Jacques St-Laurent appointed to the position of President and Chief Executive
Officer of Montréal International

MONTREAL, June 1 /CNW Telbec/ - Pierre Brunet, Chairman of the Board of Montréal International (MI), is pleased to announce the appointment of Jacques St-Laurent to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of MI. Mr. St-Laurent will take up his duties on July 19.

Jacques St-Laurent has more than 20 years' senior management experience in the aerospace sector. After commencing his career in the Canadian Forces, he joined Bell Helicopter Textron Canada in 1984, rapidly rising through the ranks to senior executive-level positions.

As President of European operations from 2008 to 2009, he was responsible for the company's strategic development in Europe and successfully oversaw the activities leading to the acquisition of a Prague-based enterprise, thus establishing Bell Helicopter's commercial activities in the EU.

In his role as President, he managed the Bell Helicopter Textron Canada integrated plant in Mirabel from 2002 to 2008, where he was responsible for 2,300 employees and annual sales in excess of $700 million. Prior to this, he held a variety of management positions of increasing responsibility-notably in engineering.

In addition to his national and international executive expertise, Mr. St-Laurent possesses in-depth knowledge of the metropolitan-area economic development dynamics and stakeholders. As a member of the Board of Montréal International from 2003 to 2008, and as founding President of the Board of Aéro Montréal-the metropolitan Montréal aerospace cluster-from 2006 to 2008, thanks to his unifying leadership and his negotiating skills, he was instrumental in mobilizing the region's key players around high-benefit projects contributing to the growth of Greater Montréal.

"The Board of Directors of MI is delighted to welcome an executive of Jacques St-Laurent's calibre to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer. His solid management experience, along with his extensive knowledge of the business community and high-tech industries such as aerospace, his vast network of public- and private-sector contacts, as well as his detailed understanding of the challenges related to promoting and attracting foreign direct investment, qualified foreign workers and international organizations will be strategic assets for MI, as it pursues its mission to contribute to the economic development of metropolitan Montréal and to enhance its international status," said Pierre Brunet, Chairman of the Board of MI.

Mr. St-Laurent is currently a member of the Board of Governors of Concordia University. He holds an MBA from the École des sciences de la gestion de l'Université du Québec à Montréal (ESG UQAM), and a degree in mechanical engineering from the Royal Military College. In addition, he recently completed a training program on governance best practices at the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés (CAS).

About Montréal International

Montréal International (MI) was created in 1996 as a result of a public/private partnership. Its mission is to contribute to the economic development of metropolitan Montréal and to enhance its international status. Its mandates include attracting foreign investment, international organizations and qualified foreign workers, as well as promoting the competitive and international environment of Greater Montréal. Montréal International is funded by the private sector, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (Montréal Metropolitan Community), the City of Montréal and the Governments of Canada and Québec.

Since its creation, Montréal International has helped to attract more than $7.5 billion in foreign investment to Greater Montréal. From these investments, more than 43,000 jobs have been created or maintained. To date, MI's activities have also allowed more than 25 international organizations to establish themselves in the metropolitan area and helped attract more than 4,000 qualified foreign workers. To learn more, please visit the MI web site at: www.montrealinternational.com.

For further information: Louis Arseneault, Director of Communications, Montréal International, [phone], [email protected]