Executive Team

Mathieu Paquette

Interim President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Mathieu Paquette was appointed Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Rail in January 2026. He leads the organization with a clear focus on operational continuity, disciplined execution and stability, ensuring VIA Rail remains firmly focused on its mandate during this transition period. Mr. Paquette joined VIA Rail in March 2023 as Chief Human Resources Officer. Over a short three-year period, his responsibilities expanded to include Communications, Government Relations, and Health and Safety, reflecting sustained confidence in his judgment, leadership and ability to manage complex, enterprise-wide portfolios in a highly regulated, unionized environment.

Prior to joining VIA Rail, Mr. Paquette served as Head of Human Resources for North America at Orica, a global leader in mining and infrastructure solutions. His background brings a strong combination of people leadership, labour relations expertise and strategic execution within large, operational organizations.

Mr. Paquette holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Université du Québec à Montréal. He completed the MBS Leadership Program at Melbourne Business School and is a member of the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés (CRHA).

Michael Acosta

Chief Commercial Officer

 

Mr. Acosta was appointed Chief Commercial Officer in August 2023. He joined VIA Rail in 2009 to oversee Revenue Management and in 2014 the mandate expanded to develop network planning as Mr. Acosta was promoted to Director of Commercial Planning. He was then promoted to Senior Director in 2016, and Vice-President, Commercial in 2022.

During his tenure, Mr. Acosta developed the team whose purpose was to optimize VIA’s network and schedule, resulting in robust revenue and passenger growth. He has also been a speaker and panelist at several international rail conferences, sharing his insights and best practices on network optimization and revenue management. Mr. Acosta is focusing his efforts on the evolution of passenger rail in Canada through better network planning, scheduling, revenue optimization and excellence in customer journey planning. He believes that train travel should be a relevant, sustainable and convenient mode of transportation and a unique and memorable experience for passengers.

Prior to joining VIA Rail, Mr. Acosta worked for Sabre, a leading technology provider for the travel industry, and Air Canada, the national carrier and largest airline in Canada, where he gained valuable experience in business processes assessment and organizational planning.

Carl Delisle

Chief Financial and Technology Officer

 

Mr. Carl Delisle, CPA, was appointed Chief Financial Officer of VIA Rail in 2024. In this role, he oversees various aspects of VIA's financial management, budgets and controls, corporate purchasing and the management of investments in our pension funds, as well as the organization's technology needs.

Mr. Delisle is a recognized leader with more than 25 years of financial experience in public and private, national and international organizations. He is an accomplished manager with a long track record of creating value by leading organizational transformations and implementing efficient financial structures in high-profile companies such as Canam, Rona, Transat, PwC or Logistec, where he previously held the position of Chief Financial Officer. He is known for his open-mindedness, critical thinking, negotiating skills and power to influence.

Mr. Delisle holds the CPA and CA designations, as well as a bachelor's degree in business administration from the École des hautes études commerciales (HEC Montréal).

Denis Lavoie

Chief Legal, Risk and Safety Officer

 

Denis Lavoie serves as Chief Legal, Risk and Safety Officer at VIA Rail Canada, bringing more than 21 years of legal leadership within the corporation. In this role, he provides integrated strategic oversight of Legal Affairs, Enterprise Risk Management, Regulatory Compliance and Security functions, helping safeguard the organization’s integrity, resilience, employees, passengers and operations within the context of a complex national rail network. Since joining VIA Rail in 2005, Mr. Lavoie has held progressively senior roles, including oversight of major projects and transactional legal work related to new fleet acquisitions, service enhancements and organizational priorities. This long tenure has given him deep insight into the rail industry’s regulatory environment, operational risks and commercial imperatives, and a practical understanding of how legal strategy supports enterprise outcomes. .

A respected member of Canada’s in-house legal community, he has been appointed as a branch representative to the board of CBA In-House Lawyers, reflecting his engagement with peers and contribution to advancing the practice of corporate counsel.

Mr. Lavoie holds a law degree from Université de Montréal and completed the Business Leadership Program for In-House Counsels at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management.

Marie-Hélène Jutras

Chief Human Ressources (Interim)

 

Marie-Hélène Jutras is appointed interim Chief Human Resources, effective February 1, 2026. In this role, she provides strategic leadership across VIA Rail’s human resources, with a focus on strengthening our performance culture, elevating the employee experience we aspire to deliver, and ensuring meaningful opportunities for development and growth. Marie-Hélène brings extensive expertise across all areas of human resources within complex environments. Since joining VIA Rail in 2018, she has held several leadership positions as a Human Resources Business Partner, supporting multiple branches and deepening her understanding of the business and its challenges.

