MONTRÉAL, Feb. 6, 2018 /CNW
Telbec/ - La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, National Bank
and Desjardins Group announce the creation of the Cercle des Grands
entrepreneurs du Québec to honour exceptional entrepreneurs who,
through their achievements, commitments and ideals, contribute to
entrepreneurship promotion and Québec's economic development.
An evening tribute will be held to pay homage to their
contributions to the dynamism of entrepreneurship in Québec and an
interactive exhibition that highlights their respective journeys
will travel across the province during the coming weeks.
During the tour, a public space devoted to Grands entrepreneurs
du Québec will be erected to enable the honourees to continue to
inspire future generations. Other Québec business owners that
helped to build entrepreneurship in Québec will be honoured in
future years.
The first edition of the Cercle des Grands entrepreneurs du
Québec honours:
- Alain Bouchard
- Aldo Bensadoun
- Lino Saputo
- Lise Watier
- Rémi Marcoux
- Serge Godin
By recognizing these entrepreneurs, the Cercle seeks to
highlight role models in leadership, creativity, courage,
perseverance and ambition.
"The Cercle was designed to offer inspirational models to a new
generation of entrepreneurs," said Michael
Sabia, President and CEO of La Caisse de dépôt et placement
du Québec. "A strong entrepreneurial culture is a key ingredient in
creating a strong new generation that will build tomorrow's
businesses. It is thus important that we recognize those who have
paved the way for Québec entrepreneurship and who incarnate the
most inspiring aspects of entrepreneurial culture."
A major entrepreneurial legacy
The 2018 Cercle
honourees stand out by bringing their businesses to the top of
their industries, as well as by making concrete gestures to share
their knowledge and expertise with future entrepreneurs. Through
the creation of specialized programs (entrePrism by
Lino Saputo, S'Entreprendre
by Lise Watier or The
Rémi-Marcoux Entrepreneurial Course by Rémi Marcoux),
the opening of a school (Bensadoun School of Retail
Management, by Aldo Bensadoun)
their role in mentoring (Alain
Bouchard's participation in the Adopte Inc. program
and Serge Godin's pushing for the
development of intrapreneurial skills inside CGI), each has found a
way to keep their vision alive and to offer youth the support and
guidance they need to succeed.
"The six leaders being honoured have made significant
contributions to developing our society. National Bank is proud to
play a part in recognizing and sharing their outstanding
achievements, in particular with the young business community. It's
important to foster knowledge transfer in order to develop the next
generation of business owners—they are essential for the vitality
of our economy," stated Louis
Vachon, President and CEO of National Bank.
An exhibition for Quebecers
The Cercle des Grands
entrepreneurs du Québec's travelling exhibition invites the public
to learn about the honourees' histories. This rich, exclusive and
interactive content will be displayed for free in cities throughout
the province.
- Montréal – Central Station, February 12
to 16, 2018
- Sherbrooke – Centre Sportif,
February 22 to 25, 2018
- Québec – Place Ste-Foy, March 1 to 4,
2018
- Saguenay – Place du Royaume, March
8 to 12, 2018
- Drummondville – Centrexpo,
March 15 to 18, 2018
"To build thriving communities across Quebec—both in rural areas
and bustling city centres—we need thousands of new entrepreneurs,"
said Guy Cormier, President and CEO
of Desjardins Group. "We need start-ups and people to fill the
shoes of retiring business owners. The six leaders being honoured
serve as an inspiration to everyone who wishes to join their
ranks."
The honourees of the Cercle's 2018 edition were chosen by
a jury made up of entrepreneurs and members of the business
communities of various regions and sectors.
- Michèle Boisvert, Executive Vice-President, Business Outreach,
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (President of the jury)
- Stéphane Achard, Senior Vice-President, Commercial
Banking, Canada and International, National Bank
- Jean-Yves Bourgeois, General
Manager, Group Leader, Desjardins Capital Markets
- Dominique Brown, President and
CEO, Chocolat Favoris
- Martin Deschênes, President, École d'entrepreneurship de Beauce
and ex-President of Groupe Deschênes
- Jean-René Halde, corporate director and ex-President and CEO of
the Business Development Bank of Canada
- Christiane Germain, co-President
of Groupe Germain
About Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
Caisse de
dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) is a long-term institutional
investor that manages funds primarily for public and parapublic
pension and insurance plans. As at June 30, 2017, it held
$286.5 billion in net assets. As one
of Canada's leading institutional
fund managers, CDPQ invests globally in major financial markets,
private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private debt. For
more information, visit cdpq.com, follow us on Twitter @LaCDPQ or
consult our Facebook or LinkedIn pages.
About National Bank of Canada
With
$246 billion in assets as at October
31, 2017, National Bank of Canada, together with its subsidiaries, forms
one of Canada's leading integrated
financial groups. It has more than 21,000 employees in
knowledge-intensive positions and has been recognized numerous
times as a top employer and for its commitment to
diversity. Its securities are listed on the Toronto Stock
Exchange (TSX: NA). Follow the Bank's activities at nbc.ca or
via social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
About Desjardins Group
Desjardins Group is the leading
cooperative financial group in Canada and the sixth largest cooperative
financial group in the world, with assets of $276.3 billion. It has been rated one of the
Best Employers in Canada by
Aon Hewitt. To meet the diverse
needs of its members and clients, Desjardins offers a full range of
products and services to individuals and businesses through its
extensive distribution network, online platforms and subsidiaries
across Canada. Counted among the
World's Strongest Banks according to The Banker magazine,
Desjardins has one of the highest capital ratios and credit ratings
in the industry.
SOURCE Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec