The Alliance - CANHAV ALLIANCE

CANHAV was founded in 2024 and is currently building the Alliance.

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Michael Pullen

Managing Partner

Michael Pullen is the managing partner and co-founder of CANHAV Alliance. He is passionate, creative, and excels in developing lasting partnerships. Since 2007, Michael has been dedicated to advancing airship and aerostat technologies in Canada. He co-founded CANHAV Alliance with the belief that bridging the gap between commercial innovation, capital investment, and government regulation can create a new low-emission air transportation industry for the public good.

Michael has worked on numerous political campaigns and managed national office administration for the federal Liberal Party of Canada during two federal elections, supporting political activities and conventions across the country, with emphasis on logistics, supply-chain, stakeholder and volunteer management. During his time as National Office Manager, he had the opportunity to form lasting relationships with political staff, Members of Parliament, and the Prime Minister.

With two decades of excellence in private security and investigation, Michael is a strategic thinker; proactive and hands on. He holds an education in political science and international development studies, along with specialized training in professional humanitarian coordination and mass atrocity prevention. His passion for resilient public safety and equitable socio-economic development is the philosophical driving force behind CANHAV Alliance.

He has served on the executive committee for Ottawa-based charitable school breakfast and at-risk youth programs and earned the Ottawa Police Services Certificate of Valour for aiding an officer in distress.

Abu Dauda

Managing Partner

Abubakar Dauda is a managing partner and co-founder of CANHAV Alliance, dedicated to advancing Canada in the airship industry. Abu firmly believes in the environmental benefits, supply chain solutions, and economic opportunities presented by hybrid air vehicles and aerostats. He co-founded CANHAV Alliance to connect the industry with capital investment, government regulatory bodies, and the next generation of engineers and entrepreneurs.
With over two decades of sales management experience, Abu focuses on sales analytics to drive profitability and customer satisfaction. He led sales management training, creating successful teams that won several Champions Club awards at his previous job. Additionally, he developed new policies and forms to enhance inventory management accuracy through better product tracking.

Abu has fifteen years of project management experience, with 14 projects completed in Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. He coordinated with utility companies, construction teams, IT, and supply chain partners to successfully complete these projects.

Abu studied political science, political theory, and philosophy at Carleton University. His customer engagement skills span diverse age groups and demographics, with a particular focus on the younger generation that will become the future workforce, entrepreneurs, and politicians.

Abu looks forward to building infrastructure, helping to establish regulations, and integrating airships into the cultural zeitgeist of Canada’s aerospace industry.

Michael Barton

Senior Associate

Michael has nearly 30 years of experience as a strategic executive and advisor in public affairs, media relations, issues management, and marketing communications.

Before joining CANHAV, Michael worked as vice president and group leader of the federal procurement division in a national consulting firm.

Michael’s experience includes fifteen years as the public affairs and communications leader to one of the largest aerospace and defence corporations, reporting to executive leadership in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

He has worked with small and medium-sized businesses to better market themselves for work under Canada’s Industrial & Technical Benefits program and has helped companies across Canada successfully secure opportunities associated with the HALIFAX Class Modernization program, the National Shipbuilding Program, Future Fighter Capability Project, and other major Crown procurements.

Michael has worked on Parliament Hill for Parliamentary Secretaries to the Ministers of Finance and Industry. He coordinated parliamentary debates and committee hearings, working directly with the Office of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons to ensure the passage of more than 20 finance-related pieces of legislation, including three federal budgets and major legislative reviews that included Canada’s Pharmaceutical Patent Act.

As an executive advisor, Michael has worked with pharmaceutical, agriculture, defence, national sports organizations, and several other industrial sectors.

Michael is a graduate of Carleton University..

He is the Communications Director and a National Board Member for the Navy League of Canada.

Chris Houston

Senior Associate

Chris is our expert in humanitarian logistics and innovation. Chris has managed logistics for Médecins Sans Frontières and the World Health Organization. He held leadership roles in humanitarian responses in three continents.

Chris launched and led the Humanitarian Grand Challenge: Creating Hope in Conflict innovation platform for five years. He previously served six years on the board of directors of Médecins Sans Frontières Canada and is currently the President of the Canadian Peace Museum.

Chris is a Community Fellow at the York University’s Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (UK) and a Certified Fellow of the Institute of Risk Management (UK).

Chris is Faculty at the University of Toronto’s Global Health Education Initiative and a chapter editor of the Oxford University Press’s Handbook of Humanitarian Medicine.