Our board consists of more than ten members, including the President and CEO of Investissement Québec (an ex-officio member). Our board members come from the industrial, financial and legal communities, the venture capital industry and the social economy sector.
Geneviève Fortier was appointed to the Board of Directors of Investissement Québec in May 2022.
Ms. Fortier has held the position of Chief Executive Officer of Promutuel Assurance since December 2019. She is the first woman to assume this position since the company was founded nearly 170 years ago. She has held several leadership positions over the course of her career in the pharmaceutical industry and, most recently, in the insurance industry.
Recognized by her peers for her performance-based leadership style, Ms. Fortier always puts people first. She plays a key role in expanding the group’s network of mutuals, which is highly active throughout Québec.
With solid expertise in governance, Ms. Fortier sat on the Board of Directors at Lassonde Industries Inc., Sanimax, and Germain Hotels up until her appointment as President of the Board at Investissement Québec (IQ). She was Chair of the Boards of Directors at CHUM and CHU Ste-Justine at a time when the health care sector was undergoing major transformation.
Geneviève Fortier is deeply involved in the insurance industry as 1st Vice Chair of the Board of the Canadian Association of Mutual Insurance Companies and as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Québec chapter of the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
She is also very engaged in the community, which includes her work with youth as Chair of the Board of Directors at Forces AVENIR, an organization that encourages students to be active, engaged citizens. Ms. Fortier is equally committed to helping ambitious women succeed, notably through her work with L’effet A. She also helps adolescent girls prepare for success through Fillactive. As well, she co-chaired the record-breaking 2012 campaign of Centraide Québec and Chaudière-Appalache.
She has received numerous awards during her career. In 2021, The CEO named her one of the Top 20 Dynamic CEOs in Canada. In 2017, she was named one of the Top 5 most influential women in human resources and diversity in Canada, and she won the Cadre, dirigeante ou professionnelle, entreprise privée category of the Prix femmes d’affaires du Québec in 2014.
Geneviève Fortier is a CRHA Distinction Fellow and holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Industrial Relations from Université Laval.
As a seasoned leader in the business world, Ms. Bicha Ngo is known for her strategic thinking and extensive transactional experience. Her experience and operational know-how are undeniable assets in carrying out Investissement Québec’s important mandate.
Ms. Bicha Ngo was named President and CEO in February 2024.
She joined Investissement Québec in October 2019 as Senior Executive Vice-President, Private Equity. In this role, Ms. Ngo identified and supported key industries and players in our economy.
Under her leadership, the investment and financing sectors (venture capital, investment funds, development capital, specialized financing and natural resources and energy) have all seen accelerated growth thanks to strategies that provide effective and proactive support for businesses’ ambitions, along with customized solutions designed to meet their individual needs.
Prior to joining the Corporation, Ms. Ngo held the position of Vice-President, Corporate Development for nine years at Domtar Inc., where she was responsible for transactions and the integration of acquired assets as well as development of the company’s corporate strategy. She also spearheaded a number of acquisitions and asset sales that helped transform the organization. Prior to joining Investissement Québec, she was a member of the investment banking teams at CIBC World Markets and Merril Lynch.
A CFA charterholder, Ms. Ngo graduated in finance from HEC Montréal and began her career at HSBC.
George Attar was appointed to the Board of Directors of Investissement Québec in August 2024.
As an executive coach for several companies, George Attar helps managers become better leaders. For over 18 years he worked at McKesson Canada, where he was Senior Vice-President, Business Development Strategy, Government Relations and Technology Solutions, and Senior Vice-President, Strategic Technology Solutions, a role in which he led the development and implementation of the company’s digital strategy. Previously, he was a partner at Accenture for more than 20 years, where he spearheaded numerous mandates for major corporations.
Mr. Attar has served on the Board of Directors of GS1 Canada for over 10 years, and on the Board of Directors of MEDTechnologies since April 2023.
Mr. Attar received a bachelor of business administration degree from McGill University.
Anne Bourhis was appointed to the Board of Directors of Investissement Québec in October 2014.
Since 1999, Ms. Bourhis has worked as a professor specializing in recruitment and staff selection at the business school’s Department of Human Resources Management. Prior to that, she was a professor at Université Laval.
A sought-after speaker, Ms. Bourhis received the 2008 HEC Montréal prize for excellence in teaching. She is the author of two award-winning books, including the manual Recrutement et sélection du personnel (2007, 2012), which won the Ministre de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport Award in 2008.
Ms. Bourhis holds a business degree from the EDHEC Business School in administration (organizational behaviour) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the United States. Since September 2017, she has been a member of the Héma-Québec Board of Directors.
Gaétan Desroches was appointed to Investissement Québec’s Board of Directors in February 2024.
Gaétan Desroches was Chief Executive Officer of La Coop fédérée (Sollio Cooperative Group) until October 2021. He worked within the La Coop fédérée network for over 40 years and held various positions in the crop production sector before being appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2006, and finally Chief Executive Officer in 2014.
