Eight New Directors Join the Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary

MONTREAL, April 9, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary can now count on the volunteer involvement of eight new directors. Appointed by the members of the Board of Directors, Nathalie Bondil (vice-president), Jean Robert-Choquet, Robert Dépatie, Manon Gauthier, Yves Lalumière, Stéphane Lemay (secretary), JD Miller, and Jean Royer join the group which now has 30 members.

"I am grateful that these eight Montréal leaders have agreed to help organize Montréal's 375th anniversary on a volunteer basis. Their expertise complements that of the directors who are already serving. Elected just a short while ago, I hope to set up a framework that will enable the directors to govern soundly and constructively, and above all to be volunteers who actively participate in achieving our common goal. We have an ambitious mandate. In addition to the 2017 festivities, we want to help revive the city. That is why I am happy to be able to count on a board of directors made up of 30 Montréalers who put Montréal's interests above their own," said France Chrétien Desmarais, President of the Society's Board of Directors.

Nathalie Bondil - Vice-president
Director and Chief Curator of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Nathalie Bondil has been the Director of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts since 2007, and Chief Curator of the Museum since 2000. Starting on March 31, 2014, she will also serve as Vice-Chairperson of the Canada Council for the Arts. She has been named Chevalière of the Ordre national du Québec and Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic. She received an honorary Doctor of Letters from McGill University. Ms. Bondil, an art historian, is a graduate of the École du Louvre and the Institut National du Patrimoine, in Paris.

Jean-Robert Choquet
Director, Culture and Heritage Office, Ville de Montréal
After ten years with the Government of Quebec, Mr. Choquet served as chief of staff of the Mayor of Montréal for eight years, from 1986 to 1994, where he also took part in organizing the celebrations for Montréal's 350th anniversary. Subsequently, from 1995 to the start of 2002, he was the executive director of the Union des artistes. He returned to the Ville de Montréal in 2002, as Director of the Communications department. Since 2004, he has been in charge of the City's cultural services; in 2010, the heritage file was added. He also sits on the board of directors of the Conseil des arts de Montréal and the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership.

Robert Dépatie
President and Chief Executive Officer, Québecor inc. and Québecor Média inc.
In December 2001, Mr. Dépatie joined Vidéotron as Senior Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Customer Service. Not long afterwards, in June 2003, Pierre Karl Péladeau named him President and Chief Executive Officer. His unprecedented customer-focused approach resulted in the company achieving spectacular new levels. Although entirely dedicated to his company, Robert Dépatie is still a citizen who cares about social responsibility. Just one example of this is his commitment to the Maison de réhabilitation Raymonde-Chopin-Péladeau and the Notman House. Before coming to work for Québecor, Robert Dépatie held several management positions in the food industry, in particular at Le Marquis/Planters and Heinz. Robert Dépatie holds a degree in marketing from the University of Western Ontario.

Manon Gauthier
Ville de Montréal's Executive Committee Member responsible for Culture, Heritage, Design, The Space for Life, and the Status of Women
A renowned strategist and leader, Manon Gauthier has more than 20 years of experience in cultural management, communications, and public affairs. Ms. Gauthier started her career in the cultural sector before holding executive positions at leading international communication agencies. She contributed to the presence of the companies Weber Shandwick and Cohn & Wolfe on the Montreal scene. In 2009, businessman and philanthropist Alvin Segal entrusted her with the management and development of the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts. Elected for the first time in November 2013, Manon Gauthier is city councillor for the Champlain-L'Île-des-Sœurs district in the borough of Verdun. Since then, she has been given numerous responsibilities within the Denis Coderre team. Ms. Gauthier holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University and has been the recipient of numerous awards and honours.

Yves Lalumière
President and Chief Executive Officer, Tourism Montréal
Active in the tourism industry since 1986, Yves Lalumière previously served for more than 20 years in management positions at American Express. In 2006, he joined Transat Distribution Canada as Vice President, Operations and Business Development, and was appointed Vice President, Distribution Network, in 2008. In November 2009, he was named Vice President and General Manager of Transat Distribution Canada and in 2011, assumed the role of President of the group, which is considered to be Canada's leading retail tour operator He holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Tourism from UQAM.

Stéphane Lemay - Secretary
Vice-President, General Counsel, and Secretary of Power Corporation and Power Financial
Mr. Lemay spent the first five years of his career practicing law in the field of commercial litigation for the firm Byers Casgrain (now Dentons). Subsequently, from 1997 to 1999, he was Policy Advisor, Economic Development, in the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada. He then returned to the private sector in Montréal, working within the Telesystem Group, then at Gildan Activewear Inc. Mr. Lemay joined Power Corporation as Vice-President, Assistant General Counsel, and Associate Secretary in 2005. He was appointed to his current position in August 2012, where he is also responsible for corporate social responsibility initiatives and reputation management at both companies. Mr. Lemay is active in a number of not-for-profit organizations and community initiatives including the Étudiants dans la course - Students In the Running program that he launched in 2008.

JD Miller
Cofounder and president, B2ten
JD Miller's business career spans a 30 year period in the areas of strategic planning and corporate finance providing advisory services primarily to public companies. Mr. Miller is active in sport and health across Canada through his leadership of B2ten. He has fundraised for the benefit of the Canadian Olympic Committee having chaired Gold Medal Plates in Montreal 2007-2009, is Co-Chair for the opening celebrations of the MUHC's new hospital and is presently working with business leaders to Montrealer's pride in their city. JD was educated at the Choate School and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1976.

Jean Royer
Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President, Loto-Québec
Jean Royer, who holds a degree in Public Administration from UQAM, has had a long professional career in the Government of Quebec; among other positions, he was Chief of Staff to the Premier from 1994 to 1996. After having held a variety of positions in upper management, he was named Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Loto-Québec in 2007. Mr. Royer is also deeply involved in Quebec society. Since 2012, he has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of Capsana (formerly Acti-Menu) and since June 2013, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of IRIC (Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer) of the Université de Montréal.

Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary
In operation since the start of 2013, the Society's mission is to organize, in cooperation with various private and public partners, the celebrations for Montréal's 375th anniversary in 2017. For further information: http://375mtl.com/fr/plan-daction/

The Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary is a non-profit organization supported by the City of Montréal and the Secrétariat à la région métropolitaine of the Government of Quebec.

SOURCE: Société des célébrations du 375e anniversaire de Montréal

Source: 
Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary
375mtl.com
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twitter.com/375Mtl

Information: 
Kathia St-Jean
Director, Public and Government Relations
Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary
T.: 514-908-0375, extension 106
C.: 514-502-3672
[email protected]