About Us
redefining industry standards SINCE 2001
At Cargojet, our business is built around a simple principle: being relentlessly customer-obsessed. Every decision we make is guided by our commitment to on-time reliability, uncompromising safety, and consistently exceeding our customers’ needs and expectations.
Our performance is driven by a highly skilled and dedicated team of flight crews, maintenance professionals, flight operations specialists, ground handlers, and customer service representatives. United by a shared accountability to our customers, each team member is selected for their expertise, strong safety record, and professionalism, because dependable service starts with exceptional people.
This customer-first mindset, combined with operational excellence, has earned Cargojet national recognition, including being named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies and receiving the Shipper’s Choice Award for Best Air Cargo Carrier in Canada for multiple years.
The formula behind our continued success remains unchanged: redefining industry standards, continuously rethinking how we serve our customers better, valuing long-term partnerships, and delivering with care, precision, and personal attention. We understand that behind every shipment is a business, a community, and a promise, and we take that responsibility seriously.
Experience first-class air cargo service from a global air cargo leader that is proudly customer-obsessed.
Pauline Dhillon
Chief Executive Officer
Board of Directors
Executive Team
Dr. Ajay K. Virmani
Executive Chairman & Founder
Dr. Ajay K. Virmani is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Cargojet and has been instrumental in shaping the company since its inception. In 2001, he acquired an initial stake in Canada 3000 Cargo and, recognizing the opportunity to build a dedicated, customer-focused air cargo airline, went on to acquire full ownership in 2002.
Under his leadership, the company was rebranded as Cargojet and strategically positioned to become Canada’s leading provider of time-critical air cargo services. Dr. Virmani’s vision, discipline, and long-term commitment laid the foundation for Cargojet’s operational excellence, national scale, and trusted reputation across domestic and international markets.
avirmani@cargojet.com
Pauline Dhillon
CEO
Pauline Dhillon is the Chief Executive Officer of Cargojet and a founding member of the company, having been part of the organization since day one. Over more than 23 years, she has played an integral role in Cargojet’s growth, holding progressively senior leadership roles across Marketing and Brand, Government Relations, Human Resources, Legal, Facilities, Operational Efficiency, and Commercial operations, including her prior roles as Chief Corporate Officer and co-CEO.
As CEO, Pauline leads Cargojet’s overall strategy and oversees all aspects of the company’s operations and support functions globally.
pdhillon@cargojet.com
Aaron McKay
Chief Financial Officer
Joining Cargojet in 2025, Mr. McKay oversees our overall finance strategy and leads our finance organization in support of our continued revenue and profitability
growth plans. He brings more than 17 years of finance experience, including
more than 11 years in commercial aviation, with senior leadership roles in
Corporate Finance, Fleet Strategy & Financing, Treasury, Financial Planning
& Analysis, and Internal Audit, as well as leadership of billions of dollars of commercial aviation corporate finance and fleet transactions.
amckay@cargojet.com
Gord Johnston
Chief Commercial Officer
Over 30 years of commercial aviation industry experience, predominantly in senior cargo sales and operational roles at American Airlines Cargo and Air Canada Cargo, prior to joining Cargojet in 2005. Mr. Johnston is primarily responsible for leading our commercial strategy, our overall sales organization, and continuing to drive revenue growth and profitability through each of our revenue segments.
gjohnston@cargojet.com
Steve Cantwell
Senior Vice President, Flight Operations
Steve brings over 30 years of airline experience to his role, with a distinguished career as a professional pilot and aviation leader. He began his aviation career in 1995 at Royal Airlines, flying the B727, B757, and B737 in both cargo and passenger operations.
In 2002, Steve joined Cargojet as a Captain on the B727. Over the past 24 years with Cargojet, he has held multiple leadership roles in training and management, contributing significantly to the development of flight operations and pilot standards.
In 2024, Steve was appointed Senior Vice President of Flight Operations, overseeing all aspects of Flight Operations and ensuring the highest standards of safety, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance.
Leo Cordeiro
Senior Vice President, Maintenance and Engineering
Leo Cordeiro joined Cargojet as Vice President, Line Maintenance in 2019 leading the team through fleet growth and network expansion while maintaining our industry leading technical dispatch performance. He has over 35 years’ experience in the aviation sector, including 30 years with Air Canada and Air Canada Express. A certified Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME), he has a Masters Certificate in Supply Chain and Logistics Management from York University’s Schulich School of Business and is a Six Sigma Black Belt and instructor. He has extensive experience in the design and implementation of productivity and process improvement programs, including maintenance planning, compliance, and safety.
Derek Palmer
Senior Vice President, Operations
Derek has over 25 years of operations experience, leading diverse, cross-functional teams. He has also gained extensive experience in operational excellence, quality management systems, customer experience, and network operations. He is a hands-on leader with a strong emphasis on Safety, People, and Service.
Before joining Cargojet in 2021, he worked at Air Canada as Senior Director of Global Operations, with responsibility for global operations, the Cargo Network team, and Customer Service. Before that, Derek was responsible for Air Operations at Purolator as Senior Regional Manager in Eastern Canada, including oversight of the Hamilton Air Hub at YHM during his 17-year tenure.
Ron Byrne
Vice President, Cargo Movement Control
Ron began his aviation career on the ramp with Can-air Cargo before moving into ground operations, ULD management, and customer service, where he introduced new reporting processes. He later advanced to Duty Manager, overseeing nightly operations through the transitions from Royal Airlines to Canada 3000 and ultimately to Cargojet in 2002.
From 2002 to 2021, Ron served as Duty/Network Manager before being appointed Director, Cargo Movement Control. In May 2022, Rob became Vice President, Cargojet Control Center and Network Planning, where he remains committed to driving improvements and ensuring safe, reliable service for our customers.
Richard Cromwell
Vice President, Strategic Partnerships
With a career spanning 2 decades in air cargo, Richard Cromwell joined Cargojet in 2010 with valuable experience from the Northern Canadian market. Throughout his tenure, he has held key roles across Flight Operations, the Control Center, Operations, and Operations Excellence, developing a deep and well-rounded understanding of the organization’s operational and commercial landscape. Richard’s knowledge of company operations and long-standing commercial relationships ultimately led to his appointment as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, where he now plays a key role in strengthening customer relationships, guiding strategic growth, and advancing collaborative initiatives across the business.
