MINISTER DAY MEETS QUEBEC LEADERS ON CANADA'S ECONOMY AND DEFICIT REDUCTION

MONTRÉAL, Aug. 27 /CNW Telbec/ - Continuing a series of roundtable meetings across the country, the Honourable Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, today met with a number of leading Quebeckers to discuss Canada's economic future and deficit reduction. The event was hosted by the International Economic Forum of the Americas/Conference of Montreal organization.

"Overall, Quebec has been experiencing solid job growth in recent months, thanks in part to investments through Canada's Economic Action Plan," said Minister Day. "The entrepreneurial know-how and private-sector investment in this province will be particularly important to maintain job growth as the government begins to tighten its belt."

Minister Day has been meeting with leaders from business, academia and non-government organizations from across Canada. Discussions have focussed on how to keep Canada's strong economic recovery on track as the government develops its plans to tackle the deficit.

"I am pleased to have met with these outstanding leaders from Quebec. The discussions around the table show that there is support for the government's plan to keep taxes and expenses down, and ensure that Canada stays competitive internationally," Minister Day added.

A list of today's roundtable participants is attached.

    
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                                 Backgrounder
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                       Montréal Roundtable Participants
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Yvan Allaire, Chair of the Board of Directors, Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations

Mr. Allaire is a member of the Board of the Caisse de Depot et Placement du Québec where he chairs the governance and ethics committee. He has also chaired a Quebec Government's task force on the modernization of the governance of state-owned corporations (2003). He is also author of several books and numerous articles on strategy and governance.

Guy Breton, Rector, Université de Montréal

Dr. Breton was involved in the senior management of the Université de Montréal since 2006 and became the Rector in June 2010. A physician and distinguished radiologist, Dr. Breton has been teaching at the Université de Montréal since 1979. In addition to his university and medical responsibilities, Dr. Breton has sat on the boards for many organizations related to health and higher education.

Michel A. Brunet, President, Fraser Milner Casgrain

With more than 30 years of experience in corporate and commercial law, Mr. Brunet has recognized expertise in public offering, public financings, major infrastructure projects as well as in the sale and acquisition of business corporations, specifically in international transactions.

Benoit Daigneault, Senior Vice-President, Business Development, Export Development Canada (EDC)

Mr. Daigneault leads the business strategy of the corporation through sector teams specialized in the major global supply chains. He is also responsible for the network of EDC's offices and representations in Canada and overseas. Previously, Mr.Daigneault spent more than 10 years with General Electric Capital, where he held increasingly senior positions in North America.

Jacques Daoust, President and Chief Executive Officer, Investissement Québec

Mr. Daoust was appointed as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Investissement Québec in 2006. He has also been a visiting professor at the École des hautes études commerciales de Montréal (a graduate business school in Montréal) since that time. He was formerly President and Chief Executive Officer of BLC-Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management Inc. During his career, he held various senior-level positions in the financial world, in particular at the Laurentian Bank and the National Bank of Canada.

Pierre Delestrade, Chief Executive Officer, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS Canada Inc.

Chief Executive Officer of European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS Canada Inc., Mr. Delestrade earned his Engineering degree from the École Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (national school of aeronautics and space) in 1981. He has spent his career dedicated to working with aircraft manufacturers of military and business jets.

Ron Denom, President, SNC-Lavalin International

For over 30 years, Mr. Denom has worked around the world on engineering-construction projects of all types. Prior to his appointment as President of SNC-Lavalin International in 2006, he was responsible for the development of SNC-Lavalin's business in Europe and Asia.

Hélène Desmarais, Founder, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Centre d'entreprises et d'innovation de Montréal

As Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Centre d'entreprises et d'innovation de Montréal (centre of business and innovation) since 1996, Ms. Desmarais is a long-time supporter of the economic, educational and cultural development of Quebec and Canada. The Centre is a business incubator, with an emphasis on the start up and development of innovative IT, multimedia, industrial technology and biotech companies.

Bernard Dorval, Group Chief, International Insurance and Development, TD Bank Financial Group, and Deputy Chair, TD Canada Trust

As Group Chief, International Insurance and Development, Mr. Dorval is responsible for the housing, automobile, life and health sectors, and credit protection services. He is also responsible for international reinsurance and insurance brokerage services for the United States.

Yves-Thomas Dorval, President, Conseil du patronat du Québec

Mr. Dorval is president of the Conseil du patronat du Québec (CPQ), an organization that brings together businesses and employers' organizations in the province. Mr. Dorval became president of the CPQ in 2009 after working for the British American Tobacco Group in Montréal and London.

