Col. Catherine Deri | Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics

Col. Catherine Deri

Catherine Deri

Col. Catherine Deri

MA Leadership '09

Chief of Staff, Material Systems and Supply Chain, Canadian Armed Forces

 

Catherine Deri enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1994 as a Food Services Officer before taking on a leadership role in 2010, taking command of the Canadian Forces Postal Unit. On expeditionary operations, Catherine deployed as a Visits Officer in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2000 and as a J3 Support in Afghanistan in 2007. In 2016, she was posted to Kuwait as the Commanding Officer of the Operational Support Hub-South West Asia and Assistant to the Defence Attache. Today, Catherine is the Chief of Staff, Material Systems and Supply Chain with the Canadian Armed Forces.

Career Highlights

  • As a Senior Food Services Advisor, set up and monitored 13 food services contracts to sustain 5,000 military personnel deployed to the Vancouver area for the Olympics and Paralympics
  • As a Logistics Group Commander, responded to the crash of a civilian airliner in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, saving three lives and taking action to simultaneously protecting the environment from the hazards from the crash
  • As a Task Force Commander, led a group of 600+ military and civilian personnel through a Whole-of-Government sovereignty operation in the High Arctic (Beaufort Sea)
  • As a Senior Military Officer, served for one year in Kuwait as the first Canadian female officer assuming a diplomatic role in the Defence Attaché programme

Previous Roles

  • Canadian Armed Forces
  • Canadian Forces College
  • Canadian Forces Postal Unit
  • Joint Task Force, Afghanistan

As a student

  • PhD, Education, University of Ottawa
  • Masters in Defence Studies, Royal Military College of Canada
  • Masters of Arts in Leadership, University of Guelph
  • Bachelor of Science, Nutrition, Université de Montréal

 

10x10 alumni, 10 years of graduation, 10x10 alumni with impact

The annual 10x10 Alumni with Impact Award recognizes ten University of Guelph business alumni who have achieved rapid and significant growth in their careers, who are within ten years of graduation. These proud and highly engaged University of Guelph alumni have garnered significant responsibility and influence within their respective industries and organizations. 

See all 2019 10x10 Alumni with Impact Award recipients

 

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