Calian Group Ltd., a mission-solutions company focused on defence, space, healthcare and critical infrastructure, announced that Chris Pogue will become President of its newly created Defence and Space division, effective July 7, 2025. In this role, Pogue will lead a high-performance team uniting Calian’s Advanced Technologies and Learning units combining communications, manufacturing and immersive training expertise to accelerate mission success for defence and space clients.
Pogue has more than 20 years of senior executive experience. Most recently, he was President and CEO of Thales Canada, where he expanded naval support operations, revitalized land-forces capabilities, and led major AI and digital transformation efforts. Over the course of his career, Pogue has been a strong advocate for innovation, working to connect Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises with national defence and space initiatives. He is also a retired Royal Canadian Air Force officer with more than 3,500 flight hours on the C-130 Hercules.
“Chris Pogue is one of Canada’s most accomplished leaders in defence and space innovation,” stated Kevin Ford, CEO of Calian in a press release. “His track record — growing Thales Canada’s support of the Canadian Armed Forces, leading MDA Government’s Radarsat Constellation mission and building global simulation-based services — gives him the vision and operational rigor to power Calian’s next-generation defence and space capabilities.”
“I’m thrilled to join Calian at such a pivotal time — for the company, and for Canada and its allies — as we face increasingly complex global uncertainty and opportunities,” Pogue stated in a press release. “Bringing together the subject matter experts and leading-edge solutions from Advanced Technologies and Learning allows us to harness our collective strengths, co-innovate with our space and defence partners, and deliver the reliability and precision mission success demands.”
