An operator who builds the agents himself.
Simon has led complex operations and turnarounds, and now builds agentic systems for the work inside them.
Simon Lafreniere, Eng., MBA
Engineer and MBA with more than 26 years of experience across industries: 15 years at Bombardier Aerospace working across regional jets and business aircraft, then business turnaround and transformation from 2015. Since 2024, Simon has done this work through his own company. His focus since 2026 is bringing agentic AI into real operations.
Simon works with established companies, typically in manufacturing, distribution and professional services. The clients are leaders who know their business is sound and want to make it sharper without growing the back office at the same pace as the front line.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
LanguagesEnglish, French
EducationB.Eng. in Aerospace Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke (2000)
MBA, HEC Montréal (2007)
From the factory floor to agentic systems.
Aerospace
Fifteen years at Bombardier Aerospace across its full range of regional jets and business aircraft. Engineering, product and program management, manufacturing engineering, and supply chain leadership, with work spanning the launch, program execution and on-time deliveries of the Challenger 350 and Challenger 650.
Turnaround, transformation and growth
Executive roles leading operational turnarounds in Canada, the United States, Mexico and Europe across manufacturing, automotive and technology. Full P&L accountability. Rebuilt teams, processes and cultures in companies ranging from 50 to 600 employees.
SLAM Consultants
Independent practice serving established companies in Canada and abroad. Business transformation, operating-model improvement, and executive advisory.
Agentic transformation
Building and deploying agentic AI systems inside real operations. Combining 26 years of knowing what breaks in complex businesses with the engineering skill to build the agents that carry the work.
Three principles that shape every engagement.
People and process first
Automating a broken process gives you a faster broken process. We redesign the workflow before building anything, so the agent carries work that is already sound.
Establish the starting point and objectives
Before acting, we clarify the current state: time, cost, errors and capacity. Together, we define the objectives and how progress will be measured. Results are compared with that starting point.
People keep the judgment calls
Agents carry routine work. People keep exceptions, pricing decisions, client relationships and anything that requires context an agent does not have.
Awards and distinctions
Averna Technologies, company recognition during Simon's tenure
Bombardier Aerospace
HEC Montréal
Where is your team's time going?
Thirty minutes with Simon. You describe the operation, he tells you where agents can help and where they should not.