Board of Directors and its committees

President

Louise St-Pierre is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Société de la Place des Arts, as well as an administrator on the boards of the Fondation de la Place des Arts, Transat A.T., and Vins Arterra Canada, and an angel investor at Anges Québec. She was Chair of the Board of the Domaine Forget de Charlevoix from 2017 to 2020 and has sat on about a dozen other boards throughout Canada. She was the President and CEO of Cogeco Connexion from 2013 to 2016, after having held several Vice-President positions at the company from 1999 to 2013. She began her career at IBM before moving on to DMR. In 2015 and 2016, the Women's Executive Network (WXN) recognized her as one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women. In 2014, she received the Mercure Germaine-Gibara Leadership award from Quebec’s Federation of Chambers of Commerce. She sponsored the McGill-HEC EMBA program in 2018 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Administrative Sciences from McGill University. She also received an honorary doctorate from the Loyalist College of Ontario in 2016, in recognition of her career in technology and communications. In 2020, she obtained her ICD.D certification from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Vice-Chair 

Éric Gosselin is a lawyer, partner, and national leader in the Business Law Group at the law firm of McCarthy Tétrault, where he has practiced since 1995. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Culture pour tous, in addition to sitting on the board of the Fondation de la Place des Arts. He is also Chair of the Advisory Board at the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at McGill University (Macdonald Campus), from where he holds a Bachelor of Science degree. He was called to the Quebec Bar in 1995 and has been a member of the Ordre des agronomes du Québec since 1998. He earned his Law Degree (LL.L) from the Université de Sherbrooke.

Members

Ms Stacy Cavery is Director, Digital Strategy, at public relations firm CASACOM. She has developed an extensive base of experience in digital strategy development, with her vast knowledge of this sphere giving her an integrated view of current digital issues. She also sits on the Board of Directors of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce of Quebec and holds a master’s degree in E-commerce from the Université de Montréal, as well as a master’s degree in International Commerce.
 

Annie Derome is Vice-President of Development and Acquisitions at Prével. She is recognized as a multidisciplinary executive manager with over 25 years of experience in the cultural and entertainment spheres. With extensive expertise in managing steering and finance committees, as well as in business development at an international level, she worked for Cirque du Soleil for 12 years and spent 7 years with GSM Project. Her professional career has allowed her to distinguish herself through her creativity, her analytical sensibilities, and her ability to develop and implement new business models in the cultural industry, as well as in the digital realm and in e-trade. Annie currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership. She holds a Bachelor of Actuarial Science degree from Université Laval, as well as a university certification in corporate governance from the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés.

Marie-Josée Desrochers is the President and CEO of the Société de la Place des Arts de Montréal since May 2019. On March 20, 2024, the Conseil des ministres du gouvernement du Québec proceeded to renew her appointment for a period of five years.

Since taking up her position, Marie-Josée has brought a new vitality to Place des Arts. Her collaborative leadership and unifying vision have allowed us to strengthen the organization’s positioning, further its reach, and significantly increase its revenues, in addition to building and consolidating strong partnerships with the milieu. Her mobilizing approach has also allowed for the development of a healthy and engaged organisational culture. Under Marie-Josée Desrochers’ leadership, Place des Arts has undertaken multiple forward-looking initiatives that have notably contributed to the development of the 2023-2027 Strategic Plan; to an in-depth revision of its sustainable development plan, including an EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) plan; as well as to the implementation of a major modernization program for its vast real estate portfolio of heritage interest. Marie-Josée Desrochers has also headed up an overhaul of Place des Arts’ Education and Communities sector, helping the organization reach tens of thousands of citizens in its spaces every year. She has also contributed to the establishment of a data management platform, giving Place des Arts’ six resident and associated organizations a considerable advantage in terms of business intelligence. Under her direction, a new series of shows was launched to further highlight the Amphithéâtre Fernand-Lindsay in Joliette.

Actively involved in her field, she is Vice-President of the Board of Directors and a member of the executive committee of the Partenariat du Quartier des spectacles (PQDS) and member of the Board of Directors of Montreal Council on Foreign Relations (MCFR), Synapse C and Fondation de la Place des Arts. She also chairs the Consultative Committee of the Faculty of Music as part of the University of Montreal's major campaign, and she is a member of IWF (International Women’s Forum). With almost 30 years of management experience in arts and culture, Marie-Josée Desrochers has held executive roles with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, actively taking part in the organization’s growth.

Marc Gilbert is Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he has worked in the field of consulting for over twenty-five years. He leads the Montreal office, where he is focused on improving the competitiveness of Quebec and Canadian businesses at the national and international level. He is the global leader in geopolitics and trade impact within BCG’s Global Advantage practice. He is also a core member of the Industrial Goods and Consumer practices. In addition, Mr. Gilbert is an active member of BCG’s Centre for Canada’s Future, which aims to convene leaders from the business, government, and non-profit sectors to achieve impact by working together. In this role, he helps move Canada forward by providing insight and expertise on the country’s most important issues. As a board member at Scale AI for over three years, he is also dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence in Canada. Prior to joining BCG, Mr. Gilbert worked at Merck & Co. He holds both Bachelor and Master of Engineering degrees from McGill University, as well as an MBA from INSEAD.

Danielle Laramée (ASC, FCPA, FCA) is a Partner and the People Advisory Services Leader (Canada) at EY. She is a Fellow of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec. As a leader in her field in Canada, she has been very active in the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec, the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, and the Association de planification fiscale et financière. She was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Standards Council of Canada, the UQAM Foundation, and the Fondation des Amis de l’enfance. Ms. Laramée possesses a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from UQAM and is a certified corporate director.

