Leadership

André Sincennes is CEO of RHEA Group. He has over 30 years’ experience working in executive positions in Europe and Canada, and has played a strategic role developing economic business relationship between Belgium and Canada.  

During his career in business management, André has overseen multiple company mergers and acquisitions, and fostered relations with government administrations, international agencies and leading organizations across two continents. André’s legal acumen and diplomacy expertise have facilitated innovative partnerships and demonstrated an ability to rally industry by harnessing commitment from its partners. 

André became leader of RHEA Group in 2009, providing strategic vision, identifying and exploiting new business opportunities, and fostering impressive sustained growth during a period of global economic instability. RHEA Group is now one of the largest international space engineering and cybersecurity companies in Europe. 

André graduated from the University of Ottawa Law Faculty in 1981. In 2012, André was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.  

Marcel Lachance joined RHEA Inc. in 2022 as Vice-President Operations and Service Delivery and promoted to Vice-President Canada in July 2023. In this role he oversees RHEA Canada’s client services delivery and overall operations focused on cyber and physical security, systems integration solutions, open source intelligence, cyber-range solutions and professional engineering services.

Marcel also leads RHEA’s Alliance Programme aligned to vendor partnerships, go-to-market planning and tactical relationships. He is responsible for planning strategies and leading teams that deliver all RHEA solutions, professional services and system deployments.

Over the last 30 years, Marcel has worked in Canada, the USA and Europe, and has gained all-round experience in consulting services delivery, product and programme management, business development, corporate operations and business strategy. He has held executive positions in the commercial sector, in organizations ranging from start-ups to large multinational institutions.

Marcel holds Master’s degrees in Mathematics and Business Administration, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Computer Sciences.

Cédric Seynat joined RHEA Group in 2016 as Director, Business Development and is now RHEA Group’s Corporate Strategy Officer, helping to steer the company’s strategic trajectory and bridge the gap between technology and business management. In addition, in January 2022 he became Vice-President Canada, overseeing the company’s operations in the country, which focus on cyber and physical security. He is responsible for planning strategies and leading teams that provide 24/7 managed security services, including one of RHEA’s global security operations centres.

Over the last 20 years, Cédric has lived and worked on three continents and gained all-round experience in science, engineering, programme management, business development, corporate operations and business strategy. He has held positions in the public, commercial and academic sectors, in organizations ranging from start-ups to large multinational institutions.

Cédric holds a Master’s degree in space engineering and a PhD in remote sensing from Cranfield University, UK, and an engineering degree from Ecole Centrale de Lille, France.

General Robert Mazzolin joined RHEA Group as Chief Technology Strategist in October 2018 to establish our cybersecurity portfolio and direction. In his current role as Chief Defence, Security and Technology Strategist, he works with clients to evolve their programmes and capabilities, working with an increasingly diverse and expanding institutional community within the space and cyber disciplines.

General Mazzolin has served in a variety of strategic command and staff roles at all ranks. During his military service, his notable appointments included: responsibility for all Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence Strategic Network; signals intelligence; electronic warfare and cyber operations; strategic cyber policy development; and the engineering and programme management of the Canadian Army C4ISR system. Prior to his retirement from service, he also served at United States Cyber Command as the Vice Director for Strategic Policy, Plans, Force Development and Training – the first foreign flag officer to do so.

Throughout his career, he has chaired and participated in many multinational engineering, security, interoperability and standardization programmes within NATO, AUSCANNZUKUS and related military, government and commercial forums.

General Mazzolin holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, Master of Science with specialization in Electronics and Guided Weapon Systems, Master of Arts in Security and Defence Management and Policy, and a PhD in Engineering Management. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He is an Officer of the Canadian Order of Military Merit, with other awards including the US Legion of Merit, US Meritorious Service Medal, Canadian Chief of Defence Staff Commendation and the Italian Army Chief of General Staff Commendation ‘Encomio Solenne’ in recognition of professionalism and courage for combat actions in Somalia with the ‘Folgore’ Parachute Brigade.

Angelo Iellina joined RHEA Inc. in 2022 as Vice-President, Business Development and Sales. In this role, his primary focus is leading teams of sales professionals to achieve company objectives and goals, including establishing partnerships with clients and partners to ensure both groups have the solutions they require to be successful.

Angelo has over 20 years of experience in business development and sales in technology and services companies, having worked with many Canadian federal and provincial government clients. He has led the development and delivery of new business, and grown market share while always driving the message of ‘customer first’ and focussing on client relationships as the key to success. Angelo has previously built a successful sales organization in the area of professional services in the IT and security domains, delivering over CA$30 million in sales annually.

Angelo studied Materials Management at Algonquin College and has a diploma in Network Administration from CDI College. He speaks English, French and Italian.

