Dr. Dave Williams, a health care chief executive and record-breaking Canadian astronaut and aquanaut, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the gala dinner at the 11th-annual CHC Safety & Quality Summit.

The Tuesday, March 24, dinner at the Westin Bayshore hotel is expected to attract 600 people – many of the people attending what is recognized as the world’s premier safety conference for rotary-wing aviation.

Dr. Williams was a mission specialist on two space-shuttle missions, and in 2001 became the first Canadian to perform research as an astronaut and aquanaut after spending time in Aquarius, the world’s only underwater research laboratory. On the second shuttle mission, to the International Space Station in 2007, he performed three spacewalks, setting a Canadian record by spending 17 hours, 47 minutes outside the spacecraft.

Dr. Williams was also the first non-American to hold a senior management position with NASA, where he was director of the Space and Life Sciences Directorate at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

His medical career has included practice, lecture and clinical research in emergency medicine. He served as a member of the Air Ambulance Utilization Committee with the Ontario Ministry of Health, and has trained ambulance attendants, paramedics, nurses, residents, and practicing physicians in cardiac and trauma resuscitation.

As president and CEO of Southlake Regional Health Centre in Ontario, Dr. Williams has inspired engagement and led the transformation of Southlake from a small local hospital to a world class health centre.

With his diverse career and experience in extreme situations, Dr. Williams has developed a unique approach to leadership and risk management that is expected to make for a poignant and insightful discussion at the March event.

Past speakers at the CHC Safety & Quality Summit’s gala dinner have included astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield, leadership author Simon Sinek, commercial airline Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, U.S. Navy Commander Fred Baldwin, safety experts Dr. Scott Shappell and Dr. Jerry Cockrell, and aviation leader Sergei Sikorsky.

Details about the dinner, including how to purchase tickets, are available at www.chcsafetyqualitysummit.com.

About CHC

CHC Helicopter is a leader in enabling customers to go further, do more and come home safely, including oil and gas companies, government search-and-rescue agencies and organizations requiring helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul services through the Heli-One segment. The company operates more than 230 aircraft in about 30 countries around the world.