Lieutenant-General Erick Simoneau assumed command of Military Personnel Command (MILPERSCOM) from Lieutenant-General Lise Bourgon on June 16, 2025, at a ceremony held at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, presided over by General Jennie Carignan, Chief of the Defence Staff.

MILPERSCOM oversees about 11,000 military and 4,800 civilian personnel responsible for all aspects of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel management, including recruitment, training, pay and benefits, health services, honours and history, and support services.

Simoneau’s early career included postings in Valcartier, Kingston, and Ottawa, with deployments to Haïti, Kosovo, and Afghanistan as a pilot, including a command role in Kandahar as Commander of a tactical helicopter unit. He supported domestic operations and led disaster response efforts as Deputy Chief of Staff Continental Operations at Canadian Joint Operations Command in Ottawa.

He commanded 2 Wing Bagotville (2013–2015), served in the Privy Council Office (2018–2020) as Director of Operations for Foreign and Defence Policy, and held several senior strategic roles. In August 2024, he became Deputy Commander of MILPERSCOM.

“I want to thank Lieutenant-General Lise Bourgon and her team at Military Personnel Command who have done incredible work to improve recruitment, policies, and programs that help us better support our members and their families to achieve our mission,” General Jennie Carignan, Chief of the Defence Staff stated in a press release. “I wish her a wonderful and well-deserved retirement. I am looking forward to working with Lieutenant-General Erick Simoneau, as we know that under your watch the future will hold nothing less than continued improvements to our service.”