Lieutenant-General (Ret'd) Michel Maisonneuve

Former Chief of Staff, NATO HQ Supreme Allied Commander Transformation

Lieutenant-General Maisonneuve graduated from the Royal Military College in Kingston as Cadet Wing Commander in 1976 and was posted to the 12e Régiment blindé du Canada (12e RBC) at Base Valcartier, Québec. He served his Regiment at all rank levels as a Troop Leader, Squadron Commander and finally as Commanding Officer. He also served with the 12e Régiment de Chasseurs in Sedan, France, for two years, commanding a conscript troop of French Chasseurs, then as a regimental operations officer. He served as the Director of Armour from 1994 to 1996.

Lieutenant-General Maisonneuve completed three operational tours with the United Nations in Cyprus, in 1977, 1983, and from September 1990 to March 1991, when he was also appointed Commander of the Canadian Contingent to the United Nations in Cyprus. On that occasion, he deployed for the first time, a complete militia squadron as part of the unit.

In 1998, Lieutenant-General Maisonneuve was seconded to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and served with the Kosovo Verification Mission then headed the OSCE-KVM Refugee Task Force in Albania. For his exemplary service in this mission he was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross by the Governor General of Canada. He subsequently testified at the trial of Slobodan Milosevic. He was appointed Officer of the French Legion of Honor in May 2003.

In March 2003 Lieutenant-General Maisonneuve was promoted to his current rank and appointed Chief of Staff of NATO's Supreme Allied Command Atlantic until its decommissioning and then to Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk, VA. As such, Lieutenant-General Maisonneuve is responsible to the Supreme Commander for all staff activity of the Command. He serves as the focal point for the initiation and coordination of all Command efforts to transform NATO military capabilities. He tasks and provides guidance to all HQ divisions, subordinate commands and entities and maintains close relationships with NATO HQ and the NATO and non-NATO nations. He provides advice on the complete range of transformational issues to SACT and DSACT. As the third senior officer in the HQ, he is also one of three officers in the Command Group, and will act in place of DSACT and SACT in their absence.