The news of James Hoblyn’s sudden and unexpected death at age 46–on July 3, while training for a marathon–reverberated like a shockwave throughout the aviation industry. James was at the top of his game in every regard: an effective, passionate, well liked and capable executive within Bombardier Aerospace. More important, James was a loyal and devoted husband and father to his wife, Josée, and his daughters, Emilie, Charlotte and Ashley.
A 1994 MBA graduate of London Business School, Hoblyn joined Bombardier Aerospace in 1998 after four years of consulting with McKinsey & Company. He held various marketing and strategic planning positions within Bombardier, including two years as managing director of Flexjet Europe. In 2006 he was named president of the all-important customer services division at Bombardier Aerospace, where he was responsible for customer support of all business and regional/commercial aircraft.
