Canadian Shipbuilder Davie Names Maxie Lafleur President

Canadian shipbuilder Davie announced it has appointed Maxie Lafleur as president, bringing in a business executive from outside the shipbuilding sector to help drive growth.

A Montréal native, Lafleur brings a wealth of experience in digital transformation, growth strategies, change management, mergers and acquisitions, and business development, both in Canada and abroad. Her career began at KPMG as an auditor, after which she joined CAE’s M&A team. She subsequently held various senior management positions, including CFO and CEO at Bus.com, where she led growth and transformation initiatives. 

According to Davie, Lafleur's appointment is the latest strategic move aimed at strengthening Davie's goal of becoming one of the world's leading specialized shipbuilders. In her new role, she will work closely with James Davies, owner and continuing CEO of Davie, as well as the broader executive team, to drive key initiatives, grow the business, and position Davie for future success.

Davies said, "[Lafleur] brings a unique and exceptional skill set to Davie. I have every confidence she will lead our Canadian activities through a period of expansion unprecedented in our 200-year history. Maxie will ensure Davie continues to deliver on its promise to support the ambitious shipbuilding programs of Canada and our close allies in today's challenging global environment. I am already working closely with her to advance Davie's strategic priorities and create value for our customers."

Lafleur said, "Davie is growing rapidly in Canada and internationally. I am honored the company has put its trust in me at such a pivotal moment. I am ready to lead our efforts under the National Shipbuilding Strategy as well as developing our future vision through the ICE Pact initiative. Working side by side with James, our talented leadership team, and world-class workforce, I have no doubt we will achieve and even exceed our strategic goals in building top-tier ships for the Canadian government and its NATO allies."

Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy is a long-term program aimed at modernizing the Canadian Navy and Coast Guard fleets through the construction and acquisition of new vessels, boosting domestic shipbuilding capabilities and supporting economic growth.

The ICE Pact is a tripartite agreement involving Canada, Finland, and the U.S. government focused on icebreaker construction. Davie, which operates shipyards in Canada and Finland with expertise in building large icebreakers, has committed to investing in U.S. shipyard capacity.