Pilot and explorer Bertrand Piccard coming in for a landing at the Bell International Leaders series as part of Montréal Civil Aviation Week

MONTRÉAL, Aug. 25, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - As part of Montréal Civil Aviation Week, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is pleased to welcome celebrated Swiss pilot and explorer Bertrand Piccard, who on July 25 completed a 40,000 km trip around the world in a solar plane, without using a single drop of fuel. He was already known as the first man to have made a non-stop, round-the-world trip in a balloon, a journey he made in 1999.

At the Bell International Leaders event on October 3 at the Centre Pierre-Péladeau's Salle Pierre-Mercure, Mr. Piccard will talk about the genesis and joint creation of the solar plane Solar Impulse II, his passion for aerospace, the potential of renewable energy and his appetite for adventure.

A high-flying leader
"Bertrand Piccard's life has been anything but ordinary, and his leadership is an example for decision makers," said Michel Leblanc, president and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. "His achievement of making the 16-month trip around the world in his solar plane, after 13 years of preparation, is a model of innovation and determination."

"Mr. Piccard was one of the first to see ecology from the point of view of profitability, and with Solar Impulse II, he showed that sustainable development can be an opportunity for both business and innovation to fight climate change. His achievements make him a leading figure in the field of aerospace and an important influence for all those who are building the world of tomorrow."

The first Montréal Civil Aviation Week
"Hosting a speaker of Bertrand Piccard's calibre is a great way to mark the first edition of Montréal Civil Aviation Week," Mr. Leblanc said. "The aerospace industry provides tens of thousands of high-quality jobs in the metropolitan area, and it also creates wealth and contributes to the development of a knowledge- and innovation-based economy. The presence of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and world leaders such as Bombardier and Pratt & Whitney make Montréal a leading light on the international scene as a high-tech city in the field of aviation."

This Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal event is organized with the support of Bell, in partnership with evenko and the cooperation of CJAD 800., the Government of Québec, La Presse+, the Montreal Gazette and the Ville de Montréal.

The Bell International Leaders series receives inspiring, internationally recognized figures from different spheres who have changed our world. Bertrand Piccard is the latest in a series of speakers that included Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who spoke in January 2014. The famous scientist and author David Suzuki, Secretary of State and American presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, French president Nicolas Sarkozy and television host Larry King are a few of the other luminaries who have spoken as part of this series in recent years.

For more information on Bertrand Piccard's conference or to take part in it, please visit the Board of Trade website. 

To consult Bertrand Piccard's biography, click here.

About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is made up of over 7,000 members. Its mission is to be the voice of Montréal's business community and to promote the city's prosperity. It is involved in key areas of economic development, advocating a philosophy of action based on engagement, credibility, proactivity, collaboration, and innovation. The Board of Trade also offers a range of specialized services to individuals and to businesses of all sizes to support them in their growth at home and abroad.

About Montréal Civil Aviation Week
With its head office in Montréal since it was founded in 1947, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations body, has attracted many prestigious organizations in the aviation sector, making the city the world capital of civil aviation. For the ICAO's annual meeting and the Airport Council International (ACI) conference, when over 5,000 delegates will gather in Montréal, the presence of these important players in civil aviation will be marked during a week devoted to a key sector of the economy, from September 26 to October 3, 2016. The vitality of Québec's aerospace industry will also be marked, an industry that works closely with these world leaders. Aéroports de Montréal, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, the Ville de Montréal, Aéro Montréal and Montreal International are the main programming partners for this exciting week. The event is also made possible through the financial support of the Ville de Montréal and the Government of Québec. The program features a wide range of activities on the themes of innovation and the environment, including open houses, tours, exhibitions by flying clubs, "dragon" style competitions and high-level conferences.

For more information on the week's program: www.semainedelaviationcivilemontreal.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/chambremontreal
Twitter: @chambremontreal
Follow the discussion: #PicardCCMM

SOURCE Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal

Guillaume Bérubé, Advisor, Media Relations, Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, Phone: [phone], extension 4042, [email protected]