819 595-8002
Click on a photo to view the employee’s biography and contact information.
Our team consists of highly qualified professionals who apply their experience and skill to advancing business activity in Gatineau.
Benoît Lefèvre joined ID Gatineau in March 2023.
Benoît has a combined experience of nearly 20 years in economic development, government relations and international affairs.
Benoît began his career at the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations and the International Economic Forum of the Americas. He then worked for Montreal International, Metropolitan Montreal’s economic promotion agency, where he held various positions of increasing responsibility.
After promoting Montreal and Quebec on the international stage for almost ten years, Benoît worked as an economic development consultant.
More recently, Benoît worked as an Economic Attaché at the Quebec Government Office in Ottawa. He developed close relationships with the political, economic and diplomatic stakeholders in the federal capital and assisted many Quebec companies to better position their business within the federal procurement process.
Benoît is a graduate from Institut d’Études politiques de Toulouse, Institut des hautes études de l’Amérique latine and Université de Montréal.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 4288
lefevre.benoit@gatineau.ca
Brigitte has been with our team since 2013. She served as strategic advisor before being appointed Acting Director, Business Development in 2021. She has an MBA from Université Laval and extensive experience in exemplary Canadian companies, which she eagerly shares with the other team members and Gatineau businesses. She never tires of learning, and is determined to help others learn. She recently completed a short program on educational intervention for adults at Université TÉLUQ.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 7299
allard.brigitte@gatineau.ca
Carla has worked at ID Gatineau for more than 19 years, making her one of the most experienced members of our organization. Her college training in business automation and her university training in human resources have served her well in different positions over the years, including Human Resource Advisor.
Her main responsibility is admin services, overseeing the logistics of office activities, coordination of recruitment and staffing processes, pay administration for the organization, and management of employee records for group insurance and pension plans.
Known for her sense of organization, discipline and attention to detail, she likes to recharge her batteries by swimming and biking!
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 3050
paredes.carla@gatineau.ca
Céline joined our team in 2020 after more than 20 years in the Eastern Townships supporting entrepreneurs with their development, from business start-up to transfer. She has a master’s in management, with a concentration in finance, from Université de Paris-Dauphine, and is committed to guiding entrepreneurs through structuring and carrying out their growth projects.
An avid reader, with a strong interest in personal and entrepreneurial development, Céline introduces her clients to different tools, contacts and books to help them move to the next level in their development.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 8037
desligneris.celine@gatineau.ca
After obtaining his bachelor’s in business administration from Université du Québec à Montréal, Chakib set out for Europe and Morocco to expand his personal and professional life experiences. He returned to Canada in 2010, settling in the Outaouais, where he has been putting the experience and knowledge he acquired abroad to good use.
For four years, he was an economic development advisor for MRC Pontiac, before joining our team as a frontline, business development advisor in 2021. His previous work experiences involved public and private-sector organizations for different projects, including attracting immigrant families to the Outaouais and digitizing farm operations.
Chakib is passionate about, and happy to answer your questions, advise and guide you towards the right resources.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 3048
ahmimed.chakib@gatineau.ca
Christelle has 10 years’ experience in economic development, having worked all that time in services to businesses. She has a bachelor’s in financial management, and for many years worked for a major Belgian bank in different positions involving business financing.
Her passion for economic development prompted her to join our team in 2014 as a project analyst. It gives her the opportunity to apply her knowledge and experience in finance for the benefit of the businesses we advise, while at the same time supporting our strategic advisors in their work.
Christelle is deeply attached to the Outaouais region and is proud to call herself a Gatinoise. She is actively involved in her community, and never tires of our beautiful region’s attractions. She is committed to supporting local businesses and to protecting the environment.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 7738
pary.christelle@gatineau.ca
Danielle joined the ID Gatineau team in May 2020 as the corporate administrative secretary. She has a college diploma in medical administration/archives and a certificate in administration from Université du Québec, which she puts to good use with her sense of organization and professionalism when organizing meetings of ID Gatineau’s board of directors and investment committee, among other responsibilities. She has acquired extensive experience through work in hospitals, schools, the private sector, financial cooperatives and human resources.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 7297
gagne.danielle@gatineau.ca
David joined the ID Gatineau team in 2021. He has a background in commerce, law and accounting, along with 30 years’ international experience in entrepreneurship, commerce and the digital economy. His expertise is wide-ranging, and includes: setting up businesses, growth, project management, import-export, traditional commerce, multi-channel marketing strategy, cybercommerce and digital social activities.
