PRESS RELEASE
Quebec 2010 Strategic Focus
The Quebec of tomorrow: brimming with knowledge and energy
Montreal, February 10, 2010 - Marcel Côté, Founding Partner of SECOR, and Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, today unveiled the major issues that will be discussed at the first Quebec 2010 Strategic Focus. A private initiative of SECOR, in partnership with the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, the event will be an opportunity for high-level thinking on the challenges facing Quebec in the coming years.
Ten challenges have been selected and grouped into three directions:
1st direction: Invigorating human capital. Discussions will deal with initiatives to encourage youth to stay in school, improve post-secondary education, ensure lifelong learning and effectively integrate the skills of immigrants.
2nd direction: Invigorating the role and performance of government. Discussions will question the role of the government. How should it combine its functions of regulator, redistributor of resources and agent? These deliberations will lead to reflections on stabilizing public finances.
3rd direction: Invigorating business growth and excellence. This challenge will be analyzed by considering how to increase productivity, regenerate a drive for entrepreneurship, develop champions and invest in major economic spaces.
The Quebec of tomorrow: brimming with knowledge and energy
"An entire sector of civil society is mobilizing with Quebec 2010 Strategic Focus," said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. "This event will develop a common vision of the future of Quebec. This is a serious initiative that will raise the bar for our projects as a society. We know that we can't solve all of Quebec's problems in a single day, but with the participation and support of the business community, the province and the city have a better chance of distinguishing themselves and positioning themselves competitively for the future."
"This conference will be a meeting of two generations, the leaders of today and tomorrow, and will try to develop a social consensus on what Quebec's main priorities should be," said Marcel Côte, Founding Partner of SECOR. "So the theme of our first Focus, "The Quebec of tomorrow: brimming with knowledge and energy" summarizes our objective, which is to identify priorities that Quebec as a society can set to capitalize on our knowledge and energy and build the Quebec of tomorrow."
A much-needed initiative and dialogue between generations
The Leaders Advisory Committee for Quebec 2010 Strategic Focus brings together business executives and management from among the most important organizations in Quebec, including Michael Sabia, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Paul Lévesque, President of Pfizer Canada, François Côté, President of TELUS Québec, Jean-Marc Eustache, President and Chief Executive Officer of Transat, Gilbert Rozon, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Groupe Rozon, and Éric Richer La Flèche, President and Chief Executive Officer of Metro.
In an effort to provide leaders of tomorrow a major presence at the event, Quebec 2010 Strategic Focus also brings together entrepreneurs and professionals under 40 through its Emerging Leaders Advisory Committee. Whether from Bovet, Colby Monet, Labatt Breweries, National Bank or Bombardier, committee members will bring an innovative perspective to the event.
The two committees met several times to choose the issues unveiled today, and they will continue their deliberations and debate up to the event. During the event, which will host some 300 participants from different backgrounds, everyone will be invited to participate in plenary sessions and in-camera workshops and to attend presentations by renowned conference speakers. Based on a rigorous diagnosis of and comparison between Quebec and similar economic spaces, participants in Quebec 2010 Strategic Focus will continue discussions where the committees leave off, to develop an action-driven, future-oriented manifesto.
Quebec 2010 Strategic Focus will take place Thursday, April 22 at the Centre Mont-Royal. For more information, visit http://www.focusstrategique.com/.
This project is a private initiative of SECOR, produced in partnership with the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, thanks to the support of the following organizations: the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Desjardins Group, TELUS, BCF Lawyers Patent & Trade Mark Agents, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Mandrake Vézina Lebeau recherche de cadres and Pfizer. La Presse, the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec and the Regroupement des jeunes chambres de commerce du Québec are partners.
About SECOR
SECOR has been a strategic advisor to Quebec companies and public and parapublic organizations for the past 35 years. SECOR has become the largest independent consulting firm in Canada, with offices in Montréal, New York, Paris, Québec City, Toronto and Vancouver. It has earned an international reputation in management strategy consulting. SECOR's Oona Stock, Partner, and Philippe Collas, Principal, lead a team dedicated to Strategic Focus from offices in Montréal and Québec City.
About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
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 Montréal and to provide individuals, merchants, and local 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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Sources:
Oona Stock
Partner responsible for Strategic Focus
SECOR
Tel.: 514 861-9031
ostock@groupesecor.com
Sylvie Paquette
Media Relations Coordinator
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514 871-4000, ext. 4015
sylvie.paquette@ccmm.qc.ca