Major Catherine Cabot

Major Catherine Cabot has made significant contributions to the field of defence and aviation as well as advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in the military throughout her 16-year career as an aerospace engineer in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Cabot is currently the Senior Aide-de-camp to the Governor General of Canada, Mary May Simon. She has held various positions supporting the maintenance of Canadian military aircraft. She has also served as Aide-de-camp to the Chief of the Defence Staff and most recently, as Deputy Commanding Officer of 3 Air Maintenance Squadron in Bagotville, Qc.

Cabot deployed to Afghanistan in 2014 where she mentored the Afghan Air Force on aircraft maintenance and volunteered in a local hospital.  She also deployed to Romania in 2022, supporting the NATO-enhanced Air Policing mission, serving as gender advisor to advance the UN Women, Peace, and Security agenda, and leading the Canadian contingent in support of the Nightingale Children’s Project aimed at preventing human trafficking of children in Romania.

Actively engaged in the culture evolution of the military and aviation community, Cabot serves as a mentor in the Elevate Aviation program, empowering young women in aviation careers. From 2021 to 2023, she chaired the Defence Women’s Advisory Organization at Canadian Forces Base Bagotville, Quebec, leading initiatives that promote EDI within the military workplace. Notable achievements include establishing lactation spaces and organizing community events to support gender diversity. 

Cabot received the 2023 Elsie MacGill Northern Lights award for significant contributions to the field of aviation. She holds an undergraduate degree in software engineering from Concordia, a post-graduate degree in aerospace program management from the University of Manitoba and a Master of Public Administration from the Royal Military College of Canada. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Business Administration specializing in project management, from l’Université du Québec en Outaouais.

She received the Concordia University Alumni Association's Benoît Pelland Alumna of the Year Award in 2024.