Speaker Biograghy: Neil is responsible for the delivery of effective, efficient and consistent screening operations at Canada’s 89 designated airports. He is also accountable for representing CATSA’s interests with stakeholders including government, regulatory and law enforcement agencies as well as airports, air carriers and security screening providers. Neil’s career with the Government of Canada began in 1996 with the Department of Canadian Heritage and then Transport Canada. In 2002 he joined CATSA’s Strategy Branch. Since then he has held a number of senior positions including Director, Learning and Development, and Senior Director, Program Delivery, responsible for the delivery of screening services across the country. In this last role, he championed the implementation of CATSA’s new Airport Screening Services Agreements. Neil holds a BA in History from the University of Windsor and an MBA in International Aviation from Concordia University.


Day 1 - 25 March
Session: Aviation Security, Border Control & Facilitation

09:35 - 10:00 - Effective and efficient security programmes for today’s world
Synopsis: With budgets tightening across all sectors, it is becoming increasingly important for aviation security programmes to remain effective while finding efficiencies. The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) is focusing on innovative cost-effective solutions to enhance training, add security value and improve passenger facilitation. Neil Parry, VP of Service Delivery, will speak about CATSA’s 2013-2014 strategic objectives centred on security process improvements, security screening and effectiveness, as well as various initiatives focused on screening officer performance optimisation. In collaboration with its screening contractors and industry partners, CATSA continues to focus on improving operations at 89 airports across Canada.

Audience will learn:

• Screening officer performance optimisation initiatives aimed at improved training, simplified processes and the human elements of performance
• Security screening process improvements focused on effectiveness, efficiency and consistency at the checkpoint
• Working in collaboration with screening contractors on long-term performance-based screening contracts in four regions across Canada
• Using technology and facilitation to better prepare passengers for their experience at the checkpoint
• Leveraging innovation and using passenger arrival patterns to better plan resource deployments

Day 1 - 25 March
Session: Aviation Security, Border Control & Facilitation

17:05 - 17:35 - Panel Discussion: Finding the balance between better security and improved throughput
Synopsis: More security means more cost, more congestion, slower processing, angrier passengers – is there a better equation?

Audience will learn:

• A realistic assessment of your throughput choke points: architectural, technology, regulatory, procedural, training – or all of the above
• Defining 'better security' through a threat/vulnerability assessment (how much security is enough) and a resulting Concept of Operations
• Technology is not the only answer – but it makes up for a lot of human error
• Waiting for Godot – will the promised new technology ever get here? When it does, will it ever stop changing?
• Maintaining the flexibility to respond to what’s happening here, not an event 6,000 miles away