Julie Gascon, President and Chief Executive Officer

Julie Gascon started as President and Chief Executive Officer on February 12, 2024 at the Montreal Port Authority.

Julie’s dedicated career in the public service began as a proud graduate of the Canadian Coast Guard College. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Montreal, and a Bachelor’s degree of Technology in Nautical Sciences from the University College of Cape Breton.

Julie spent most of her seafaring career sailing on Canadian Coast Guard ships starting on the West Coast fleet in 1998 including time spent on the worldwide fleet on very large crude carriers and large passenger vessels to complete her Master Mariner certification. She is returning to the Pacific with years of experience in the maritime field – here are highlights of her career path:

From 2005 to 2015 she worked as a regulator taking on increased responsibilities from Senior Marine Safety Inspector up to the Executive Director, Domestic Vessels and Regulatory Oversight with Transport Canada.

From 2015 to June 2020, Ms. Gascon was appointed to both regional and national roles at the Canadian Coast Guard, as Assistant Commissioner Central and Arctic Region leading the operational and tactical delivery of Coast Guard programs and services covering the Canadian Great Lakes, central Canada including Quebec and the Canadian Arctic and as Director General, Operations where she provided functional direction for the operational policy frameworks and associated programs and services from coast to coast to coast.

Ms. Gascon returned to Transport Canada in July 2020 as the Director General, Marine Safety and Security, where she was responsible to develop, coordinate, and enforce national safety, security and environmental protection legislation, policies, standards and regulatory controls governing Canada’s marine transportation systems and services including the administration of the new Pilotage Act.