William (Bill) VanRyswyk is Vice-President Security Services Business Development and Sales, having joined RHEA in 2021 when RHEA acquired the Canadian security consultancy Security Through Safe Design, of which he was President.

Bill is designated as a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) by the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) and is recognized as a leading security and CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) expert in Canada. He is currently the Senior Regional Vice President for ASIS Canada Region 6 and a past board member of the Canadian Parking Association. He is also recognized as an expert witness by the Ontario Municipal Board on physical security and CPTED matters. Bill retired from Ottawa Police Service with over 29 years of policing and crime prevention experience.

Bill is an expert in rail security, and has been involved in numerous multi-billion-dollar rail infrastructure projects. He has worked with various municipal transit organizations, municipalities, corporates and community groups across Canada providing security consulting services, both in existing environments as well as planned new developments. Bill has worked closely with architectural and design teams to incorporate security strategies into new concept designs and large-scale developments, and has trained thousands of professionals across Canada.

John D’Avirro is Vice-President Aviation Services at APS Aviation, a member of RHEA Group. John has extensive experience in project management, aircraft icing research, airport design, planning and operations.

John has worked in aviation consulting for 38 years and is one of the world’s experts in the field of aircraft ground de/anti-icing research and development. He has served as programme manager for the Transport Canada (TC) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sponsored Aircraft Ground De/Anti-icing Research and Development Program since 1990.  John was also responsible for the launch in 2012 of a mobile iOS application that provides holdover times in the cockpit to more than 47,000 pilots worldwide.

John was a leading subject matter expert in the development of the Canadair (Bombardier) Regional Jet Program in the 1980s, which was initiated at APS, and was responsible for the management of the technical and marketing studies conducted for over 100 airlines interested in the Regional Jet. John has also managed or participated in airport planning projects for more than 50 airports worldwide.

John holds a BSc (Civil Engineering) and a graduate diploma in Management (MBA stream) from McGill University.

John Sheridan is Senior Advisor, Security. 

John has worked in the security industry for over 30 years, leading product development teams, devising and executing global channel strategies and managing diverse development, sales and operations organizations on four continents.  

In 2008, John founded TSI Security (now RHEA Inc. Security Management and Design Services), which provides high quality, proven security management consultancy and design services. Prior to this, he was Director, Security Solutions, at Nortel where he was responsible for the development and growth of its physical and information security services organization. Earlier roles included General Manager of GE Security Canada’s Distribution, VAR and Integration Services groups, leading more than 150 people across Canada.   

Stuart Benson is Director of Operations, Security Services and Solutions, having joined RHEA in 2021 following RHEA’s acquisition of the Canadian security consultancy Security Through Safe Design. He has over 20 years of experience in the security field and has gained a detailed understanding and knowledge of a wide breadth of security measures including security operations, personnel and event security, emergency management and preparedness, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) and project management.

Prior to joining Security Through Safe Design, Stuart served as a police officer in one of the UK’s largest police services and then as the Manager of Corporate Security for one of Canada’s major municipalities.

During his career, Stuart has been recognized for his commitment to the security industry and received several awards such as Crime Prevention Ottawa – Community Safety Award, Security Director News – Top 20 under 40, and the City Managers Award for Excellence.

Stuart has an Executive Diploma in Municipal Management and is certified in Emergency Management to IMS Level 300 and Crime Prevention Through Environment Design, Level 2. Stuart is an active member of ASIS International, and is the past Vice-Chairperson of ASIS International, Chapter 140 – Ottawa.

Douglas Wiemer joined RHEA Group in 2013 and is now Chief Technology Officer – Cyber (CTO-Cyber). He is responsible for the management, development and delivery of cybersecurity-related services to governments, agencies and industry.

Doug started his career as a communications officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He went on to gain experience in a wide range of ICT-related disciplines, particularly in the area of cybersecurity, including security threat and risk assessment theory and practice, network and application security requirements analysis, cybersecurity architecture and design, cybersecurity technology research and development, vulnerability management and cyber defence.

Doug has led and contributed to several patents and is a well-respected contributor to cybersecurity-related publications and speaker at conferences and events. He has served as chair of NATO Research Task Groups related to cybersecurity, information assurance and cyber defence.

Doug has a Master’s degree in Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada.

Daniel Giasson joined RHEA Inc. in January 2019 as an Executive Director for Security Services and Solutions. Daniel has extensive expertise in all fields of security leadership and is responsible for expanding RHEA’s security offering within government and with new institutional, non-governmental and private sector partners and clients in Canada.

