THE TEAM

Mario Iacobelli joined the senior program management and technical development team at MANNARINO in 2003. As a key member of the MANNARINO senior staff, Mr. Iacobelli leads the development, verification and certification of systems with embedded software, adhering to the guidelines of RTCA/DO-178C for use on both fixed-wing aircrafts and rotorcrafts.

These systems include Full-Authority Digital Electronic Controls (FADEC) for engines, Ground Support Equipment (GSE), Avionics, Health & Usage Management Systems (HUMS) and Fuel Quantity Indication Systems (FQIS). Many of these complex systems are developed in accordance with SAE ARP 4754 standards, including the performance of the System Safety Analysis as outlined in SAE ARP 4761. Mr. Iacobelli is also the MANNARINO representative on the SAE E-36 Committee, dedicated to Electronic Engine Controls.

Prior to joining MANNARINO, Mr. Iacobelli was employed by a major turbine engine manufacturer holding a succession of roles with increasing responsibility in technical and managerial positions, participating broadly in engine control systems design and development activities. His last position was in Project Management, where he managed the development of hydro-mechanical and electronic engine control systems for the small engine family.

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Mr. Iacobelli is a graduate of Concordia University, from which he received a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering. He also received a Master’s of Business Administration degree in Marketing and Finance from McGill University in 2001.

Angelo Labbate joined the senior program management and technical development staff of MANNARINO as an Engineering Program Manager in May 2002. In this role, he leads company projects from their initial phase to completion and represents MANNARINO during customer meetings and software audits with certification authorities.

Prior to joining MANNARINO, Mr. Labbate held the position of Senior Controls Staff Specialist with Pratt & Whitney Canada, where he was employed from 1989 through to 2002, holding a succession of positions of increasing responsibility and participated broadly in engine control system design, development and certification activities.

Mr. Labbate is a graduate of Concordia University, where he received a Bachelor of Engineering degree with Distinction in Mechanical Engineering in 1989. He also worked at Concordia University performing research and development of low cost fuel control systems. Mr. Labbate published a paper entitled “Digitally Controlled Fuel Metering Pump for Small Gas Turbine Engines,” which he presented at the SAE International Congress and Exposition in February 1991 at the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan.

Serge Harnois joined MANNARINO in 2012 as a Senior Software Analyst. In this role, he has contributed to a broad spectrum of aerospace and embedded software projects, ranging from Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) development and cockpit display applications to the design, development, and certification of safety-critical airborne software in accordance with RTCA DO-178B standards. Mr. Harnois was promoted to Senior Software Project Manager in 2019, joining the company’s management team. In 2025, he was further promoted to the position of Software Director.

Prior to joining MANNARINO, Mr. Harnois was employed by a renowned Montreal-based Military Communication equipment manufacturer where he developed embedded real-time control software for mission-critical communication equipment deployed in operational environments. Earlier in his career, he specialized in real-time control systems and SCADA applications within the energy management sector, developing software solutions for industrial automation and monitoring systems.

Mr. Harnois holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science from the Sherbrooke University, earned in 1992.

Patrick Guérin joined MANNARINO in January 2022 as a Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) Software Design Approval Appointee (DAA) within the MANNARINO Design Approval Organization (DAO).

Patrick began his career in the aerospace industry in 2002 as a software developer for a major avionics manufacturer in Montreal. Over the years, he contributed to a wide range of civil aviation and defense programs, specializing in the certification of real-time, safety-critical airborne software. His experience spans systems such as Flight Management Systems, Enhanced Vision Systems, Synthetic Vision Systems, and Primary Flight Displays. Throughout his career, Patrick has participated in all phases of the software lifecycle, from process definition to certification authority submissions. He has progressively assumed increasing responsibilities, ultimately leading software certification projects for complex airborne systems. His expertise includes DO-178B and DO-178C certification projects up to Design Assurance Level (DAL) A, with extensive experience in Model-Based Development (DO-331) and Object-Oriented Technology and Related Techniques (DO-332).

In 2014, Patrick transitioned to the airworthiness domain and subsequently became a TCCA software delegate. In this role, he led software audits for major avionics manufacturers and aircraft OEMs across Canada and the United States, worked closely with TCCA, and produced compliance reports supporting findings of compliance with applicable airworthiness regulations.

Patrick holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Université Laval. He is passionate about aircraft safety, particularly the role of software in achieving and maintaining it, and has a strong interest in emerging aerospace technologies.

