(Heather Larmer of Stittsville is recognized as one of 5 Canadian professionals under 40 in the Aerospace & Defence industry. Photo: Canadian Defence Review)
For years when you heard the terms Aerospace and Defence they were usually associated to a male dominated field as a career choice. For one Stittsville resident, Heather Larmer, the barrier was broken as she chose this field for her career path over 10 years ago.
Heather is the Senior Commercial Officer and Strategic Offsets Manager for Marshall Aerospace Canada Inc. (Marshall Canada). Working in the defence industry for over 10 years, Heather’s accomplishments were recognized by the Canadian Defence Review (CDR) magazine as one of 5 of Canada’s top Aerospace and Defence Professionals under 40 in the December 2020 issue. Quite an achievement for a young woman in this industry!
Heather told us, “The list recognizes the accomplishments of those included and seeks to identify future industry leaders. I have been with Marshall Canada for two years now and I am honoured to be a part of this list.”
At Marshall Canada, Heather actively works to leverage her experience in the procurement of innovative Canadian and International programs ensuring that our Canadian Forces receive the best of equipment and services. Marshall Canada currently supports the RCAF search & rescue fleet of C130H Hercules as a subcontractor to Cascade Aerospace.
Prior to joining Marshall Canada, Heather was the Commercial Officer for General Dynamics Mission Systems Canada (GDMS-C) supporting both the air and naval programs – specifically the Maritime Helicopter Program. In both roles at Marshal and General Dynamics, she prides herself and the companies for the delivery of large-scale integration programs to support our Canadian Armed Forces.
She has worked on projects such as the Mercury Global Program at GDMS-C and was lucky enough to see a satellite launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida. She has worked closely with the Canadian Commercial Corporation in setting up the Public Safety & Security Program in Panama.
Heather has resided in Stittsville for seven years and is the mother of two young girls. Attending Ottawa University and graduating ‘magma cum laude’ in Criminology, Heather was honoured as an Academic All-Canadian. Starting out in the high-tech industry, she specialized in procurement and software licensing. She is a committed member of Women in Defence & Security (WiDS).
Emphasizing the importance of women in the defence industry, Heather told us, “I do think it’s important especially in the defence industry (which can be male dominated) to recognize the contributions of women in the field. Also if nothing else I just want my daughters to think it’s cool their Mom is in a magazine lol!”
Stittsville has many talented people residing here and we are pleased to bring you the well-deserved recognition that Heather has received. Her career was chosen wisely and is integral to the safety of our men and women in the Canadian Forces.
Well done, we are proud of you.