Alain Michaud is Chief Financial Officer of WSP Global since February 2020. He was previously Senior Vice President, Operational Performance and Strategic Initiatives for the same organization. Before joining WSP, Mr. Michaud was a senior partner at PwC Canada for over 20 years and a member of both the Canadian and Quebec Leadership Teams. Mr. Michaud holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Sherbrooke. Mr. Michaud was also appointed Fellow of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec in 2022.
 

Andrée Noël was a member of the Québec Bar from 1974 to 2018. She began her career as an in-house counsel for various private corporations such as A. Janin and Company Limited, Henry Birks and Sons Limited, Transcontinental Group G.T.C. Limited, and Fonorola Inc. Ms. Noël has over 30 years of experience in the regulation of broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada. She was President of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council and Regional Advisor for Quebec on the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). She sits on the Board of Directors of Maison Saint-Gabriel and has served as a member on the boards of Canal Savoir, the Bureau du cinéma et de la television du Québec, Jean-Talon Hospital, and the Philippe-Pinel Institute, and was a member of the Conseil du statut de la femme. Ms. Noël holds Bachelor of Arts and Law degrees from the Université de Montréal.

Véronique Rankin is the Executive Director of Wapikoni Mobile. Before joining the Wapikoni team, she was involved in creating the Indigenous organization Puamun Meshkenu, working alongside Dr. Stanley Vollant, and held the position of General Director of the organization. Since the beginning of her career, Ms. Rankin has mainly worked for Indigenous organizations and the federal government. These positions allowed her to acquire a solid background in the areas of organizational development, risk management, and performance and quality management. The cultural safety and narrative sovereignty of Indigenous peoples are at the core of her approach to managing organizations. She also sits on the board of directors of Menuentakuan Productions and is a research associate at the École nationale d’administration publique’s Observatoire des administrations publiques autochtones (Indigenous Public Administrations Observatory). Ms. Rankin holds a master’s degree and a postgraduate diploma in Public Administration from the École nationale d’administration publique.

Véronique nit icinikasonan Pikogan ka ici nta8ikian acitc ka ici opikian. (Véronique is an Anicinape woman from the Pikogan community.)

Guillaume Thérien is co-founder and president of Triptyq Capital, a venture capital fund investing in technology companies shaping the future of media and entertainment. A seasoned strategist in business development and commercial operations, Mr. Thérien has worked at BMG and Sony Music, the Opéra de Montréal, Quebecor and Juste pour Rire, and as General Manager of the incubator Zú. He is a member of the boards of Streamforge and BeatConnect, and has also served on the boards of Synapse C, Mutek and Pop Montréal.

Governance, Ethics, and Social Responsibility Committee

The Governance, Ethics, and Social Responsibility Committee consists of at least three (3) independent directors. It develops rules of governance and the Code of Ethics that are applicable to Place des Arts’ business conduct and revises the Société’s annual activities report, as well as the Société’s practices and policies regarding issues of social responsibility and sustainable development. This Committee sets out competency and experience profiles for the appointment of Board members and carries out the annual assessment of the functioning of the Board and its committees. It is also responsible for the directors’ ongoing training, as well as for an onboarding program for new directors.

Members of the Governance, Ethics, and Social Responsibility Committee:

• Éric Gosselin, Chair of the Committee and Vice-Chair of the Board;

• Andrée Noël, Committee member;

• Véronique Rankin, Committee member.

Audit and Risk Management Policies Committee

The Audit and Risk Management Committee consists of three (3) independent directors. At least one of the committee members must be a member of one of the professional orders of accountants listed in the Professional Code (R.L.R.Q., c. C-26). This committee is responsible for approving the annual internal audit plan, implementing the risk management process, and monitoring regulatory policies. The Committee also reviews financial statements with the Auditor General of Quebec for the purposes of recommending their approval to the board.

Members of the Audit and Risk Management Policies Committee:

• Danielle Laramée, Chair of the Committee;

• Éric Gosselin, Committee member and Vice-Chair of the Board;

• Alain Michaud, Committee member.

Human Resources Committee

The Human Resources Committee consists of at least three (3) independent directors. It sets out policies concerning human resources, develops a competency and experience profile for the appointment of the President and CEO as well as evaluation criteria for the position. This committee also helps select directors and establishes a leadership succession plan.

Members of the Human Resources Committee:

• Stacy Cavery, Committee member;

• Andrée Noël, Committee member.

Capital Assets and Business Affairs Committee

The Capital and Business Affairs Committee consists of a maximum of six (6) directors: the Chair, the Vice-Chair, the President and CEO, the Chair of the Audit and Risk Management Committee, and two independent directors.

Its duties include revising, for eventual recommendation to the Board, all commitments pursuant to the Société’s contractual management policy that are submitted to it for consideration. It also ensures the implementation and monitoring of a process for managing risks related to commitments made by the Société in accordance with this policy.

Members of the Capital Assets and Business Affairs Committee:

• Annie Derome, Chair of the Committee;

• Louise St-Pierre, President of the Board;

• Éric Gosselin, Vice-Chair of the Board and Committee member;

• Marc Gilbert, Committee member;

• Danielle Laramée, Committee member;

• Marie-Josée Desrochers, President and CEO and Committee member.