Maria Del Re joined MANNARINO as Senior Administrator in May 2006. In this role she led the Administration department and was responsible for human resources, contracts, intellectual property and administrative services. She was promoted to Director, Administration in December 2008.

Ms. Del Re began her career at Bombardier Aerospace in 1992 as part of the Legal Department, where her responsibilities grew to include managing intellectual property, policies & procedures and participating in International Standards Organization (ISO) 9001 meetings.

After six years, Ms. Del Re ventured out of the aerospace industry and in 1998 joined Cyber World Group, a marketing e-commerce company where she worked until 2005, holding a succession of positions of increasing responsibility. Her last position was Director of Administrative Services, where she managed the company’s benefit plan, policies and procedures, intellectual property, contract administration and purchasing.

Ms. Del Re’s strengths lie in her understanding of the dynamic nature of the aerospace industry, as well as her knowledge of what it takes to see a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) through rapid growth.

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Ms. Del Re is a graduate of Concordia University from which she holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Administrative Management.

Jim Palmer began work at MANNARINO in May 2017 as the Director of Business Development. As a member of the MANNARINO senior staff, Mr. Palmer is responsible for establishing and implementing plans for growth in the services and products business lines.

Jim worked for more than 30 years at a leading Montreal high-technology firm with a wide array of international customers in both commercial and military sectors. For the last 12 years, he was the Vice President of Customer Support and Commercial Services (pricing, contracts and subcontracts). Most recently, he was VP Products and Navigation Solutions. In this position, he was responsible for product direction (products, integrated systems and cockpits) and across three company sites. Mr. Palmer also managed strategic planning, engineering, product management, marketing, and program management for a broad product portfolio.

Mr. Palmer’s career is characterized by diverse experience and achievements in the aerospace and defence fields, with notable emphasis on strategy development, negotiation, acquisitions and divestitures, program management, contract management, product support and after sales services, operations management, procurement acquisition planning and sourcing and logistics. He is known for his innovative and long-range business vision, as well as for building mutually rewarding teams and customer relationships.

Brandon Bhatnagar is a core software and real-time operating systems leader with more than 20 years of experience in RTOS product development, aerospace software certification, across singlecore & multicore platforms, including hypervisor technologies.

At MANNARINO, he serves as Product Manager for M-RTOS, overseeing the product’s technical roadmap, customer positioning, and commercialization strategy. His contributions are helping advance M-RTOS from a focus on safety-critical single-core platforms toward a broader aerospace strategy that includes multicore architectures that continue to provide ARINC 653 compliance, DO-178C DAL A certifiability and deterministic shared-resource management.

He plays a leading role in shaping MANNARINO’s response to next-generation IMA platform needs, while positioning the technology for relevance across Advanced Air Mobility, Uncrewed Aircraft Systems, and dual-use programs where modularity, cyber-resilience, and certifiability are decisive factors.

Brandon also supports strategic collaborations and R&D programs involving major aerospace stakeholders, Canadian SMEs and academic communities. He maintains a close connection to forward-looking regulatory guidance for airborne AI and machine learning, including evolving expectations for AI assurance, human-AI teaming, explainability, trustworthy autonomy, and safety assurance in certified aviation contexts.

Brandon holds degrees in Medical Biophysics (B.Sc.) and Management in Artificial Intelligence (MMAI), and focuses on the practical intersection of AI/ML, real-time embedded systems, and certifiable aerospace software.

Jose Senna joined MANNARINO in 2024 as a Senior Systems and Safety Engineer and currently serves as Systems and Safety Chief. He supports aircraft development and certification programs through system architecture definition, safety assessment, requirements development, compliance demonstration, and integration of complex airborne systems. His areas of expertise include system safety, powerplant integration, aircraft systems certification, and the application of ARP4754A and ARP4761 development assurance processes.

Prior to joining MANNARINO, Mr. Senna held senior engineering and technical leadership positions at Embraer, Bombardier, and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation. Throughout a career spanning more than twenty-seven years, he has contributed to the design, integration, certification, and safety assessment of commercial and business aircraft programs, serving as a Principal Engineer, Subject Matter Expert, and Technical Lead within international aerospace organizations.

Mr. Senna holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree, obtained in 1993, and a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Systems, obtained in 2010. Mr. Senna’s expertise includes aircraft systems engineering, powerplant and fuel systems, certification, safety engineering, and multidisciplinary technical leadership.