Walter Natynczyk General Walter John Natynczyk ( pronounced , na - tin - check ) , CMM , MSC , CD is the President of the Canadian Space Agency and the former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces . Biography . Born on October 29 , 1957 in Winnipeg , Manitoba , where he grew up with his two sisters , he worked as a " Winnipeg Free Press " paperboy and a hamburger flipper at a fast food establishment . Before joining the regular Canadian Army , Natynczyk spent five years in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets . Career . Natynczyk joined the Canadian Forces in August 1975 . He attended Royal Roads Military College and Collège militaire royal de Saint - Jean , graduating in 1979 with a degree in Business Administration . His formative years were spent on NATO duty in West Germany with The Royal Canadian Dragoons in troop command and staff appointments . In 1983 , Natynczyk assumed duties as a Squadron Commander at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston , Ontario . In 1986 , he commenced a five - year regimental tour in Petawawa , serving in several staff and squadron command appointments ; this tour included six months of UN peacekeeping duties in Cyprus . On completion of Canadian Forces Command and Staff College , he served on the Army Staff in St . Hubert , Quebec . In May 1994 , Natynczyk embarked upon a year - long tour with the United Nations in the former Yugoslavia as Sector South - West Chief of Operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina within HQ 7 ( UK ) Armoured Brigade , then as the Chief of Land Operations , UNPROFOR HQ in Zagreb , Croatia . In June 1995 , Natynczyk was assigned to the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff within National Defence HQ in Ottawa . He then commanded his regiment for two years , leading the Dragoons during domestic operations in the Ottawa region during the 1998 Ice Storm . Natynczyk returned to Bosnia in 1998 as the Canadian Contingent Commander . On his return to Ottawa in March 1999 , he was appointed J3 Plans and Operations during the period of deployments to Kosovo , Bosnia , East Timor and Eritrea . Natynczyk attended the U . S . Army War College , and was subsequently appointed Deputy Commanding General , III Corps and Fort Hood . In January 2004 , he deployed with III Corps to Baghdad , Iraq , serving first as the Deputy Director of Strategy , Policy and Plans , and subsequently as the Deputy Commanding General of the Multi - National Corps ( Iraq ) during Operation Iraqi Freedom . Natynczyk led the Corps ' 35 , 000 soldiers , consisting of 10 separate brigades , stationed throughout the Iraq Theatre of Operations . He was later awarded the Meritorious Service Cross specifically for his combat efforts in Operation Iraqi Freedom January 2004 to January 2005 . Upon his return to Canada , he assumed command of the Land Force Doctrine and Training System . He was subsequently appointed Chief , Transformation , where he was responsible for implementation of the force restructuring and the enabling processes and policies . Natynczyk was promoted to Lieutenant General ( LGen ) , and assumed the responsibilities of the Vice Chief of Defence Staff on June 28 , 2006 . On June 6 , 2008 , the Government of Canada named Natynczyk as the next Chief of the Defence Staff ( CDS ) , replacing retiring General Rick Hillier . Natynczyk was promoted to General , and installed as CDS on July 2 , 2008 . General Natynczyk transferred his appointment at a Change of Command Ceremony in 2012 . On February 16 , 2012 , in Washington , the U . S . Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , General Martin Dempsey , awarded the Legion of Merit ( Degree of Commander ) to Natynczyk . Natynczyk retired in December 2012 . On June 14 , 2013 , he was appointed president of the Canadian Space Agency by Prime Minister Stephen Harper .