“An extraordinary leader”: Air Canada celebrates Lisa Pierce’s legacy at Vancouver event

Air Canada gathered nearly fifty partners and travel advisors from the Vancouver area on Monday evening (Dec. 8) for its Customer Appreciation Event, an annual occasion organized to celebrate the loyalty of its collaborators and share key updates about the airline.

The night, held at the prestigious Fairmont Pacific Rim, also highlighted a key transition within the company’s global sales team – it marked one of the last public appearances of Lisa Pierce, vice president – global sales and Air Canada Vacations, who will retire at the end of the year after an exceptional career of nearly four decades at Air Canada.

A respected figure in the industry, Pierce played a vital role in expanding the airline’s international presence, particularly through her relationships with agencies, tour operators, and global partners.

Vincent Gauthier-Doré, general manager – sales Canada and United States, paid her a heartfelt tribute at the start of the evening.

“She is an extraordinary leader in our industry. She has been a mentor, a role model, and one of the most kind, thoughtful, and humane individuals that I have ever met,” he told the crowd.

READ MORE: Air Canada’s Lisa Pierce to retire; François Choquette named senior executive, sales

It was poetic for Pierce to be in Vancouver to conclude her wonderful career after nearly four decades.

“I am very proud to be here in Vancouver because it is the first trip that I ever took when I started to work for Air Canada,” she said.  

Vancouver undeniably holds a special place in Pierce’s heart because of its connection to the 2010 Winter Olympics.

“I had planned to watch the Olympics Opening Ceremony with my colleagues, but that morning I received a call asking me to attend the ceremony in Vancouver. I remember feeling incredibly emotional. Seeing the athletes walk in filled me with pride, knowing that most of them had travelled to the Games on an Air Canada flight,” she said. “Not only did they arrive safely, they also got to experience Air Canada on their way to this unforgettable moment.”

A new era

Pierce – who will also appear at a Customer Appreciation Event in Toronto this Thursday (Dec. 11) – will officially retire at the end of this year, ushering in a new era for Air Canada’s commercial team.

As previously reported, François Choquette has been appointed to the new position of senior executive – sales, and will take on commercial responsibilities after the holidays.

He will report to Alexandre Lefevre, vice president – network planning at Air Canada.

“We are very excited that François Choquette is taking over as head of sales on January 1st. I couldn’t be happier to have him leading the team. He’s a great innovator and he is going to be a great leader,” Pierce told PAX.

With an engineering background, Choquette has spent over 25 years at Air Canada, moving from maintenance to commercial roles, leading sales in southern Europe, managing e-commerce and international accounts, and most recently overseeing all international revenue management for the Trans-Pacific and South American markets.

“His international experience and revenue management background are very complementary to what we’re going to do in sales. He is the guy!” said Gauthier-Doré.

Flying into the future

It was the perfect moment to ask Choquette how he envisions his new role.

“I’m excited and nervous!” he told PAX. “Lisa leaves a huge legacy and big shoes to fill. I’ll bring my own approach, but I’ll continue her work with the trade, corporate accounts, and our three hubs. Vancouver is key as the gateway to Asia, a market that will see significant growth as we enter our next phase through 2030.”

Speaking of Asia, Air Canada’s Vancouver–Bangkok route, which was previously seasonal, will now be offered year-round and Air Canada will be the only North American carrier to operate this route all year long.

The year 2026 promises to be busy and full of major projects for Choquette.

Among them, one stands out in particular: the arrival of the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver in 2026, a global event that will bring thousands of athletes, teams, and fans to the West Coast metropolis.

Air Canada expects to play a central role in transporting these travellers, an opportunity that greatly excites Choquette.

Extra-long-range plans

Next year, Air Canada will add the Airbus A321XLR to its fleet.

This single-aisle, extra-long-range jet combines the efficiency and flexibility of a smaller plane with the long-haul range usually reserved for wide-body aircraft.

“It’s a narrow body that can fly extra-long distances,” explained Choquette. “We’re going to first use it on the East Coast, but we plan on bringing it to the West Coast to serve long distances in the Pacific.”

READ MORE: Air Canada unveils Montreal-Palma de Mallorca as first route for Airbus A321XLR

Choquette expects the A321XLR to be a game changer for transcontinental and transpacific travel.

For example: it will be the first narrowbody in Air Canada’s fleet that will feature lie-flat seats in Business Class.

The aircraft will accommodate 182 passengers, in a configuration of 14 Signature Class seats and 168 Economy Class seats.

Delivery of the XLR fleet begins in the first quarter of 2026, and in June, Air Canada will use the aircraft to launch a brand-new route connecting Montreal with Palma de Mallorca, Spain. 

“The XLR is giving us growth," Air Canada’s Alexandre Lefevre, told PAX in a previous interview. “New destinations, or taking over existing routes that only wide-bodies could service." 

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