This document summarizes Merling Sapene's career and role in developing the "Passion for Flight" program at Bombardier Aerospace. It discusses how Sapene: 1) Led the design and deployment of the "Passion for Flight" program to spark students' interest in aviation and aerospace careers. 2) Guided the program from an initial idea through development, implementation across Bombardier sites worldwide, and eventual adoption by external partners. 3) Acts as a promoter, change agent, and influencer to gain support, remove roadblocks, and ensure ongoing alignment of initiatives like "Passion for Flight" with organizational goals.

1. How to maximize the impact of
your promoter
Merling Sapene
Master in Human Systems Interventions
Corporate Social Responsibility
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Education:
• Business Administration – Venezuela
• Master in Human Systems interventions –
Concordia University
• Corporate Social Responsibility Certification –
Toronto University
Career:
• Project Management and Change Management.
Specialized in strategic analysis, business
redesign, processes and system implementation.
• Leads multicultural and complex business
transformation projects
• Led the design and deployment of the “Passion
for Flight” program
IN A NUTSHELL …
“They did not know it was
impossible so they did it”
Mark Twain
Winner –
LYS GRAND PRIX HOMMAGE 2017
To have realized a smooth integration by
acceding 3 years after arriving in Quebec to the
management staff of the Quebec flagship
Bombardier Aerospace.

3. Objectives
Understand the role of your promoter
How to move your project:
from idea generation to implement and sustain?
How to become a change agent?
How to define change-implementation targets?
Sharing few influencing techniques
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4. The Project: Passion For Flight objectives
▪Spark a passion for flight and aerospace
▪Encourage students to stay in school (*)
▪Inspire students to pursue careers in aerospace
(Engineering, Science and Technology)
▪Reach a worldwide audience (sites)
(*) Note: Recent studies demonstrate that Quebec is the province with the higher percentage of kids dropping their secondary school
(between 24,5%-21,3%) 2000/2009 (Santé et Services Sociaux Gov. Quebec)
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5. Passion For Flight Story
The idea was to produce a simple package for Bombardier’s
employees to share our “Passion For Flight” to our kids
Paper plane
instructions
Pedagogical
GuidePowerPoint
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VIDEO
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7. Passion For Flight Story
• The idea was presented to key sponsors
• Influencers opened the door to other stakeholders
• A team of Pedagogical Advisors from different school
boards were called to participate into the design,
along with internal engineers
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8. • After few sessions we created passion for flight
package (for primary schools), it was translated into
French, English and Spanish and deployed across
different Bombardier’s sites
Passion For Flight Story
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9. • Idea was presented to Aero Montreal, program was
re-brand it with Aero Montreal logo
Passion For Flight Story
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11. • LIST Competition (400 kids participated Lester B.
Pearson and Margerite Bourgeois)
Passion For Flight Story
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12. • Train the trainers for around 20 aerospace companies
• Passion for Flight program was inserted within the
formal education program, available through GRICS
and BIM
Passion For Flight Story
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13. • CREO – Science en Jeu! And Virtual Museum
Passion For Flight Story
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15. Introduction
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16. • Was donated to JA Bombardier Museum and
Aviation Museum Ottawa
• Was deployed in India and also was shared in
Turkey to orphans kids from the war in Irak
Passion For Flight Story
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17. 2015-2017
• Aero Montreal took the full accountability to continue
deploying the program (primary and secondary)
• Presented as a project to « Je vois Montreal »
• Fund raising from Aero Montreal to different instances
• Used by Aero Montreal and Bombardier as the main topic
for Eureka Festival
• Aero Montreal HR committee inserted Passion For Flight
as a key initiative for the future
Passion For Flight Story
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18. Objectives
Understand the role of your promoter
How to move your project:
from idea generation to implement and sustain?
How to become a change agent?
How to define change-implementation targets?
Sharing few influencing techniques
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Understand the role of your promoter
“Someone who tries to encourage something to
happen or develop”
Cambridge dictionary

20. 2
0
Ensures ongoing
alignment
of the particular initiative
with other organizational
initiatives
Gains the commitment
and involvement of
senior and line
management,
using influence and
interactions to advocate
the project consistently
Champions
the change,
building and maintaining a
sense of urgency and
priority for it throughout
Removes roadblocks,
confronting those who are
blocking the change
WHAT HAPPENS WITHOUT STRONG SPONSORSHIP?
Delay in the project because
of misalignment
User resistance, more
difficult adoption
Lack of ownership
Overall, no achievement of the expected return on investment
SPONSORSHIP

21. Objectives
Understand the role of your promoter
How to move your project:
from idea generation to implement and sustain?
How to become a change agent?
How to define change-implementation targets?
Sharing few influencing techniques
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« All change (projects) begins with an idea »
O’Neil (2007) – “It is possible for an individual to function in more than
One role”

23. From an Idea to Sustainment
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Idea-project
Buy in
Targets
Sponsor
Influencer
Aceptance
Stakeholders
Sustain

24. Objectives
Understand the role of your promoter
How to move your project:
from idea generation to implement and sustain?
How to become a change agent?
How to define change-implementation targets?
Sharing few influencing techniques
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25. How to become a change agent?
An individual or group, who carry out the task of instigating
and managing change in the organization. He or she is
someone, who directly or indirectly influence change
i.e the change agents are appointed by the organization to
transform the ways the organization is managed, or the
business is conducted
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26. How to become a change agent?
• No direct line authority
• Works with sponsor and implementers
• Facilitates change. Acts as data gatherer, educator, adviser
• Helps sponsors to sponsor, implementers to implement
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27. Objectives
Understand the role of your promoter
How to move your project:
from idea generation to implement and sustain?
How to become a change agent?
How to define change-implementation targets?
Sharing few influencing techniques
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28. How to define change-implementation
targets?
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Clear value
Aligned with strategy
Specific and measurable
What success means?

29. Objectives
Understand the role of your promoter
How to move your project:
from idea generation to implement and sustain?
How to become a change agent?
How to define change-implementation targets?
Sharing few influencing techniques
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30. Sharing few influencing techniques
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Influence is defined as:
“A force one person (the agent) exerts on someone else (the target) to
induce a change in behaviors, opinions, attitudes, goals, needs and
values”
and “ the ability to affect the behavior of others in a particular
direction”
French and Raven (1959)

31. Reciprocity
Commitment or
consistency
Social proof
Liking
Authority
What is wanted from the
other person
Get people’s commitment
early
Create excitement about
the change
Build good relationship
Influence who has
influence
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Cialdini (2006): Principles of influence

32. Rationalizing
Asserting
Negotiating
Inspiring
Bridging
Using facts to persuade
Deliver the message with
conviction
Using compromise and
benefits
Using stories and emotional
appeals
Getting others to work
together to achieve the goal
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Musselwhite and Ploufe (2003):
Effective influencing skills

33. Passion for Flight
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Innovation
Teamwork
Passion

34. Insight
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“The secret of making something work in your life is
the deep desire to make it work – the faith and belief
that it can work- then to hold that clear definite
vision and see it working out step by step without
doubt or disbelief.”
Eileen Caddy

35. QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU!!!
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