|
The Council, throughout its existence, has
hired well-trained and competent staff that are totally dedicated
to achieving its objectives while respecting its status as
a charitable and non-partisan organization. The current staff
is no exception as demonstrated by the brief biographies of
senior managers that follow:
|
Michel Desjardins
President and Chief Executive Officer
Michel Desjardins is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Unity Council since July 2004. He was formerly Senior Vice President, BDC Consulting Group, at the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) since July 1998. He joined the BDC in October 1996 as Vice President, Training and Change Management. Prior to joining the BDC he was assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Management with the Federal Department of Canadian Heritage.
Michel Desjardins worked in the private sector from 1986 to 1994. He was the founding President and CEO of the International Aviation Management Institute. Throughout his public service career and his private sector experience, Michel Desjardins focused on organizational development, turnaround situation and productivity.
He holds a Bachelor's degree in Pedagogy from Laval University and a Master of Public Administration from L'École nationale d'administration publique. He is a director of several organizations including the Canadian Human Rights Foundation.
|
| |
Linda Brunet
Director General, Encounters
with Canada
Linda Brunet, who has an impressive track record in
community work and business, has been with the Council
since 1997. She has held a number of executive positions
in its youth programs. |
Céline
Collin
Director General, Communications and
Marketing
Céline Collin has wide experience in communications,
organizational development, as well as strategic planning
in marketing and branding. She holds an MBA in international
management from the Université du Québec
in Montréal. She has worked with such non-profit
organizations as Canada World Youth, the Montreal Museum
of Fine Arts, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal,
as well as Le Nordais publishing. She has also acted as
consultant for various projects in the fields of medicine
and technology. |
Lauren
Dobell
Director, British Columbia
and Yukon Office
Lauren Dobell brings a background encompassing three intertwined
passions. An interest in the design of public policy in
Canada, particularly in the social policy arena, has prompted
career choices that included six years as a government
relations consultant at the provincial and federal levels.
Its international dimension is reflected in an abiding
concern with public policy issues in developing countries,
especially in Southern Africa, which has found expression
in work with the Canadian Council for International Cooperation,
Oxfam-Canada, and government and non-government agencies
in Namibia, as well as in freelance journalism.
Finally
the promotion of civic engagement, particularly among
youth, has motivated a wide range of extracurricular involvements
and professional engagements, including university teaching
in the area of international development. |
Jane Ebbern
Director, Prairies, NWT and Nunavut
Regional Office
Jane joined the Council as of end July 2005 and she brings
to her new responsibilities an extensive background in
international marketing and retail operations. Jane comes
to us from Direct Energy Marketing Limited where she was
Vice-President, Marketing, Western Region. A native of
Winnipeg, she has lived in Montréal, Regina, Toronto
and Edmonton. She also has worked and studied in the United
States, Europe, Australia, and Asia. She is an active
volunteer in her community and she holds an MBA with Distinction
from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. |
Richard
Labrie
Director General, Quebec
Region
Richard joined CRIC in August 2000, bringing to the position extensive experience in public and private sector administration and communications. For a number of years, he was a Bell Canada executive, then joined a telecommunications consulting firm. He served as Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the Quebec National Assembly. He was appointed Vice-President of la Régie des Télécommunications du Québec (the Quebec Telecommunications Board), and took part in the organization of the summit of the Americas. |
J.-René Lemaire
Director General, Exchange
Program
René Lemaire has served the Council in a number
of key positions. Currently he is in charge of the Council's
exchange program, Summer Work - Student Exchange. His
program area works to give young Canadians an opportunity
to live in different parts of the country and get to know
it better. |
Rebecca A.
Low
Director General, Research
and Regional Operations (Outside Quebec)
Originally from Calgary, Rebecca brings with her a decade of experience working as a senior political advisor to cabinet ministers in Ottawa and Ontario. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with distinction in both Canadian Studies and Political Science from Carleton University. Growing up in Calgary, she attended French immersion school and is now actively involved as Treasurer of the Board for French for the Future/ Français pour l’avenir. She is also Vice President of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs (Toronto Branch) and a member of Leaside Rotary. |
Hélène Paquet-Young
Controller |
|
Carsten Quell
Director of Research
With a background in sociolinguistics
and Canadian Studies, Carsten Quell comes to us with
both public and private sector experience. Before joining
the Council, he was responsible for managing research
programs in the federal public service in Ottawa - first
at the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages,
then at the Department of Canadian Heritage. He holds
a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto and an M.A. from
the Free University of Berlin. Before moving to Ottawa,
Carsten worked as a teacher at the Lycée français
de Toronto; he then managed translation and international
communications at the Internet e-commerce company Tucows
Inc.
While maintaining CRIC's outstanding track record of
providing valuable and reliable information on a range
of Canadian policy issues, Carsten will work towards
greater integration of research insights with the Council's
outreach and communications activities across the country. |
Ron Veilleux
Director General, Development
Ronald B. Veilleux joined the Council on April 1st, 2005.
He brings with him over 40 years experience as a high
level administrator in the private and public sectors.
Born in Cookshire, Québec, Ronald is a graduate
of the Royal Military College of Canada. He also studied
public administration at Ottawa's Carleton University |
| |
|
