Now retired,John Leggat has enjoyed a career in the public, private and academic sectors.During a 30 year career in defence science he held positions in the Departmentof National Defence of Chief Scientific Advisor, Chief Executive Officer of Defence Research and Development Canada and Assistant Deputy Minister for Science and Technology. Following hisretirement from government, he consulted for many years assisting small andmedium sized companies with their strategies and business development. For 10 years he was an Adjunct Professor in the engineering physics and mechanical engineering departments at the Technical University of Nova Scotia, now part of Dalhousie University.
A native of Montreal, Dr. Leggat received his education at the Royal Military College of Canada (BEng 1971) and the University of British Columbia (MASc 1973 and Ph.D.1976) in the field of aeroacoustics. He is a graduate of the National Defence College.
Dr. Leggat is a former President of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and of the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences. He has served as a member of the Deputy Minister’s Science and Technology Advisory Boards of the Departments of Fisheries and Oceans and Natural Resources. He is a former Interim President and member of the Board of Governors of the Council of Canadian Academies and of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries. He is a former President ofthe Alumni Association of the Royal Military College of Canada.
For 33 years he was an officer in the Reserve component of the Canadian Forces, retiring in 2001 in the rank of Colonel, after having served with Reserve units and headquarters in Vancouver, Halifax and Ottawa.
He is a recipient of the Robert W. Angus Medal from the Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineering, the Public Service Leadership Award, and the Professional Engineers of Ontario Engineering Medal, He is an Honorary Member of the Engineering Institute of Canada and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. In 2013 he was inducted into the Wall of Honour at the Royal Military College of Canada. In 2018, he was the recipient of the Canadian Academy of Engineering's Léopold Nadeau Memorial Award for Distinguished Service.