Vice-President, of the Satellite Communications and Radio Propagation Research Branch, Claude Bélisle has been involved in satellite communications research and development projects for more than 20 years.

Mr. Bélisle joined CRC in 1989, following a three-year stint with the Department of National Defence as a Satcom System Engineer. The first part of his career at CRC was spent as a Microwave and Photonics Engineer, working with the military satellite communications research group performing a variety of tasks, including the design, fabrication and testing of various microwave sub-systems for an EHF military satcom laboratory model.

In 1997, Mr. Bélisle undertook the challenge of Research Manager for the Advanced Radio System Research group, where it was his role to supervise 18 other researchers, engineers and technologists, while simultaneously assuming an active role in the research activities of military and photonics satellite communications systems. He also performed a number of additional duties that consisted of establishing research priorities, deciding operational plans, writing research proposals, negotiating funds and managing the branch’s budget, among others.

Mr. Bélisle has also played a major role in the development of Software Defined Radio (SDR), technology that facilitates interoperability among any number of communications systems and that has the potential to be used extensively to meet commercial, military and emergency rescue needs. He currently acts as a Director of the international Software Defined Radio Forum.

Not feeling that this was enough to fill his time, Mr. Bélisle also accepted the position of Acting Vice-President in the summer of 2005, a role that he continues to thrive in today.

Mr. Bélisle graduated with a Baccalaureate in Engineering Physics from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1983, he then went on to earn his Master Degree in Science Physics (Optics) from Québec’s Université Laval in 1985.