Daniel is an experienced, bilingual security specialist with strategic insights in security, intelligence, policy and the regulatory environment, as well as in the management and delivery of large and complex initiatives across government. Daniel’s career has included more than 35 years in the Canadian Public Service, many spent as a senior executive in key security-related organizations such as the Canada Border Services Agency, the Privy Council Office and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Daniel has a proven track record in shaping dynamic teams and delivering results through complex governance structures with multiple partners and stakeholders. He helped shape Canada’s comprehensive security response to the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks against the US. His recent experience includes building an organization with a government-wide security mandate, answering to multiple departmental and agency senior officials.

Gerry Deneault is a Strategic Advisor on security for RHEA Inc. He joined RHEA in July 2016 as Director, Security Services, and was promoted to Vice President, Business Development (Canada) in early 2017. Gerry started his consulting company in January 2019, but remains an active and key contributor to RHEA.

Gerry’s previous career was within the Government of Canada as a public servant. He held some of the Canadian Government’s most strategic executive positions in security, including Director of Security at Justice Canada, Director Security Policy at the Treasury Board Secretariat, Head of Security at the Privy Council Office/Prime Minister’s Office, Director General of Canada’s Industrial Security Programme and Director General Operations at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.

Gerry has received numerous awards from the Government of Canada including: the Head of the Public Service Award; the Governor General’s Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada; and the Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) Exceptional Career Achievement Award.

Gerry is a graduate of the Algonquin College Law and Security Administration Program in Ottawa, Canada.

Emmanuel Adant is Chief Corporate Officer and Deputy Managing Director of RHEA Group, having joined the company in 2014. A member of the RHEA Group Board, he leads the full operational support suite of Finance, HR, Legal, IT, Quality and other key back office teams across more than 11 countries.

Emmanuel is accustomed to leading multinational teams holding budgetary responsibilities of over €100 million. His financial career has covered all areas, including: accounting; forecasting; financial control; cash management; modelling; and auditing. He has more than 20 years’ experience running finance and operations teams, with an emphasis on service excellence and delivery.

Leading by example, he is now developing and upskilling his own team of leaders to ensure continued quality and growth. Under Emmanuel’s direction, the company has achieved ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications.

Emmanuel graduated from ICHEC Brussels Management School in 1993 with a Master’s degree in business and economics. He is fluent in French, English and Flemish.

Pascal Rogiest joins RHEA Group in December 2020 as Chief European Institutions Officer and Managing Director of the newly created RHEA System Luxembourg S.A. Pascal brings experience in both space and cybersecurity in order to further develop the commercial and institutional footprint of RHEA. In this new role he will also foster additional service offerings along the space and cybersecurity value chain and in related fields of strategic focus, leveraging the many competences present within the Group.

Pascal spent most of his career at the satellite firm SES, where he held technical, commercial, business and corporate development positions until he became Vice President, Head of Mergers and Acquisitions. He was behind the creation and subsequent development of two subsidiaries at SES, namely SES TechCom and Redu Space Services, and has been involved in various international projects.

He joined LuxTrust, the Luxembourg-based digital trust services provider, in 2015, becoming CEO in March 2016 in order to foster the international, commercial and institutional development of the company, and transform it into a customer-centric organization based on end-to-end digital trust and identity solutions. In 2018, he won the IT Security CEO Award for the Benelux region (CEO Monthly Magazine).

Pascal has a background in electro-mechanical engineering and a PhD in aerospace.

Mario Fernandez Pasarin joined RHEA Group in August 2020. As Chief Financial Officer, he is responsible for RHEA’s worldwide financial strategies, planning and analysis, legal compliance and ongoing relationships with auditors and investors, and for the management of RHEA’s worldwide financial affairs.

As a member of the Executive Management Team, Mario is influencing the definition and implementation of RHEA’s strategic direction.

Mario brings a wealth of international financial leadership experience to RHEA. Prior to joining RHEA, he served as Global Head of Finance for the marine, rail and air business units of Ingersoll Rand. He previously spent in excess of 15 years with Hewlett-Packard in various financial leadership positions, culminating in the role of Global Head of Finance Presales for the Enterprise Services Business Unit.

Mario holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Management from the Solvay Business School in Brussels, Belgium.

Arne Matthyssen joined RHEA Group in December 2011.

Arne’s career in started 1996 as a Young Graduate Trainee at the European Space Agency’s (ESA) European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC). He then moved into system engineering in a Belgian space company working on projects related to space robotics monitoring and control, before returning to ESTEC to work in ESA’s Concurrent Design Facility. In 2004, Arne created J-CDS BV, which provided concurrent design solutions to space and non-space industries. J-CDS BV became a member company of the RHEA Group in 2011

Through his RHEA career, Arne has been a project manager and business unit manager, and now holds the joint roles of Chief Solutions and Innovation Officer and Corporate Security Officer. He is responsible for all team members, projects, developments, innovations and solutions related to ground segment solutions and operations, data analytics, AI and machine learning, mission operations preparation, concurrent design, digital engineering and security services.

