Press release
Claude Michaud appointed chairman of the
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Montreal, October 12, 2004 At the Annual Meeting of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, held today, its members elected the 2004-2005 board of directors, which then appointed Claude Michaud to serve as chairman of the board for a one-year term. Mr. Michaud succeeds Mr. Jean Laurin, president and CEO of GVA Devencore who, under the rules in force, is now the retiring chairman.
I am very proud today to pass the torch to the new chairman of the board, because everything is now in place to enable the Board of Trade to fully realize its important mission. And that mission is expressed through the excellence of a discussion and decision-making process placed at the service not of individual interests but, first and foremost, of the interests of metropolitan Montreal . Because what is good for Montreal is good for all economic stakeholders, declared Laurin.
Mr. Michaud is senior vice-president, Finance and chief financial officer of Neurochem Inc. Before joining the biopharmaceutical company Neurochem Inc., in October 2002, he was senior vice-president and chief financial officer for C-MAC Industries. From 1986 to 2000, he held different positions at Scotia Capital, the most recent being managing director, Corporate Financing. From 1983 to 1986, he was director, Management Consulting, at Group SECOR Inc.
There is no doubt in my mind that if the Board of Trade is now able to contribute fully to the social, cultural, environmental, and economic development of Greater Montreal, it is because it benefits from the unflagging devotion of a board of directors whose composition reflects the diversity of the forces driving Montreal activity. During my mandate, the Board of Trade will resolutely continue the task it has set itself in recent years, helping to make Montreal a true city of the world, wealthy and competitive, and ensuring this objective remains at the forefront of the concerns of decision-makers, added Michaud, the Board of Trade's new chairman of the board.
The chairman is called upon to be actively involved in the Board of Trade's activities for a two-year period the first as chairman of the board and the second as retiring chairman. During these two years, Mr. Michaud will sit on both the executive committee and the human resource committee. Since April 2002, the position of permanent president has been occupied by Mr. Benoit Labonté, who thus serves as the Board of Trade's CEO and official spokesperson.
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal also took advantage of this opportunity to express its gratitude to Mr. Jacques Parisien, who is leaving the Board of Trade's board of directors. Mr. Parisien, president and CEO of Astral Media Radio, served on the board of directors for four years.
The 2004-2005 board of directors is composed of the following members:
Chairman
Claude Michaud
Senior vice-president, Finance, and chief financial officer
Neurochem Inc.
Retiring chairman
Jean Laurin
President and chief executive officer
GVA Devencore
President and chief executive officer
Benoit Labonté
President and chief executive officer
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
First vice-president
Marie-Claude Lalande
Assistant vice-president and senior counsel
Sun Life Financial
Vice-presidents
Johanne Lépine
Vice-chairman and chief executive officer
Aon Parizeau Inc.
Elliot Lifson
Vice-chairman
Peerless Clothing Inc.
Robert Racine
Partner
Kenniff & Racine, Executive Search
Howard R. Silverman
President and chief executive officer
The CAI Global Group Inc.
Treasurer
Pierre Laflamme
Lawyer
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Members
Raymond Bachand
President and chief executive officer
SECOR
Patrice Borreman
President
Jeune Chambre de Commerce de Montréal
Consultant
Belle Isle, Djandji Executive Search
Pierre Cléroux
Executive director
Chambre des notaires du Québec
Jean-Pierre De Montigny
President and chief operating officer
Desjardins Securities
Roch Denis
Rector
Université du Québec à Montréal
Hélène Desmarais
Chairman and chief executive officer
Montreal entreprises and innovation centre
Dominique Levesque
Vice-president, Operations, Eastern Canada
Protectron Inc.
Heather Munroe-Blum
Principal and vice-chancellor
McGill University
Faraj Nakhleh
Associate
Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton
John Parisella
President
BCP ltée
Roger Plamondon
Regional operation manager for Eastern Canada
Home Depot
Danielle Sauvage
Executive director and secretary
Conseil des arts de Montréal
Larry Smith
President and chief executive officer
Montreal Alouettes
Martin Tremblay
President and chief executive officer
Ubisoft
Pierre Turcotte
Senior vice-president and general manager, Greater Montréal
CGI
Helen Tyros
Associate vice-president, Human Resources
TD Canada Trust - Quebec Region
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has some 7,000 members. Its primary mission is to represent the interests of the business community of Greater Montreal and to provide individuals, merchants, and businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is Quebec 's leading private economic development organization.
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Source:
Sylvie Paquette
Coordinator, Media relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: (514) 871-4000, ext. 4015
sylvie.paquette@ccmm.qc.ca