Prior to joining VIA Rail, she held senior human resources roles at Yellow Pages Group, Mouvement Desjardins, and APTS. In these roles, she led merger and acquisition initiatives, reorganizations in fastgrowing environments, and the introduction of change management practices within HRled projects. These experiences have shaped Marie-Hélène into a leader recognized for her strategic vision for enhancing the employee experience, her collaborative and open approach, and her willingness to explore innovative solutions. A passionate HR leader, Marie-Hélène is known for aligning teams, driving results, and maintaining strong accountability.

She holds a bachelor's degree in industrial relations from Laval University.

Graham Blackwell

Vice-President, Mechanical Operations and Asset Management

 

Graham Blackwell was appointed Vice-President, Mechanical Operations and Asset Management in December 2025, after joining VIA Rail in 2024 and rapidly advancing into senior leadership. He provides strategic leadership across mechanical operations, engineering delivery and asset management, with a strong focus on safety, reliability and performance excellence. Mr. Blackwell brings more than 20 years of experience in rail operations, maintenance and system delivery across passenger and freight environments, including fleet commissioning, operational integration and performance optimization in highly regulated, mission-critical settings.

Prior to VIA Rail, he held senior leadership roles with major transit and rail organizations, such as Metrolinx and Bombardier Transportation, where he was responsible for operational readiness, maintenance excellence and cross-functional coordination on large rail networks. He is recognized for his disciplined execution, ability to align technical and operational priorities, and steady leadership in demanding contexts.

Mr. Blackwell holds advanced railway safety and operational certifications, is a graduate of industry leadership programs, and is completing an MBA, anchoring his practical experience with formal leadership training.

Marie-Flore Ducrot

Vice-President, Customer Experience, Railway and Network Operations

 

Marie-Flore Ducrot a été nommée vice-présidente, Expérience client, Exploitation ferroviaire et du réseau en décembre 2025. À ce titre, elle assure le leadership stratégique des activités liées à l’expérience client et aux opérations ferroviaires de VIA Rail, avec un accent sur la fiabilité du service, la performance opérationnelle et la cohérence de l’expérience offerte aux passagers. Elle possède une solide expertise en relations avec la clientèle et en gestion des opérations de service dans des environnements complexes. Depuis son arrivée à VIA Rail en 2018, Mme Ducrot a occupé des fonctions de leadership de plus en plus étendues, contribuant à renforcer l’intégration entre l’expérience client et la livraison des opérations, et à améliorer la performance du réseau.

Avant de se joindre à VIA Rail, elle a exercé des fonctions de direction en gestion du service à la clientèle, notamment chez CanAssistance, où elle était responsable des opérations de centres d’appels, de la formation et de l’assurance qualité. Ce parcours a façonné une approche de leadership axée sur l’excellence du service, le développement des équipes et l’amélioration continue. Reconnue pour son leadership calme, clair et pragmatique, Mme Ducrot se distingue par sa capacité à aligner les personnes, les processus et les opérations afin de livrer des résultats.

Elle est titulaire d’un baccalauréat en études françaises de l’Université de Montréal.

Arnaud Lacaze

Vice-President, Major Programs

 

Arnaud Lacaze serves as Vice-President, Major Programs. Appointed Vice-President of the New Fleet Program in June 2023, he now provides leadership for VIA Rail’s major strategic programs, with a strong focus on disciplined execution, risk management, and the delivery of complex projects on time and on budget. He brings more than 25 years of experience in the rail industry, including extensive leadership roles in the delivery of large-scale transportation programs. Since joining VIA Rail in 2018, Mr. Lacaze has played a key role in advancing major initiatives requiring close coordination across engineering, operations, suppliers and public-sector partners.

Prior to VIA Rail, he held senior project management roles at Alstom, where he led the Montréal metro project and later the Ottawa light rail project. His experience spans the full lifecycle of major rail programs, including rolling stock production, program management, system commissioning and integrated maintenance. Recognized for his pragmatic leadership style and strong listening skills, Mr. Lacaze is known for his ability to align teams and deliver results in complex, high-stakes environments.

He holds an engineering degree from IPSA Paris and several management and leadership certifications.

Philippe Normand

Vice-President, Communications and Marketing

 

Philippe Normand is Vice-President, Communications and Marketing at VIA Rail Canada. In this role, he is responsible for Corporate Communications, Marketing, Digital Platforms, the Loyalty Program, Partnerships, Business Development, Sales, and Product and Service Design. His mandate is to strengthen the customer experience, support business growth and enhance the VIA Rail brand.

With more than 25 years of leadership experience, Philippe has held senior management positions with leading Canadian organizations in retail, aerospace and manufacturing sectors. Throughout his career, he has developed recognized expertise in corporate strategy, marketing, e-commerce, customer experience and business development, while leading major growth and transformation initiatives.

Philippe holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from the Royal Military College of Canada and an MBA from McGill University. Recognized for his strategic vision and ability to mobilize teams, he brings extensive experience at the intersection of business, technology and customer experience.