Biographies

Rachel Wernick
Executive Director of the National Fighter Procurement Secretariat

Rachel Wernick was appointed the Executive Director of the National Fighter Procurement Secretariat (NFPS) on June 1, 2012. Ms. Wernick joined the Government of Canada in 1998 after acquiring experience with several international development organizations, including serving in the field for two years. Since then, she has taken on a variety of progressively challenging policy and program assignments, including positions at Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Most recently, she worked in the Privy Council Office as Director of Operations, Social Policy Development.

L. Denis Desautels
Independent Member of the Deputy Minister-Level Governance Committee of the National Fighter Procurement Secretariat

L. Denis Desautels is a former Auditor General of Canada (from 1991 until 2001) with a distinguished career in the private sector and extensive experience in public sector auditing and accounting at the federal, provincial and municipal levels. As Auditor General of Canada, Mr. Desautels was responsible for conducting examinations of the operations of the Government of Canada and for reporting to Parliament on a wide range of issues dealing with accountability and the management of government programmes and the delivery of services to the public.

Born in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec, Mr. Desautels received a bachelor of commerce degree from McGill University in 1964 and joined the Montreal accounting firm of Clarkson Gordon. He became a Chartered Accountant in 1966.

Mr. Desautels has been honoured and recognized many times for his contribution to the auditing and accounting professions and holds three honourary doctorates. He has been a member of the board of directors or governors of various recognized Canadian institutions and volunteer organizations, some of which he has chaired. Mr. Desautels was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of "a distinguished career in the private sector" and for having "served his country with dedication and integrity as Auditor General of Canada."

Dr. Ken Norrie
Independent Member of the Deputy Minister-Level Governance Committee of the National Fighter Procurement Secretariat

Dr. Ken Norrie is a prominent Canadian professor and economic historian from Saskatchewan. He is the author or co-author of five monographs, including A History of the Canadian Economy, 4^th edition with Doug Owram and Herb Emery, and has published articles and a number of book chapters and papers in publications like The Canadian Journal of Economics; The Journal of Economic History; Canadian Public Policy; the Journal of Canadian Studies; and Publius: the Journal of Federalism, among others.

Dr. Norrie earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a BA (Honours) in economics in 1967 from the University of Saskatchewan and later an M Phil and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Yale University. He joined the University of Alberta in 1971, and was promoted to Full Professor in 1980, was Associate Dean of Arts (Social Sciences) from 1989 to 90, was Acting Chair of the Economics department in 1993 and 1994, was Chair from 1997 to 1999 and was Dean of Arts until 2001.

Dr. Norrie was seconded to the Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada (the Macdonald Commission) in 1983-84 and 1984-85. From 1990 to 1991, he was Clifford Clark Visiting Economist at the federal Department of Finance. He joined McMaster University in 2002 as professor of economics and later as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) until 2006, and was seconded to the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) from 2007 until 2012, serving as Vice-President (Research). At HEQCO, he wrote a number of research papers and was the principal author of the first three annual reviews.

Dr. Ken Norrie is currently a professor of economics at McMaster University.