Diane G. Dubé, Regional Vice-President, Quebec, Export Development Canada

Ms. Dubé is the Regional Vice-President of Export Development Canada (EDC) for Quebec. Ms. Dubé joined the EDC team in 2004. She attended the Université de Montréal where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree and an accounting diploma. Prior to this, she worked at the Banque Nationale de Paris and the Royal Bank of Canada.

Pierre Duhaime, President and Chief Executive Officer, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.

Mr. Duhaime has been President and Chief Executive Officer of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. since 2009. He joined SNC-Lavalin in 1989, and has held senior-management positions in the company since 1997. Mr. Duhaime is a member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum and l'Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (engineering association).

Bénédicte Duval, Vice-President and General Manager of Air France for Canada

Ms. Duval has been Vice-President and General Manager of Air France for Canada since May 2008. She has a master's degree in Finance from Université Laval. Ms. Duval has worked at Air France since 1986, where she has held several positions, including Project Manager, International Business Management, Air France-KLM.

Sean Finn, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Services and Chief Legal Officer, CN

Mr. Finn was appointed Executive Vice-President, Corporate Services and Chief Legal Officer in 2008. He is responsible for a wide array of legal, government, regulatory, public affairs, risk mitigation and security matters. Mr. Finn has held several executive positions since he joined CN in 1994. Before that, he was the managing tax partner with the Montréal law firm of Lavery, de Billy.

Michel Kelly-Gagnon, President and Chief Executive Officer, Montréal Economic Institute

Mr. Kelly-Gagnon is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Montréal Economic Institute, one of the world's leading think tanks. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Youth Business Foundation and the John Dobson Foundation. In addition, Mr. Kelly-Gagnon serves on the Board of Directors for the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Daniel Grenier, Executive Vice President, BNP Paribas

Mr. Grenier is responsible for the Capital Markets Group in Canada, which includes fixed income and asset/liability management in BNP Paribas (Canada). Daniel joined BNP Paribas in 1987 as Head of Foreign Exchange. Prior to that, he spent 3 years at the National Bank of Canada as Head of Foreign Exchange.

Jean-René Halde, President and Chief Executive Officer, Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)

Before joining BDC, Mr. Halde had more than 30 years of management and entrepreneurial experience, holding CEO positions at leading companies, and also served on the boards of many leading private, public and not-for-profit organizations. Mr. Halde presently serves as vice-chairman of the Conference Board of Canada and as director of the Montréal General Hospital Foundation.

Paul Kefalas, President and member of the Board of Directors, Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc.

Mr. Kefalas has more than 35 years of experience as an engineer and in senior level positions at companies involved with power and automation technologies. He holds a master's degree in electronic power systems from Concordia University and was awarded the honorary degree of Doctorate of Laws in 1996.

John Lemieux, Partner, Fraser Milner Casgrain

Mr. Lemieux has 30 years of experience in corporate, commercial and business law and provides legal, strategic planning and management advice to local, national and multinational corporations and entities. He has specialized in national and international transactions in the defence and aerospace sector.

Marc Lemieux, Partner, Fraser Milner Casgrain

Mr. Lemieux is head of the financial services practice group of the Montréal office of Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP. For more than 20 years, Mr. Lemieux has advised clients and has negotiated commercial agreements in connection with corporate financings, project and infrastructure financings, international trade finance, and banking and hedging operations.

Pierre Lemonde, President and CEO of the Montréal Council on Foreign Relations

Mr. Lemonde is a lawyer who has more than 20 years of experience in the management of entities involved in international matters and in the organization of conferences, workshops and seminars on global topics. He has also been involved for more than 10 years in the editing of world economics publications and the counselling of private companies and public and parapublic bodies on management issues, strategic planning and international law.

Monique Leroux, Chair of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Desjardins Group

Ms. Leroux represents all of Desjardins Group's networks and directs the largest cooperative financial group in Canada. Beyond her work with the Desjardins Group boards she is currently a member of the boards of directors of the European Association of Co-operative Banks, the Conference Board of Canada, the Governing Board of Montréal International and the Canadian advisory board of Catalyst.

Jean Mongeau, Vice-president, legal affairs and secretary, Montreal Port Authority

In addition to his work at the Montreal Port Authority, Mr. Mongeau currently serves as Chair of the Legal Counselors for the International Association of Ports and Harbor's Constitution and By-Laws Committee, sits on the Legal Committee for the American Association of Port Authorities, and is President of the Legal Committee for the Association of Canadian Port Authorities.

Marc Parent, President and Chief Executive Officer, CAE

Mr. Parent has nearly 25 years of experience in the aerospace industry. He received the 2005 Society of Automotive Engineers Aerospace Engineering Leadership Award. Mr. Parent is Chairman of the Board of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries. He has been a member of CAE's Board of Directors since November 2008.

