Board of Directors

Olivier Desmarais is the driving force behind the Power Sustainable vision as a global, sustainability-led alternative asset manager. He chairs the Canada China Business Council (CCBC) and in addition serves as a Director of Canada Life, IG Wealth Management, Mackenzie and Lumenpulse. Olivier Desmarais has been Senior Vice-President of Power Corporation since 2017. He is actively engaged in the community as member of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. Olivier Desmarais holds a Bachelor of Civil Law from the University of Ottawa, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Political Science from McGill University, and has been a Québec Bar member since 2009.

Prior to joining BMO Capital Markets in 2019, Hon. Scott Brison was elected MP for the riding of King-Hants seven consecutive times over 21 years. During that time, he held key roles in government, most recently as President of the Treasury Board & Minister of Digital Government, Minister of Public Works & Government Services, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister with special emphasis on Canada-U.S. relations. He is Dalhousie University’s 8th Chancellor. He serves on boards of Universal Rail Systems, Canada-China Business Council, Canadian Council of The Americas, Dalhousie University, Macdonald Stewart Foundation, CJPAC, Canadian American Business Council, Power Sustainable and High Liner Foods Inc.

Ms. Clément possesses a wealth of experience in trade and environmental policy development as well as in climate finance. Prior to taking on the role of President and CEO at CREO, she was Trade Commissioner and Head of Energy & Environment at the Canadian Consulate General in New York City. She also co-founded the Canadian Technology Accelerator for Cleantech (CTA), a federal government program which aims to help high-potential Canadian technology companies raise capital and develop business opportunities in foreign markets. Ms. Clément holds a Master of Science degree in International Political Economy at the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Ottawa.

André Desmarais is Deputy Chairman of Power Corporation, a position he has held since 1996. He previously served as President and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Power Corporation from 1996 until his retirement in February 2020. At Power Financial, he was also Executive Co-Chairman from 2015 until 2020, Co-Chairman from 2008 to 2015 and Deputy Chairman from 1996 to 2008. Prior to joining Power Corporation in 1983, he was Special Assistant to the Minister of Justice of Canada and an institutional investment counsellor at Richardson Greenshields Securities Ltd. He is a director of many Power Corporation group companies, including Power Financial, Great-West Lifeco, Canada Life, Empower, Putnam Investments, IGM Financial, IG Wealth Management, Mackenzie and Power Sustainable Capital. He was a director and Vice-Chairman of Pargesa in Europe until November 2020, when Pargesa’s reorganization was completed. He was also a director of Bellus Health Inc. until 2009 and of CITIC Pacific Limited in Asia until 2014. Over the years, cultural, health, and other not-for-profit organizations have benefitted from his commitment, involvement, and dedication. He has played key roles in a number of fundraising campaigns, including those of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Montreal Heart Institute, the Montreal General Hospital, Leucan, the Canadian Red Cross, the Canadian Cancer Society, Centraide of Greater Montreal and the Jean Paul Riopelle Foundation. He is Chairman of the Fondation Baxter & Alma Ricard, a member of the Chairman’s International Advisory Council of the Americas Society, Honorary Chairman of the Canada China Business Council, and a member of the Trilateral Commission and several China-based organizations. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University and received honorary doctorates from Concordia University, Université de Montréal and McGill University. In 2003, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and, in 2009, an Officer of the National Order of Québec.

Claude Généreux has been Executive Vice-President of Power Corporation since 2015. He was Executive Vice-President of Power Financial from 2015 to 2020. He is a Director of Great-West Lifeco, Canada Life, Empower, Putnam Investments, IGM Financial, IG Wealth Management, Mackenzie and Groupe Bruxelles Lambert. He is Senior Partner Emeritus of McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. During his 28 years with the firm, he focused on serving leading global companies in the Financial Services, Energy and Resources sectors. He has held various leadership positions including Global Sector Leadership in energy, Office Leadership in Montréal, Global Personnel Committees for partner election and evaluation, and Global Recruiting for Advanced University Degrees candidates. Claude Généreux helped launch McKinsey’s office in Montréal in 1991 and was also posted in its Paris, Toronto and Stockholm offices. He serves as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors at McGill University and is a Board member of the Jeanne Sauvé Foundation, the Loran Scholars Foundation and the Rhodes Scholarships in Canada. He has received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for outstanding and exemplary contributions to his community. He graduated from McGill University and Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.

Denis Le Vasseur joined the Power group of companies in 1992 and currently serves as Vice-President and Controller of Power Corporation and of Power Financial.  His responsibilities include financial reporting, budgeting, taxation and information technology. He began his career in 1982 with Touche Ross, a predecessor firm of Deloitte & Touche, specializing in the audit of large holding companies. He also worked on various consulting assignments in the field of mergers and acquisitions. Denis Le Vasseur earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and an MBA from McGill University, and obtained his Chartered Accountant designation in 1985. In 2020, he received the prestigious title of Fellow from the Order of Chartered Professional Accountants of Quebec (FCPA). This title formally recognizes those members whose achievements in their careers or in the community have earned them distinction and brought honor to the profession. He serves on the board of directors of the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation, an organization that helps teenagers living with cancer regain their self-esteem and sense of pride through wilderness adventure therapy.

Jacques Parisien spent his career in senior management roles for a number of Canadian media companies. He retired from Bell Media after managing Astral Media up to its sale to Bell. Since then he has been acting as a member of the board for numerous public and private Canadian companies. His fields of interest are audit, governance, and strategic development. Throughout his career he has actively supported cultural and social organizations. He acted as chair of Tourisme Montreal, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Pointe-à-Callière Museum and the Montreal Board of Trade. A law graduate from McGill University, he is a member of the Quebec Bar.