Simon Prévost appointed President of Québec Manufacturers & Exporters

MONTREAL , Oct. 13 /CNW Telbec/ - Jayson Myers , president and CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) and Erik Ryan , chairman of Québec Manufacturers & Exporters of (QME), are pleased to announce the appointment of Simon Prévost as president of MEQ. His official start date is Monday, October 19, 2009 .

As president of QME, Mr. Prévost will be responsible for the strategic direction of the division in alignment with the vision and the national strategic plan. He will act as the official spokesperson, chief advocate and will direct the growth of strategic relationships with both members and partners in Québec.

"We are very pleased to welcome Simon Prévost to the QME team," says Mr. Ryan . "Simon can count on continued support from members and a strong and motivated team that has contributed significantly to the success of the association in recent years," he adds.

"His extensive experience as an economist and his thorough knowledge of both politics and community affairs in Québec, make Simon the ideal leader to represent the manufacturing sector with the government," says Jayson Myers . "He also possesses the skills necessary to promote the interests of our Québec membership in the province as well as nationally."

Mr. Prévost most recently spent the last two years at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), as vice-president, Québec. He joined the CFIB in June 2006 as director of legislative affairs for Québec. Previously, Mr. Prévost worked as chief economist at Canal Argent, for TVA Group and also served as director, capital markets at Caisse centrale Desjardins. He was also vice-president, economic and financial research and chief economist for Laurentian Bank Financial Group and senior economist, capital markets and investment, at Desjardins Group. Mr. Prévost holds a Masters in Economics at the School of Management, UQAM.

Mr. Myers and Mr. Ryan are also pleased to announce the appointment of Jose Louis Jacome to the newly-created position of General Manager of QME, a position he has currently held in an interim capacity for the past seven months. Mr. Jacome will continue to provide leadership for all operations, business development, programs and administration of QME.

About QME

Québec Manufacturers & Exporters' (QME) mission is to promote the industry's competitiveness and the growth of its exports. The manufacturing sector represents the largest economic sector in Québec with its 10 000 firms, totalling 18 % of its GDP and generating 530,000 direct jobs. The industry is responsible for 75 % of private R & D activities, and 86 % of Québec's exportations. QME is a division of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, the largest trade and industry association in the country.

For further information: Kareen Pate, Coordinator, Communications and Public Affairs, Québec Manufacturers & Exporters, [phone] ext 2125 or [phone]