Jay Barker

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT JAY BARKER

I am an award-winning operations executive with 20+ years of experience leading large-scale, complex, and highly regulated operations across Air Canada and Air Canada Cargo. My career has been defined by transforming performance, elevating customer experience, and building high-performing cultures across global, multi-site environments. I specialize in turning operational vision into measurable results—whether through data-driven strategy, workforce engagement, or cross-functional alignment.Most recently, I led enterprise-wide initiatives that improved Air Canada’s global on-time performance by more than 17% in two years, earning industry recognition at the 2024 OPEX Business Transformation Summit for culture and process redesign. I’ve overseen teams of employees, managed budgets in excess of $100M, and delivered standardized systems and processes that strengthened performance across Canada, the U.S, the Caribbean, and Latin America.Throughout my leadership journey, I’ve been trusted to build new functions from the ground up, lead transformation during disruption, and bridge strategy with execution in unionized, customer-centric, and operationally time-critical environments. I am passionate about developing leaders, driving innovation that enhances both employee and customer experience, and establishing long-term operational resilience through smart systems, talent, and partnerships.Recognized with the Air Canada Award of Excellence, a Top 40 Under 40 nomination, and international leadership development distinctions, I bring a combination of strategic foresight, operational discipline, and values-based leadership. I thrive where performance, people, and purpose intersect—and I am always open to connecting with leaders, organizations, and partners who are driving transformation in operations, customer experience, logistics, transportation, and service-based industries.