Title: President, Chief Executive Officer
Company: Proparms Ltd.
Location: Carignan, QC Canada

Proparms Ltd. is a manufacturing and design company that provides Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EDO) tools and technology to the military and first responders worldwide. The company was co-founded by Lesley Rust and her late husband, Joseph Elsener. He designed the first Waterjet Disrupter (known as 20mm Neutrex) to be used as a tool to help Police and Military defeat bombs. Together with close associates, they quickly expanded the company to North America and global markets, growing the products to include specialized ammunition and projectiles and a wide range of EOD and Improvised Explosive Device Defeat (IEDD) tools. As President and CEO, she continues to witness the growth of Proparms in sales and market share, culminating with the recent expansion of its operation into the U.S.

Prior to her current role, Ms. Rust became involved in her industry through her position as a special effects and weaponry supplier to the Canadian theatre and film industries. As a woman in a male-dominated industry, she acknowledges that she has had to climb mountains in order to be taken seriously, however, she also knows she would not be where she is today without the support of her closest associates and colleagues, many of whom have been men. Her current husband Richard Story, in particular, she regards as one of her best and greatest supporters. She also attributes her success to her own strength and perseverance and at this time in its history, an indispensable team.

The highlight of Ms. Rust’s career came at one of the saddest moments in her life. At her late husband’s memorial service, a close friend and business associate came up to her and told her what a difference her husband and Proparms Ltd. really made. She was told that a young U.S. bomb technician had said that Mr. Elsener’s invention of the Neutrex Waterjet disrupter and other related products had “saved many thousands of lives.”

Ms. Rust is a highly regarded member of the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI), where she holds a silver pin for 25-years of membership and service. Outside of her professional career, Ms. Rust enjoys singing, painting and drawing. She is a member of multiple singing and musical groups, including the Mountain Choraleers, and she looks forward to finding other musical opportunities. She is also a supporter of a number of charities, including the Lamoille County Food Cupboard, the Waterbury Disaster Relief Fund, the Vermont Professional Firefighters Association, the Stow Democrats, the American Breast Cancer Society and World Vision, Inc.

Contact Lesley Rust: