Internationals Relations - University of Manitoba
Andrea Charron is Director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, and Professor of International Relations at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. She holds a PhD from the Royal Military College of Canada (Department of War Studies). Dr. Charron worked for various federal departments including the Canadian Privy Council Office in the Security and Intelligence Secretariat before beginning her academic career. She writes extensively on Arctic security, NATO, NORAD and Canadian defence policy. She is coauthor of NORAD: In Perpetuity and Beyond (MQUP, 2022), coeditor of The Legacy of 9/11: Views from North America (MQUP, 2023) and several others on sanctions.
Panelist
Capt (N) Preston McIntosh
Maritime Component Command
Capt(N) Preston McIntosh joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1997. He attended the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario where he received his Bachelor's degree in Military and Strategic Studies, with a minor in Military Psychology and Leadership. After graduating, he served on Canada's East Coast in HMC Ships Montréal, Charlottetown and Iroquois where he specialized in Anti-Air Warfare. He subsequently joined the Canadian Forces Naval Operations School as Trainer Control Officer and Deputy Above Water Warfare Instructor.
After successfully completing the Operations Room Officer course in 2008, he was posted to Canada's West Coast Fleet where he served as Weapons Officer and Above Water Warfare Commander in HMCS Algonquin. After completing his tour in Algonquin, he was chosen for a posting with Standing NATO Maritime Group One as Staff Above Water Warfare Officer. During this tour, he participated in Operation Ocean Shield for a period of six months. He subsequently served for one year at US Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain in the Future Plans Cell, where he worked on allied contingency planning and served as lead planner for the International Mine Counter-Measures Exercise.
On his return to Canada, he was appointed to command the Patrol Craft Training Unit in Esquimalt for a period of two years, after which he was appointed Executive Officer of HMCS Calgary. During his time in Calgary, he deployed for Operation Projection in the South Pacific and participated in the international embargo operations against North Korea under Operation Neon, for which he earned a Commander Joint Operations Command commendation.After concluding his tour as Executive Officer, Capt(N) McIntosh was posted to Strategic Joint Staff in Ottawa, where he served as Acting Director General Strategic Initiatives for one year, followed by a year as the Western Hemisphere and Asia Pacific Operations Desk Officer for Strategic Joint Staff, where he managed strategic implementation of both CAF Operations and CAF COVID-19 Response.
He commanded HMCS Toronto from April 21 – Jan 22, HMCS Fredericton from Feb – Aug 22, and Sea Training Atlantic from Aug 22 to Jul 23.
Panelist
Raymond Snook
Chief of Staff, British Defence Liaison Staff (Ottawa)
Ray had an illustrious career in the Executive Branch of the Royal Navy 1976-2008 and thereafter in the Royal Canadian Navy 2009-2015. He sub-specialised in naval aviation and in 1993 was appointed Commanding Officer 810 Naval Air Squadron, the largest rotary wing squadron in Europe, responsible for ASW Operational Flying Training.
In late 1995 he assumed duties as the Executive Officer HMS MARLBOROUGH, and immediately prior to becoming the Merlin desk officer in MOD’s Directorate of Operational Requirements (Sea), he completed the first Advanced Command and Staff Course. Between 2001-2004 Ray underwent an exchange appointment in the Pentagon working for the Department of the Navy. Having subsequently learnt Turkish, his swansong in the RN was as the Naval and Air Attaché at the British Embassy in Ankara. Moving to Canada in 2008, Ray then unexpectedly found himself faced with another career opportunity and promptly enrolled in the RCN in October 2009. He found his way to Ottawa and as a member of the Navy Staff held down the Arctic, Climate Change and Operational Energy files.
Retiring from the military for a second time at the tail end of 2015, Ray kept himself busy in retirement until a third career opening showed itself and he joined BDLS Ottawa as Chief of Staff.