Our Team
Dr. Youri Cormier
Executive Director
Youri Cormier is an Adjunct Professor with the Royal Military College of Canada and has taught at the Canadian Forces College, Johns Hopkins University, and King’s College London in a variety of disciplines including political philosophy, war & strategy, international relations, land power theorists, operational concepts, and human rights & justice.
He holds diplomas from Concordia University (BComm/BA), the Royal Military College of Canada (MA) and King’s College London (PhD) and has worked in various senior executive roles in the non-profit sector in professional theatre, environmentalism, and youth civic & electoral engagement
He served as a human rights observer in Zapatista-controlled areas of Chiapas, Mexico, and later conducted research on Latin American indigenous insurgencies on behalf of the Canadian Department of National Defense. As a research & speechwriting fellow at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels, he contributed to policy papers on climate change and food/water security, NATO-Russia relations, and the use of drones in countering improvised explosive devices.
In 2016, he published the book: “War as Paradox: Clausewitz and Hegel on Fighting Doctrines and Ethics (McGill Queens University Press), which traces the origin and current-day significance of dialectical war theory. It was awarded a prestigious publication grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and has since become a bestseller in the field, integrated into university curriculum internationally.
Joseph Varner
Deputy Director – Conference of Defence Associations
Joe Varner is an Adjunct Scholar at West Point’s Modern War Institute and is author of “Canada’s Asia-Pacific Security Dilemma.” He served as Senior Adviser and Director of Policy to the Minister of National Defence and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada the Hon. G. Peter McKay from 2008 to 2014 as well as Chief of Staff to the Shadow Minister of Defence Kerry-Lynn Findlay.
Varner also served as a Faculty member with the American Military University from 2001 to 2009 and again from 2015 to 2019 specializing in teaching homeland security and intelligence studies. He is also a Fellow of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society, Royal Society of Arts, Royal Asiatic Society of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, member of the International Institute of Strategic Studies and Royal United Services Institute of Defence Studies. Varner is also a past Senior Research Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies, Research Fellow of the Conference of Defence Associations Institute, the Naval Officers’ Association of Canada and has also been published by the MacDonald-Laurier Institute, Mackenzie Institute, and the Heritage Foundation.
Jennifer Giguere
Director of Operations
Jennifer Giguere has been working within business operations and event logistics for over 20 years within the non-profit and charitable sectors. An expert in the execution of events with over 125 successful events under her leadership including large-scale exhibitions, conferences, galas, as well as professional development events. Additionally, Jennifer has worked extensively in donor and member relations, marketing, web development and high-level awards programs within her career.
Jennifer’s primary area of focus over the last 10 years has been within the Canadian defence and security sectors. She has been responsible for leading initiatives that bring together industry, academia, and representatives of the Canadian Armed Forces with domestic and foreign government leadership. Her extensive experience in leading these programs continues to build platforms that provide relationship building and business development opportunities within the sector that lead to a safer, more efficient, and better equipped Canadian Armed Forces.
Prior to joining the CDA Institute team, Jennifer was the Director of Domestic and International Events for the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries. Leading her team to the successful execution of over 15 yearly events and initiatives across Canada and globally. Most notability, as the director of CANSEC, Canada’s largest defence and security exhibition and rated in the top 5 global defence events.
Valerie Aji, CPA, CMA
Financial Officer and Treasurer, CDA & CDA Institute
Valerie Aji is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over 15 years’ experience in accounting, Canada and USA in diverse business industries, mainly non-for-profit sector.
Valerie has joined CDA in 2018 and as a dedicated and detail-oriented accounting professional she has been meeting the accounting needs for CDA, Able to identify and implement process improvements that improve accuracy, consistency, and efficiency. An energetic, motivating, and Effective communicator.
Valerie has a Bachelor of Commerce – Accounting Option – University of Damascus, Syria.
Chartered Professional Accountant, Certified Management Accountant – CPA, CMA Ontario – 2012
Olivier Duhaime
Director, Government Relations
Olivier Duhaime is the Director, Government and Public Affairs at the Conference of Defence Associations. He has extensive knowledge and understanding of the political landscape and the federal and provincial governments. Fluently bilingual, Olivier is well positioned to provide strategic advice and work with all stakeholders in government.
Prior to joining the CDA Institute, Olivier worked on
Parliament Hill as an executive and policy advisor for a Member of Parliament
and then for two Ministers’ offices (Infrastructure and Foreign Affairs). His
judgment and strategic thinking skills allow him to find effective ways to work
with elected officials and their advisors, senior public servants and
stakeholders. Olivier also has extensive experience in managing federal and
municipal political campaigns as he was involved in the last three federal
campaigns (2015, 2019, 2020) and the last municipal campaign (2021).
Olivier holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Communications from
the Université du Québec en Outaouais.
Jane Leakey
Manager, Academic Programs
Jane Leakey serves as a Research and Communications Coordinator for the CDA Institute. In this role she facilitates the coordination and production of research, events, expert panel discussions, roundtables, and the Institute’s visual material. She is a graduate from the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs where she studied international relations, law, and global development studies. During her time as a master’s student she served as an intern for the U.S. Embassy’s political office in Ottawa. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in legal studies with a specialization in transnational law and human rights from Carleton University. She is an avid artist, graphic designer, and outdoorswoman.
Marc-Olivier Cantin, PhD
Research Coordinator
Marc-Olivier Cantin is a Research Coordinator at the CDA Institute and a post-doctoral fellow at the Centre for International Peace and Security Studies at McGill University. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Montreal, where he also teaches undergraduate classes on international relations and political violence. He is a graduate of King’s College London (M.A.) and Laval University (B.A.). Prior to joining the CDA Institute, Marc-Olivier worked as a research analyst for the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect in New York, where he conducted research and organized advocacy campaigns on mass atrocity prevention.
Megan Martins Da Ponte
Research Coordinator
Megan Martins Da Ponte is a Research Coordinator at the CDA Institute and incoming doctoral student in the Department of Political Science at Carleton University. Megan holds a BA (Hons) in Political Studies from the University of Manitoba and is an alumnus of the 2018 NATO Field School and Simulation Program at Simon Fraser University. Megan’s research interests include sea power, Arctic security, and the military applications of emerging technology.