A man of action who likes to operate on the front lines, he seeks to guide businesses to ensure that entrepreneurs can take full advantage of his ability to create opportunities and strategies suited to their situation, needs and vision. An avid sportsman, David is also a certified professional baseball coach. He is the only motor learning expert in Canada, and a specialist in primitive reflexes.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 3049
genest.david@gatineau.ca
Élyse joined the ID Gatineau team in April 2022. She has a bachelor’s degree in communication, writing and multimedia from Université de Sherbrooke, and more than 10 years’ experience in the world of communications, marketing and event management.
She has a range of experience in the fields of social economy and the arts, an area in which she worked for five years. Writing, strategizing, communication and marketing project management, as well as social networking are part of her skillset.
Inquisitive and creative, Élyse loves to travel, learn new languages and make new discoveries.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 4221
enright.elyse@gatineau.ca
Erick is a training management controller and has an MBA in financial services from UQO. He has wide ranging experience in public and private-sector administrations. He joined our team in 2021 after five years in charge of administrative and financial affairs in Washington DC, and as an accountant in a Gatineau non-profit organization.
A great fan of soccer and teaching, Erick has written a book entitled La comptabilité des sociétés et l’analyse financière au BAC G2, the first edition of which was published in October 2007 in the Republic of Benin.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 4298
mensah.kouassierick@gatineau.ca
Fabien brings more than 25 years of experience in economic development, venture capital and entrepreneurship. Before assuming the position of Director General at ID Gatineau, he worked for several organizations, including the Société de diversification économique de l’Outaouais, Ville de Gatineau and the Centre des technologies de l’eau, a college centre for the transfer of technology (CCTT) attached to Cégep de Saint-Laurent.
With his bachelor’s degree in regional economics and master’s in environmental management, he founded a sustainable development consulting firm in 2011 and co-founded RISEHoP inc. in 2014, a biotechnology company whose main activities are research and production in the field of biostimulants for sustainable agriculture and horticulture. In 2019, the company was sold to an agriculture multinational active in more than 50 countries.
Over the years, Fabien has developed the expertise needed to address environmental issues from the perspectives of economics, the value of natural capital, finances, taxes and public participation. He has written a book about water management in North America entitled L’eau… code rouge! that was published by éditions Amalthée.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 7297
beaudet.fabien@gatineau.ca
François joined our team in 2019 after selling Adnetis, an IT business that he founded and ran for 16 years. He has an engineering degree in computer science, and worked in Europe as an engineer for one of the world leaders in industrial automation.
He was also the commercial director for a plastics industry multinational, and wrote a column for Les Affaires for five years.
François is passionate about soccer and loves to take on new challenges, as both a serious cyclist and snowboarder, and putting his experience to good use for entrepreneurs.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 7366
dahlem.francois@gatineau.ca
Ginette has a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s in small and medium-sized business management, and worked for several regional economic development organizations before heading up an analysis and research centre dedicated to local and regional entities. She subsequently joined our team in 2006 as a project analyst, and is currently a strategic advisor, business development.
Her passion? Steering entrepreneurs through the process of setting up their business projects. Ginette is a native of Témiscamingue, but has adopted the Outaouais as her home because of its green spaces, lakes and rivers, and friendly folks.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 4091
paul.ginette@gatineau.ca
Ismatha, who has a bachelor of science in accounting from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), joined our team in November 2021. She loves music and cooking, and has ten years’ worth of experience in a variety of areas including accounting, client service and administrative support.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 4295
destine.ismatha@gatineau.ca
Jean-François has been a member of our team for more than 15 years. He has set up several innovative initiatives and coordinated several major projects over the years. Jean-François avidly practices crossfit and loves to travel, and has written more than 150 articles on business, which have been consulted more than 150,000 times on his personal website. He has also written a book entitled « Comment réussir sa pub », hosted the « Affaires et marketing » podcast, and is very active on social networks, particularly on LinkedIn, where he has more than 15,000 contacts, and Twitter, with more than 30,000 followers.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 4054
guitard.jean-francois@gatineau.ca
A native of Gatineau, with an MBA from the University of Ottawa, Karine likes to keep on top of the latest entrepreneurial trends. Through her work in several sectors over the past 19 years, she has developed skills in business strategies, project management and process optimization. She listens carefully, has keen analytical skills, and an ability to hone in on issues to find the winning solutions. She is also interested in real property investment, and intends to develop her own real property pool.