Mr. Desroches sits on the boards of Intelia, the Institut de recherche et de développement en agroalimentaire, Théâtre du Nouveau Monde and Fondation de BAnQ. He also participates in international cooperation missions with SOCODEVI.
During his career, Mr. Desroches has received a number of awards for his professional skills. In particular, he is an honorary member of Réseau végétal Québec, a recipient of the Ordre du Mérite agronomique from the Ordre des agronomes du Québec, and a recipient of a third-class Ordre du Mérite coopératif et mutualiste québécois award.
He holds a degree in agronomy from Université Laval and an MBA from Université de Sherbrooke.
Catherine Dubé was appointed to the Board of Directors of Investissement Québec in April 2022
As a business executive and management consultant at Coboom, Catherine Dubé supports dozens of SMBs each year in solving complex strategic, organizational and operational problems and transforming their organizations.
Ms. Dubé is a leader of her family-owned consulting firm, which has B Corp certification, and a member of the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines et en relations industrielles agréés du Québec (CRHA).
In 2019, Ms. Dubé published COBOOK, in which readers can find answers to challenges related to managing, motivating and empowering work teams.
She holds a bachelor of business administration degree, with a specialization in entrepreneurship, from HEC Montréal and received a diploma from the École d’entrepreneurship de Beauce in 2015.
L.-Daniel Gauvin was appointed to the Board of Directors of Investissement Québec in July 2020.
As a member of the senior management of Desjardins Group from 1996 to 2017, L.-Daniel Gauvin was an active member of the
Pan-Canadian Investors Committee that led to the restructuring of the commercial paper market, as well as piloted initiatives to implement the risk management function and obtain Basel II certification for the entire financial group.
Mr. Gauvin had previously held various senior management positions in the financial sector, including Vice-President, Capital Markets at BMO Nesbitt Burns, Vice-President, Finance and Business Expansion at Royal Trust and Vice Chairman at Bank of America.
Mr. Gauvin is a member of Investors Group’s independent review committee; he recently chaired the investment committee at La Capitale Civil Service Insurer and Investissement Québec’s advisory committee on loans and investments, and served on the boards of directors of Fiera Private Debt and the Montreal Institute of Structured Finance and Derivatives (IFSID).
Mr. Gauvin has an MBA, finance option, from Concordia University and a bachelor of commerce from McGill University. He holds the ICD.D professional designation granted by the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Ms. Genest was appointed to the Board of Directors of Investissement Québec in June 2021.
She co-founded TACT, which, less than 10 years after its inception, has become the largest Québec-owned consulting agency in its sector. Boasting some 20 years of experience in public affairs, Ms. Genest has solid communication expertise in the political, association and private sectors. She has held a number of leadership positions, where she learned to develop a strategic approach, set priorities in crises, and settle difficult situations swiftly and tactfully. She works mainly in business communications, with a focus on the agrifood industry.
Ms. Genest also has a wealth of experience in government and politics, having been involved in the federal and Québec political systems for over a decade.
IHer community involvement includes sitting on the boards of directors of the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec, Montréal International and Investissement Québec.
Co-founder of TACT and manager of the agency’s Montréal office, Ms. Genest has a degree in organizational communication from the University of Ottawa.
Under the Act respecting Investissement Québec, the Deputy Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy is an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors. Jonathan Gignac has been a director since June 3, 2024.
Since 2000, Mr. Gignac has held a number of strategic posts in the Québec public service, including at the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune, the Ministère des Finances and the Société du Plan Nord. He joined the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie in 2020, where he served as Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries and Major Economic Projects until his appointment as Deputy Minister in June 2024.
Mr. Gignac was Chairman of the Board of the Société ferroviaire et portuaire de Pointe-Noire and is currently a member of
Hydro-Québec’s Board of Directors.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Université Laval.
Mélissa Gilbert was appointed to Investissement Québec’s Board of Directors in May 2023.
Mélissa Gilbert is the Executive Vice-President and Leader, Finance at Beneva. She was part of the select team that was responsible for creating this new entity, resulting from the merger of La Capitale and SSQ Insurance.
Previously, she held various executive positions, including at La Capitale Insurance, Optel, Norda Stelo, R3D Consulting, E&Y Calgary and Taleo, where she took part in several acquisitions, investment and remediation plan development, the opening of international subsidiaries and an IPO on Nasdaq.
Mélissa earned a Prix Relève d'Excellence award in 2012 from Réseau HEC Montréal; the Arista Jeune cadre du Québec award in 2015 from the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Montréal; was nominated for The Globe and Mail’s Best Executive Award in 2021; won FEI Canada’s 2022 Aces of Finance award in the “Financial executive of a large corporation” category; plus she was named Financial Personality of the Year and also won in the “Leaders in the financial industry” category in Finance et Investissement’s 2022 Top des leaders de l’industrie financière ranking.
