Rick Hillier

General (Ret.) Rick Hillier serves as Vice Chairman of the Advisory Board for PACEM Solutions International and PACEM Defense LLC. General Hillier is the former Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) for Canada. He held this appointment from February 4, 2005 until his retirement from active duty on July 2, 2008. General Hillier has commanded troops from the platoon to the Multinational Formation level in Canada, Europe, Southwest Asia, and the United States, and has served as a staff officer at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels.

As well as being the Chief of Land Staff and in addition to multiple domestic and international operations, General Hillier served as the Deputy Commanding General of III Corps, U.S. Army, in Fort Hood, Texas, commanded a NATO division in Bosnia, and commanded the NATO mission, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), in Afghanistan. General Hillier, in addition to being the highest-ranking Newfoundlander in history, has been recognized by many countries besides Canada for his service, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Afghanistan.

General Hillier was noted for his public calls for increased resources for the Canadian Forces, during his tenure as Chief of the Land Staff and as CDS, and was instrumental in a fundamental shift in Canadian military focus to reflect the security threats of today.

In his retirement, General Rick serves his community, the country, and as much of the world as possible with a focus on leadership and charitable endeavors that support veterans. He and his wife Joyce live in Ottawa, sometimes in Newfoundland, and, during those cold Canadian winters, in Florida.