Beyond the Cockpit: Phil Garbutt’s Path from Military Service to Global Aerospace Leadership

Phil Garbutt’s career reflects a remarkable journey through military leadership, international operations, and the global aerospace industry.

A graduate of Royal Roads Military College in 1988 with a degree in Physics and Computer Science, Garbutt spent more than three decades in uniform, building a reputation as a leader who could bridge technology, operations, and strategy. Over the course of a 32-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces, he rose from a young Aerospace Engineer working on the CF-18 Hornet to Brigadier-General and Director General Air Force Development for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Along the way, he held a series of increasingly senior appointments that exposed him to nearly every aspect of military aviation. He supported search and rescue operations in Comox, led maintenance and operational organizations, commanded 16 Wing Borden, advised senior military leaders on capability development, and represented Canada in key NATO forums. His deployment to Afghanistan as Senior Advisor to the Commander of the Afghan Border Police added yet another dimension to a career already defined by international engagement and complex leadership challenges.

What stands out about Garbutt’s military journey is not simply the progression of rank or appointments. It is the breadth of experience. Whether working on aircraft maintenance, capability development, interoperability with allies, or institutional transformation, he consistently found himself at the intersection of technology and leadership. Those experiences helped shape a perspective that would prove valuable long after he hung up his uniform.

When Garbutt retired from the Canadian Armed Forces in 2016, he did not step away from aerospace. Instead, he entered a new phase of his career that drew upon everything he had learned in military service. After leadership roles in emerging technology and business development, he joined PAL Aerospace, where he now serves as Senior Vice President of Global Support. In that role, he helps guide international aerospace programs and supports customers around the world, applying the same strategic thinking, operational discipline, and commitment to service that characterized his military career.

His transition from military service to the private sector illustrates a reality familiar to many alumni: leadership skills developed through service can have an impact far beyond the military environment. The ability to solve complex problems, build high-performing teams, and navigate uncertainty remains just as valuable in industry as it does in uniform.

Throughout his career, Garbutt has embraced change rather than resisted it. From the evolution of military aviation technologies to the rapidly advancing aerospace sector, he has consistently positioned himself at the forefront of innovation while remaining grounded in the principles of leadership and service.

For fellow Royal Roads and Royal Military Colleges alumni, his story is a reminder that a military education is about more than preparing officers for service. It develops leaders who can adapt, learn, and contribute wherever life takes them. Garbutt’s journey from engineering officer to Brigadier-General and now a senior executive in Canada’s aerospace industry, demonstrates how the lessons learned at the Colleges continue to resonate long after graduation.

Today, Phil Garbutt remains closely connected to the alumni community while continuing to influence the future of aerospace. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to leadership, innovation, and service, qualities that have defined his path from the parade square to the boardroom.