Mélissa has an ASC designation—Québec’s recognized equivalent to the Chartered Director (C.Dir.) title—and is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA) who has been involved in various committees and currently sits on the boards of PolR Corp. and the Fondation du Musée de la civilisation.
Shahir Guindi was appointed to the Investissement Québec Board of Directors in February 2024.
Shahir Guindi is Senior Partner, Corporate Law, at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt. He has served as the firm’s National Co-Chair and is a member of the Partnership Board. He was Managing Partner of the Montréal office for seven years prior to his appointment as National Co-Chair. With over 30 years’ experience, he is a reputed advisor in mergers and acquisitions, private and public equity, and start-up and growth financing. Mr. Guindi also sits on the Board of Jubilant Draxis Pharma.
Mr. Guindi has received many honours throughout his career, including from the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Chambers Canada and the Best Lawyers in Canada rankings. He also received the Advocatus Emeritus distinction from the Barreau du Québec in 2017, and was inducted into the John Abbott Hall of Distinction in 2022.
Mr. Guindi holds a Bachelor of Civil Law degree from McGill University and has been a member of the Barreau du Québec and New York Bar since 1990.
Claudine Roy was appointed to the Board of Directors of Investissement Québec in February 2011.
Ms. Roy has been the President and CEO of Gestion immobilière Gaspé since 1990 and the owner of Auberge sous les arbres since 2014. She is also the founder and President of Traversées de la Gaspésie. Until 2015, she owned the Brise-Bise bistro in Gaspé, which she started in 1986.
Ms. Roy sits on the board of numerous corporations and organizations, including IQ FIER, Ressources Québec, Caisse populaire Desjardins Baie-de-Gaspé, the Association des restaurateurs du Québec and the Ordre national du Québec.
A business figure who is well known for her contributions to Québec society, she has served as President of the Corporation de développement des Fêtes de Gaspé and the driving force behind the growing international reputation of the Grande Traversée de la Gaspésie. She was awarded the TELUS Community Excellence Award in 2013 and the Award for Excellence in Tourism, one of the Grands prix du tourisme de la Gaspésie. A Chevalière de l'Ordre national du Québec, she is considered by her peers to be one of Québec’s 100 most influential women.
Ms. Roy holds a bachelor's degree in physical education from the University of Ottawa and a certificate in education from Université du Québec à Rimouski. She also holds corporate governance certification from the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés at Université Laval.
Louise Sanscartier was appointed to the Board of Directors of Investissement Québec in January 2013.
Louise Sanscartier, a governance consultant and corporate director, is also an instructor in the Governance program at Université Laval’s Collège des administrateurs de sociétés (CAS). Previously, she was a senior partner at management consulting firm Interis Consulting Inc. for seven years and then a partner with BDO Canada from 2013 to 2015. She has over 40 years of experience in the financial sector and has completed a variety of mandates abroad as a governance consultant. From 1984 to 2003, she held various positions at the Fonds de solidarité des travailleurs du Québec, including Vice-President, Corporate, Strategic and Technological Development.
Ms. Sanscartier is a member of the boards of directors of Investissement Québec, Femmessor Québec, the Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec and Coopérative d’alimentation de Rivière-à-Pierre. She chairs the governance committees of Investissement Québec and the Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec and is also a member of the FERIQUE Funds independent review committee and the Fonds de solidarité’s executive pension committee.
Ms. Sanscartier has a post-MBA degree in strategic management and change management as well as a master’s degree in project management from Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). She holds corporate director certification (ASC) from the CAS.
Marie-Soleil Tremblay was appointed to the Board of Directors of Investissement Québec in July 2020.
Marie-Soleil Tremblay is a leader at Effet A and a member of the boards of directors of the Québec Port Authority and the Festival d’été international de Québec, chairing both audit committees. She also serves on the board of directors of the École nationale d’administration publique.
Dr. Tremblay has a doctorate in business administration from Université Laval and has authored several textbooks and articles about auditing, corporate governance, control and financial management. She is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant and a full professor at the École nationale d’administration publique. She serves on several editorial boards and is associate editor of Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management and Accounting and the Public Interest.
Richard Voyer was appointed to the Board of Directors of Investissement Québec in August 2024.
Richard Voyer has served as Soprema’s Executive Vice President and General Manager for North America since 2011. He joined the company in 1995 as Research and Development Manager for North America before being appointed General Manager of Soprema Canada in 2001. Since his arrival, Mr. Voyer has led the company to remarkable success, opening several new plants, acquiring numerous companies and maintaining an exceptional annual growth rate.
Mr. Voyer also chairs the Board of Directors of the QG100 Network and sits on the boards of Groupe Lou-Tec Inc. and the Orchestre symphonique de Drummondville. His active involvement in various associations and groups, both in Canada and internationally, has allowed him to develop a broad network of contacts in business and government circles.
Mr. Voyer holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Université Laval and an MBA from Concordia University. In recognition of his diverse experience and numerous achievements, he was inducted into the Business Hall of Fame of the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Drummond as its 2024 “Bâtisseur” [Builder].