The Directors College
C.Dir. '25
Class of 2025
By: Izabela Shubair
Over a 25-year career in aerospace, Nancy Barber (C.Dir. ‘25) led complex aircraft programs, large-scale operations and strategic growth. Along the way, she noticed how few women were advancing in the industry. What began as informal mentorship — one woman helping others navigate the field — has evolved into a broader effort to strengthen governance and leadership pathways for women in aerospace.
“My leadership journey has been defined by resilience, especially in aerospace, where systemic change can be slow,” she says. “Meaningful progress will be clear when equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is fully embedded in governance, leadership tables reflect their workforce and women no longer question if they belong.”
The path to governance
For 16 years, Barber oversaw multi-billion-dollar aircraft programs and thousands of employees at Bombardier. From establishing the Global 7500 and 8000 aircraft program offices to leading operations as chief operating officer, she gained extensive leadership experience.
After striking out on her own in 2021 — founding Barber Complete Consultancy, taking a senior advisory role at De Havilland Aircraft of Canada and joining Women in Aerospace Canada (WIA) as president of governance and strategy — she decided to formalize on-the-job governance training.
“I became increasingly interested in developing strategy as opposed to executing it,” she says. “I also knew that when inclusive governance is done well, it is not a ripple effect but a tidal wave.”
Governance in action
To deepen her understanding of how boards can influence issues such as EDI, Barber turned to the Chartered Director program at DeGroote’s Directors College.
“Bringing EDI to the forefront is something the Chartered Directors program does well,” she says. “Reinforcing how much a diverse workplace contributes to innovation, risk management and so on reflects the challenges boards face today.”
Barber sees governance as a tool for systemic change. Board oversight, strategic planning and succession management, she says, help ensure that leadership teams reflect the diversity of their workforces. They also create mechanisms to embed inclusion into organizational priorities and strengthen sponsorship and support for underrepresented employees.
“Intentionally integrating diversity at the governance level becomes a driver for talent retention, leadership development and measurable organizational performance,” she says. “Through EDI integration, boards create a framework that helps people see growth opportunities and encourages them to stay and thrive.”
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