Desjardins : Appointments and re-elections announced by the Federation's Board of Directors

LÉVIS, QC, May 21, 2026 /CNW/ - The Board of Directors of the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec is pleased to announce the arrival of a newly elected director, the re-election of two directors, and the renewal of another director's term as a board-appointed director. These changes reflect the board's ongoing commitment to strengthening its governance and ensuring stability, gender parity and representation in our organization.

In order to support decision-making and align with governance best practices, the board of directors is made up of 19 members with complementary skill sets and diverse backgrounds. Twelve directors are elected from among caisse boards, while six other directors come from outside the caisse network and are appointed by the board. The President and CEO of Desjardins Group serves as the final member of the board.

At Desjardins, we're proud of the engagement of the members of the Federation's Board of Directors and Board of Ethics and Professional Conduct (BEPC), who are committed to advancing our mission and values.

For more information, you can read the profiles of the members of the Board of Directors and BEPC.

Below are the profiles of the members who were elected, re-elected and co-opted:

Newly elected to the board of directors
Martine Lapointe (caisse director)
A finance and information technology professional, Martine brings over 30 years of experience as a manager, senior executive and consultant in digital transformation with large organizations across the financial, public and industrial sectors. She's held senior leadership and strategic advisory roles, particularly in governance, risk management, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance and artificial intelligence. Martine has the Administratrice de sociétés certifiée (ASC) designation and holds an executive MBA, with experience in the governance of complex organizations.

Re-elected to the board of directors
Nadine Groulx (caisse director)
Nadine holds an MBA in corporate social and environmental responsibility from Université Laval and specializes in the management of cooperatives and agricultural and maple syrup businesses. Nadine is a shareholder of a farm and a sugarbush and brings strong entrepreneurial expertise and leadership in the cooperative sector, especially in governance and the oversight of transformation initiatives. She also chairs the board of directors for the Conseil québécois de la coopération et de la mutualité.

Re-elected to the board of directors
Paula Parhon (caisse director)
Paula is the President of an IT consulting company, working with management teams in the public sector on government administration and shared services. She has experience in telecommunications, insurance, finance and accounting. With a bachelor's degree in computer science, Paula provides the board with specialized knowledge of IT in the era of digital transformation. What's more, she has expertise in governance, business intelligence as well as risk management and compliance.

Co-opted director reappointed to the board
Johanne Charbonneau (from outside the caisse network)
Johanne holds an MBA and a bachelor's degree in business administration and has served as an independent, board-appointed director of the Federation since 2019. She has served as Chief Financial Officer at CBC/Radio-Canada and has held other senior financial leadership roles with public-sector organizations. Johanne holds the Chartered Director designation from the CPA Ontario and ASC designation (Administratrice de sociétés certifiée). She brings specialized expertise in finance, accounting, governance, risk management and financial services.

The BEPC is also pleased to announce the arrival of a new board member and confirm the renewal of another member's term. The BEPC is made up of five people with diverse expertise in ethics and professional conduct. They're elected from among boards of directors of the caisse network.

Elected to the BEPC
Mélissa Fortin (caisse director)
Melissa holds a PhD in administration with a specialization in accounting. She's a member of the Quebec CPA Order and associate professor at Université du Québec à Montréal's School of Management in the accounting department. She has over 15 years of experience in governance, risk management and accounting. Her teaching and research focus in particular on ethical issues related to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.

Re-elected to the BEPC
Alexandre Rousseau (caisse directors)
Alexandre is a lecturer in ethics, governance and business law at HEC Montréal as well as an instructor at Executive Education HEC Montréal. He's a trained lawyer and regularly serves as a business consultant and speaker in Quebec and internationally. Drawing on his experience and academic background, he provides the BEPC with expertise in law and applied ethics.

About Desjardins Group
Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in Canada and the eighth largest in the world, with assets of $524.3 billion as at March 31, 2026. Desjardins has been named one of the top employers in Canada by both Forbes magazine and Mediacorp. It offers a full range of products and services through its extensive distribution network, its online platforms, and its subsidiaries across Canada. In addition to being ranked among the world's strongest banks according to The Banker magazine, Desjardins has one of the highest capital ratios and one of the highest credit ratings in the industry.

SOURCE Desjardins Group

For more information (media inquiries only): Public Relations, Desjardins Group, 514-281-7000, ext. 5553436, [email protected]