Joseph David Randell
October 2015 Honorary Degree Recipient
Doctor of Laws (honoris causa)
Joseph David Randell is one of the most successful and influential figures in Canadian aviation and an innovative contributor to the economy and community of Atlantic Canada.
Currently, Mr. Randell is president and chief executive officer of Chorus Aviation Inc. and its subsidiary, Jazz Aviation LP, an airline that flies to more than 70 destinations. Previously, he was president and CEO of Air Canada Jazz. Mr. Randell began his career in the airline industry in 1974 with Eastern Provincial Airlines, after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the Nova Scotia Technical College, now Dal’s Faculty of Engineering, and a Master of Business Administration from Memorial University. In 1985, he co-founded and served as president of the regional carrier Air Nova. Fourteen years later, he consolidated Air Nova and its fellow Atlantic Canadian carrier Air Alliance into a single entity. In 2001, he brought regional carriers AirBC, Air Ontario, Air Nova and Canadian Regional Airlines under the banner of Air Canada Jazz.
Mr. Randell’s Halifax-based company is a key contributor to the local and regional economy, employing more than 4,200 people. His partnership with ±«Óătv’s Faculty of Engineering, in which students and faculty regularly collaborate on Jazz Aviation research and development projects, has helped increase the expertise and reputation of ±«Óătv’s Industrial Engineering department and train future generations of engineers.
His service to the economy and community are also reflected in his past presidency of the Metropolitan Halifax Chamber of Commerce and his current position as a director of the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. Mr. Randell has also been inducted into the Atlantic Business Magazine Hall of Fame and the Junior Achievement Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame.