50 Grads, 50 Years

Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at Air Transat, Chrystal Healy is responsible for implementing an ambitious environmental, social and governance plan, which include managing and reducing the carbon emissions from its flight operations, developing its people and strengthening diversity and inclusion.

Healy, (Science, 2000), has long been interested in environmental issues, before issues of sustainable development were part of the mainstream consciousness.

“I grew up having a strong appreciation for nature. We spent all of our childhood outside and I had this very strong desire to protect it,” said Healy.

Healy was involved with student life at Champlain, playing on the volleyball team and was very focused on her studies.

“There was a silent room in the library where no one was allowed to talk and I was in there all the time,” she joked.

Healy pursued a degree in Applied Science, with a major in Biology, at McGill and did her master’s in Science there as well. She benefitted from a collaboration between McGill and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama.

“I was drawn towards conducting my research abroad and focused my on conservation and biodiversity in a tropical tree plantation in Panama,” said Healy.

After finishing her masters degree, Healy didn’t feel drawn to continue in academia. Instead she took a job working for a subsidiary of Quebecor, one of the largest media companies in the country.

Healy started as a project manager in Sustainable Development and after three years, jumped to working for Quebecor’s corporate offices, where she would become the Director of Environment and Sustainability.

While there for 13 years, Healy implemented a number of programs and policies aimed at improving the company’s social and environmental impact.

Among her many accomplishments, she implemented a program at Quebecor’s film studio Mels which encouraged film production companies in Quebec to reduce their environmental impact.

Healy said the program is still in place today even after she left the company in 2019.

“Netflix even became a partner of it so I was super happy,” she said.

Healy worked as the Corporate director of environment for Kruger Inc. for two years before taking on the newly created role of VP Corporate Responsibility at Air Transat.

Healy explained that the concept of corporate responsibility boils down to the idea that companies have a responsibility not just to their shareholders, but to their clients, employees, the environment and their community.

Healy said in this line of work, “you can be a catalyst for change, but you have to be patient and you have to celebrate the small wins. The work is never done, you can always do better and you can always do more.”

Healy jokes that her ultimate objective is to work herself out of a job. “Over the next 10 years, if I do my job well, all the things I’m doing become ingrained and part of the culture.”

Healy’s advice for current students and recent grads: “You can make a difference in whatever role you choose. You can be in finance, in business, an entrepreneur, as long as you’re following your values and doing what you believe in. That’s the most important thing.”