News

The Chair of Investissement Québec’s Board of Directors, Monique F. Leroux, has been appointed to the Canada-United States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders, inaugurated in Washington, D.C. in the presence of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Council held its first meeting on February 13 at the White House, attended by Ms. Leroux along with Messrs. Trudeau and Trump, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland, the daughter of the U.S. President, Ivanka Trump, and a number of influential businesswomen.

During a brief telephone interview with The Canadian Press, Ms. Leroux said that she had had a chance to speak to President Trump about the steps that should be taken to ensure women are better represented on management teams and boards of directors. “I stressed the very [progressive] measures taken by Canada and Québec,” she noted. “There’s still work to be done—both in Canada and the U.S.—when it comes to supporting women entrepreneurs by providing access to capital, networking opportunities and coaching.”

This initiative aims to encourage the growth of businesses led by women and thereby contribute to economic growth in Canada and the U.S. The Council will also recommend ways to overcome the obstacles facing businesswomen and tackle issues affecting women in the labour market.

Monique F. Leroux
Ms. Leroux was named Chair of Investissement Québec’s Board of Directors in April 2016, after serving as Chair of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Desjardins Group for eight years. Ms. Leroux is also President of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and Chair of both the International Summit of Cooperatives and the High Level Contact Group of the European Association of Co-operative Banks (EACB).

See the joint statement from Prime Minister Trudeau and President Trump  

See Monique F. Leroux’s biography