Retired Lieutenant-General Lise Bourgon joined the military in 1987 and attended the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean. Upon commissioning in 1992, she completed her wings training in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and started her maritime helicopter pilot career in Nova Scotia, with 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron serving with the Royal Canadian Navy.
As a staff officer, she held positions from the tactical to the strategic level with highlights as Project Director in the Air Requirements Directorate, Executive Assistant to Commander RCAF, NATO Air Liaison Officer in Ramstein, Chief of Staff Operations at the Canadian Joint Operational Command, and Director General Operations at the Strategic Joint Staff.
She has had the privilege to command at every rank, notably the helicopter detachment on HMCS Montreal, 406 Maritime Operational Training Squadron, 12 Wing in Shearwater, Joint Task Force IMPACT in Kuwait, Commander of Military Personnel Command and Chief of Military Personnel. For more than 5 years, she served as the Defence Champion for Women and is strong advocate for the Women Peace and Security agenda.
Lieutenant-General Bourgon (Ret) is a graduate of the Joint Command and Staff Program at the Canadian Forces College and of Maxwell Air Warfare College. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean, a Master Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University and a master’s in public administration from the Royal Military College of Canada. Additionally, in 2021, she completed a one-year Defence Fellowship assignment with the Centre of International and Defence Policy at Queen’s University researching the topic of organizational inclusion.
Since retiring in October 2025, she is enjoying her new life training for triathlons, and is presently completing an Executive Coaching program with Royal Roads University where she hopes to coach the next generation of women in the Defence sector.
She is married and the proud mother of two who are also serving in the Military.