Contact details :
On maternity leave, for any questions please communicate with Brigitte Allard:
819 243-2345, poste 7299
allard.brigitte@gatineau.ca
Marie-Eve (no accent) chose ID Gatineau in November 2022 in the hopes of sharing her skills and knowledge of the field. While she may not be an entrepreneur, she has navigated the world of social, commercial and economic development since she completed her university studies in communications. For the past 15 years, she has worked in numerous organizations whose mission is to enable entrepreneurs to get the most value out of their work, to help train labour and to aim for universal accessibility. She is passionate about project management and event organization, and a pro when it comes to procedures. She loves to create tools that will last. Her dynamism and tremendous public speaking skills put her in great demand for mediating discussion groups and workshops, and even emceeing galas. She knows a lot of people, and is eager to meet more! She would like to be a liaison agent for commercial associations, and to help them achieve their commercial development projects!
A dedicated water sports enthusiast, she has been part of a competitive dragon boat team for 10 years. That is where she practices discipline and perseverance, two values about which she feels very strongly.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 4095
gratton.marie-eve@gatineau.ca
Michel, who has more than 30 years’ business experience, founded no fewer than five businesses before joining our team as a strategic advisor, business development, in 2020. His days as an entrepreneur included serving on a number of boards of directors. He was also president of the Table d’action entrepreneuriat de l’Outaouais, a certified coach in best business practices, a business development consultant, and recognized as a diamond-level mentor by the Mentorat Québec network.
Michel has a diploma in marketing and a certificate in management and co-development coaching, and has completed a specialized sales management workshop at HEC Montréal, as well as several courses. Michel has also given more than 3,000 hours of training in sales and business development and more than 5,000 hours of specialized personal guidance in sales and business development.
Michel has always been involved in sports, and for 15 years was a hockey referee. He currently spends his free time either skiing in the Laurentians, the French Alps or Western Canada, or biking through our beautiful regions. His guiding values are communication, creativity, integrity and openness.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 8244
sarrazin.michel@gatineau.ca
Patrick Lessard has extensive experience in the municipal and real property worlds, both on the private and public sides, acquired over the past 25 years. An urban planner by training, his expertise in the development of commercial and industrial projects touches on every stage, from the real property transaction through the design of plans and professional studies, to construction.
The unique combination of Patrick’s professional baggage enables us to offer our clients invaluable guidance in developing business expansion, relocation or start up projects. His contagious energy and wide knowledge of the field make him an asset for economic development in Gatineau.
An adventurous soul, he likes to explore the world and other cultures. He also loves to walk outdoors, which he uses to recharge and appreciate nature.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 8014
lessard.patrick@gatineau.ca
Pierre has a bachelor’s and a master’s in engineering, and worked in the private sector as an engineer and factory director before joining the public sector as an economic development advisor. He joined our team in April 2022 as a strategic advisor in business financing. With more than 20 years in economic development, Pierre is always in solution mode for businesses. Action-oriented, he takes the time to listen and properly understand the needs of developers who can benefit from his experience, knowledge and network of business financing contacts.
Pierre likes to relax by walking in the forest or biking along rivers so he can appreciate nature. As a rule, for Pierre it wouldn’t be a vacation without a lake or waterway nearby where he can canoe, a very special moment of decompression and connection with nature, where time appears to stand still.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 4294
cyr.pierre@gatineau.ca
Renald has a master’s in international relations, and extensive entrepreneurial experience, having founded and run a consulting firm for 25 years. He joined our team in 2010 as a strategic advisor, and is currently Senior Advisor, Investment Attraction. He puts his experience and knowledge to good use attracting and helping businesses from all around the world to set up shop in Gatineau.
An avid believer in “slow travel”, Renald likes to meet people on their own turf throughout the world. He is a skilled speaker, having been a member of Toastmasters for more than 10 years.
Contact details :
819 243-2345, ext. 4293
piche.renald@gatineau.ca