Frances Allen, Board Member

Lieutenant- General (ret'd) Frances Allen retired as the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Armed Forces after a more than 41 year career in the military.  As a Communications and Electronics Engineering Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force, she has significant experience in communications systems operations, cyber security, cyber operations, and strategic resource planning, overseeing the strategic synchronization of the Defence program.  She has represented the Canadian Armed Forces in numerous federal government departmental working groups throughout her career, and in 2020 was posted to Brussels, Belgium as the Canadian Military Representative to NATO.

A firm believer that sport has the power to challenge individuals, build resilient teams and develop strong leaders, she was a Board Director for the Americas to the Conseil internationale du sport militaire (International Military Sports Counsel) for over six years, chairing the Finance Committee and the Women in CISM Working Group. 

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics from Queens University, and a Master in Defence Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada.  She is also a graduate of the ICD-Rotman, Directors Education Program, May 2025.