Richard Gravel is a bilingual (English and French) Engineer. A retired naval officer, having completed a 35-year career in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), he achieved navy Captain rank. After his retirement, Richard started his own consulting business, primarily providing Business Development and bid submission support to Canadian and international clients. In 2018, Richard started with Thales Canada, the first of Thales’ team in Halifax, as the AJISS (AOPS and JSS In-service Support) Halifax Manager, and Coastal Operations Manager, reporting to the AJISS Program Manager. Following this experience, Richard joined Heddle Shipyards as Vice President of Government Programs, where he is today. Richard’s more recent naval experiences include Naval Attaché to the USA in Washington, DC, Commanding Officer of Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Scott in the RCN Dockyard in Halifax, and Deputy Project Manager for the HALIFAX Class Modernization / Frigate Life Extension Project. These were preceded by a number of shore and sea positions in Ottawa, Victoria and Halifax, as well as an exchange position with the Royal Navy in the UK. Richard holds a Bachelor of Computer Engineering, as well as a Masters of Defence Studies, both from the Royal Military College of Canada.