Sun. Jul 20th, 2025

Inside CAE’s Employer Brand Evolution


A Journey of Purpose, Innovation, and People

A Vision Rooted in Purpose

It takes vision, perseverance, and collaboration to reimagine how a company shows up in the hearts and minds of talent around the world. At CAE, that journey has been led by Negar Tabrizi, CAE’s Head of Global Employer Brand and Recruitment Marketing. With a background in marketing and a passion for people, Negar is responsible for shaping CAE’s global employer value proposition (EVP), stewarding their internal and external employer brand, and ensuring that every candidate and employee touchpoint reflects the company’s mission and values.

When she joined CAE over five years ago, there was no formal employer brand strategy. But as the world of work evolved, so did the urgency to tell a clearer, bolder, and more human story of who CAE is and why the best talent in aviation, defense, security, and healthcare should consider building their careers here.

A Purpose-Fueled Mission

Today, that story is alive and thriving. With more than 13,000 employees across 40 countries and a proud 77-year history, CAE is not just training the next generation of pilots and mission-critical professionals—they’re creating a safer world through cutting-edge simulation and immersive technologies. Purpose isn’t a buzzword here—it’s an everyday motivator.

Negar, with her calm tenacity and collaborative approach, led the charge to bring CAE’s employer brand to life. Through global research, internal workshops, cross-functional collaboration with HR, Marketing, and Communications—and deep listening to employee stories—she built an EVP rooted in what truly sets CAE apart.

Three pillars emerged:

  • A profound sense of purpose
  • A culture of bold innovation
  • The opportunity to grow personally and professionally.

The brand wasn’t manufactured—it was uncovered. A new Tagline emerged All for, reinforcing the corporate OneCAE message, and allowing teams to tell their personal career stories and inspirations from a center point. 

An Employee-Centered and Impact Focused Activation 

A major part of the rollout included educating and equipping teams across the globe. Drawing inspiration from Allison Kruze, Global Director of Employer Brand at Baxter, Negar implemented a resonant framework to bring structure and clarity to the activation phase: 

  1. Feed the Mind.
  2. Equip the Hand.
  3. Win the Heart.

Negar took this framework to heart with internal launches,  building EVP education tools, and an employer brand hub filled with storytelling guides and assets, and campaigns that encouraged employees to share their own stories and career journeys at CAE.

From a pilot instructor in their 60s to a junior software engineer just starting out, CAE hires for a wide range of roles—and needed an employer brand that could flex to resonate across generations and skillsets. The internal excitement around the EVP’s launch proved the work hit home.

Measuring What Matters

To help design, operationalize and activate the EVP, Negar and her team partnered with Blu Ivy Group and built a measurement strategy using Blu Ivy’s  proprietary AI-powered Employer Brand, Culture & Reputation Index (EBCI). This tool provides real-time data to track internal sentiment, external reputation, and the impact of brand efforts on quality-of-hire, retention, and culture performance.

The early response has been overwhelmingly positive. Marketing teams are embracing the messaging. Employees are taking part in contests to shape headlines that reflect the brand. And social engagement is already on the rise.

All For. One CAE.

The external launch is now live anchored by a powerful message: All for a safer world. All for growth. All for bold ideas. All for each other. This brand platform  is unified under CAE’s internal rallying cry: #OneCAE.

On their careers site, you’ll see those messages come to life alongside employee testimonials and a clear call to purpose. It’s no surprise CAE has recently been recognized with awards such as “Best Employer,” “Top Company for Diversity,” and “Top Employer for Young Professionals.”

A Rising Star in Employer Branding

The brand, the messaging, the measurement, and the experience—it’s all aligned now. And in many ways, this is just the beginning.

Negar Tabrizi is not just helping CAE recruit great talent—she’s helping the world understand what kind of company CAE truly is. At Blu Ivy Group, leaders like Zeeshan Merchant and Megan Raftery have been  proud to partner with her and her team, and to support CAE on this journey.

We believe Negar is a rising star in the global employer brand leadership community. And the evolution of CAE’s employer brand is proof that when you lead with purpose and activate with intention, extraordinary things happen.

Explore career opportunities at CAE: www.cae.com/careers


About Blu Ivy Group

Blu Ivy Group is proud to be a leader in employer branding and culture as performance strategy across the aviation and defense sectors. We help leaders uncover and measure the impact of their culture, their leadership, and employer brand reputation on business performance. Our work ensures organizations don’t just attract talent. Our work is designed to elevate how your business performs, to elevate the loyalty of your customers and partners, and to inspire, retain, and grow through a culture that performs.

To learn more about Blu Ivy Group’s work in employer branding, culture strategy, and measurement, visit www.bluivygroup.com

 

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