Les Richards P.eng.

Les Richards P.Eng. has a strong background in engineering and quality management across various industries. In their most recent role as the Director of Quality at Centra - PCC Aerostructures, they successfully managed quality assurance, control, and configuration management while overseeing a team supporting global aircraft manufacturers. Les enabled rapid growth of new product introduction, eliminated dimensional non-conformances, and implemented Lean management tools. Les also oversaw the introduction of a new production process and improved inspection techniques. Prior to this, Les served as the Director of Quality at Patriot Forge Co., where they drove company-wide improvements and expanded the Quality Management System and team. Les also held the position of Vice President Engineering & Quality at Ontario Drive & Gear Ltd., where they solved historical engineering issues. Les has also gained experience at Honeywell, where they led cross-functional engineering teams, secured a significant program, and served as the Director of Quality, improving service response times and eliminating single-point failures. Additionally, they managed a team at Honeywell as the Manager of Design Automation, working on software development, product data management, and solid modeling tools. Les also served as a Senior Mechanical Engineer and Technical Lead, where they excelled in design and analysis, met schedule and cost targets, and achieved challenging technical requirements.

Les Richards P.Eng. has a diverse education background. Les completed the Ivey Management Program at the Ivey Business School at Western University, where they focused on business management. Les also attended the Schulich School of Business - York University for the Leading for Business Results program. In terms of technical education, they obtained a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo. Additionally, Les has attended the International Space University's Space Studies Program, broadening their knowledge in the field of space studies. To further enhance their skillset, they completed the Manufacturing Leadership Certificate Program at Conestoga College. With this extensive educational background, Les is equipped with a well-rounded understanding of both business management and engineering principles.