Michel Patry, Director, École des hautes études commerciales de Montréal

Mr. Patry is the Director of the École des hautes études commerciales de Montréal (a graduate business school in Montréal). He has held various administrative positions at the school, including Assistant Director, Faculty and Strategic Planning, Director of the Doctoral Program and Director of Research. Mr. Patry is an expert in organizational economics and regulations.

Catherine Pilon, Partner, Fraser Milner Casgrain

Ms. Pilon has expertise in the following fields: civil and commercial litigation (including contractual conflicts and real estate litigation), insurance law, product liability, consumer protection, and extraordinary and emergency procedures (including seizures before judgment, injunctions and class actions).

Philippe Rainville, Vice-President, Finance and Administration, and Chief Financial Officer, Aéroports de Montréal

Mr. Rainville joined Aéroports de Montréal in January 2008 as Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer. He is involved in all aspects of corporate management, particularly finance, human resources, information systems and procurement. Mr. Rainville has been a member of the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec (association of Quebec chartered accountants) since 1986.

Gil Rémillard, Counsel, Fraser Milner Casgrain and founder of the International Economic Forum of the Americas

Mr. Rémillard's career spans 30 years of private practice in law and education. From 1985 to 1994, he held several positions within the Québec Government. The recipient of a Ph.D., he has written several books and articles on constitutional law, communications law, administrative law and human rights. He was also a professor and lecturer at numerous Canadian and foreign universities and organizations.

Nicholas Rémillard, President and CEO, Toronto Forum for Global Cities

As president and CEO of Toronto Forum for Global Cities, Mr. Rémillard oversees an international conference that fosters expert dialogue on the key economic issues of our times. This conference brings together some of the world's leading experts to debate and discuss the major issues facing cities, countries and their governments around the world.

Joseph Ribkoff, President, Joseph Ribkoff

Mr. Ribkoff has spent over 50 years in the Canadian fashion industry, launching his first collection in 1957 at a time when women's fashion was undergoing a complete revolution. Since then, he has developed a global outlook that includes a network of corporate sales representatives, distributors and agents who serve the Canadian, US and world markets.

Michael E. Roach, President and Chief Executive Officer, CGI

As President and CEO, Mr. Roach is responsible for overseeing the company's worldwide operations, as well as managing all global corporate functions including finance, technology, human resources, marketing and business engineering. He is also a director of the Conference Board of Canada and the U.S. Conference Board, and is a member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.

Jean-Pierre Sauriol, President and CEO, Dessau Inc.

Appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of Dessau in 1992, Mr. Sauriol was the youngest president of an engineering consulting company in Canada. He leads one of the major construction engineering firms in Canada. Mr. Sauriol has a degree in civil engineering from the École Polytechnique de Montréal (1979) and completed the Owner/President Management Program at the Harvard Business School in 1993.

Pierre Shedleur, President and Chief Executive Officer Société générale de financement du Québec

Mr. Shedleur has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Société générale de financement du Québec since December 2004. He has been a chartered accountant since 1972 and a Fellow of the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec since 1996. In 1980, after several years in private practice and working in education and school administration, he began a career in the senior public service of Quebec at the Ministère de l'Éducation and the Conseil du Trésor (Treasury Board).

Amos Sochaczevski and Avi Sochaczevski, MC Bayview Investments

Messrs. Sochaczevski are co-founders of Amav Industries Ltd., at the time Canada's largest locally owned toy manufacturer. Both now own and develop real estate projects.

Jacques St-Laurent, President and Chief Executive Officer, Montréal International

Mr. St-Laurent has an extensive background in aviation and engineering. Prior to his appointment to Montréal International, he was President of Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Ltd. and then President of Bell Helicopter's European operations. Mr. St-Laurent is currently a member of the Board of Governors of Concordia University.

Bernard Vives, Senior Country Officer, Crédit Agricole CIB

Mr. Vives is the Senior Country Officer for the Canadian branch of the Crédit Agricole, a corporate and investment bank. Mr. Vives has occupied this position since Crédit Agricole CIB opened its Canadian office in December 2005.

Judith Woodsworth, President, Concordia University

Dr. Woodsworth became President of Concordia University in 2008, returning to the institution where she began her teaching and administrative career in 1980. She is a member of the Literary Translators' Association of Canada and was founding president of the Canadian Association for Translation Studies. In 1999, she was inducted as an Officer in the Ordre de la Pléiade (an honour conferred by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie) for her work in promoting the French language and intercultural relations.

For further information: Mélisa Leclerc, Director of Communications, Office of the President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, 613-952-5051; Media Relations, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, 613-957-2640