Arne graduated from Delft University of Engineering with a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1996. He is Member of the Board of Directors of RHEA System S.A. and the Flemish Space Industry.

Nicola Mann joined RHEA Group in 2006 as Human Resources Director and then took on the role of Head of Professional Engineering Services, which has over 350 staff providing onsite expert services and knowledge to our clients across Europe.

Nicola leads the performance, growth and operational profitability of the division, ensuring the successful delivery of the company’s portfolio of services and engaging strong operational teams of specialists who continually excel in their delivery to the clients.

Prior to joining RHEA, Nicola held various positions at Tyco International, including Human Resources Director for Tyco Flow Control EMEA region and leading the business model design in a global business transformation team. Her career started at Lucas Industries, working on engineering and environmental continuous improvement projects across the UK, Europe and US.

Nicola has a BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering from Birmingham City University.

Michel Bosco is an Adjunct Professor and Strategic Advisor who advises RHEA Group on industry/university relations, innovation strategies, international developments and priorities.

Michel was formerly a Senior Officer with the European Commission (EC). Under his leadership, the EC designed and launched several international cooperation programmes in the fields of IT, space and security involving governments, industry and research organizations worldwide.

After leaving European Union institutions in 2017, Michel established MAM International Consulting. He also founded an Executive MBA with the IAE Nice Graduate School of Management within the Université Côte d’Azur, with a focus on management in the space, defence and security industries.

Michel holds a PhD in Computer Science from ENSAE (Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace) in Toulouse, France, and an MSc in Civil Engineering from ENTPE (Ecole Nationale des Travaux Publics de l’Etat) in Lyon, France.

Marco Marigliano is CEO of RHEA System S.p.A. and Business Development Director for RHEA Group. Marco joined RHEA Group in July 2019.

Marco started his career 1997 as an Avionics System Engineer with Finmeccanica (now Leonardo). Prior to joining RHEA, he was Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Technology Officer at Argotec S.r.l. and Global Account Manager for the space sector at Altran.

Marco is currently focused on developing and building RHEA’s capabilities and expertise in Italy. During his careers, he has worked on some of the most creative space missions including the first European 3D printer experiment in space that flew on the International Space Station in February 2016.

Marco graduated in Electronics Engineering at the Polytechnic of Bari, with a thesis on Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry for Remote Sensing with the Italian Space Agency. He is fluent in Italian, French, English and Portuguese.

Isabelle Roels joined RHEA Group in September 2019 as Global Head of Marketing and Communications. Her role is to develop RHEA’s corporate marketing and communications strategy and help take the company to the next level in its growth.

Prior to joining RHEA, Isabelle worked at Samsung Electronics as a Senior Communications Manager, responsible for all Belgian communications activities, covering press relations, public affairs and internal communications. Isabelle has also worked in communication roles at MasterCard and Microsoft.

Marco Lisi is a Strategic Advisor with RHEA Group since January 2020, after retiring from the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2019.

At ESA, Marco worked as Special Advisor in the Navigation Directorate and supported the Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency (GSA) as Chief Technical Advisor. From 2012 to 2014, he was Special Advisor of the European Commission on European space policies.

Marco has worked for more than 35 years in the aerospace, defence and telecommunications sectors, holding managerial positions in R&D, engineering and programmes, both in industry and in institutional organizations. His main areas of expertise are systems engineering, project management, space systems, GNSS, telecommunications, security, operations and integrated logistics support.

Marco holds five international patents, has authored more than 200 technical papers and contributes to professional magazines on management, social and economic topics. He holds a doctorate in engineering and an Executive MBA diploma from the IRI Management School, and is a professor at UNPHU University, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Peter Dubock is a member of the RHEA Group Board. He has been associated with RHEA Group since retiring from the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2010. In his support he focusses on ESA and EU programmes such as Galileo and Copernicus.

While at ESA, Peter engineered major parts of the ground computer system for the first Meteosat mission, led a team producing onboard software for the first ESA manned flight mission with Ulf Merbold, and played a major part in the production of spacecraft such as ERS 1, ENVISAT and Aeolus. His final role in his near 40-year career at ESA was as the Agency’s Inspector General for several years.

Since leaving ESA, Peter has acted as Independent Chair for a number of investigations on behalf of ESA, Arianespace, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) and the European Commission. Probably the most notable of these was into the anomalous launch of Soyuz VS09 carrying two Galileo satellites.

Peter holds a BSc and a PhD from the University of Southampton, is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Chartered Engineer and a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and of the British Computer Society.