I start by putting people around the table, my creatives, those who are innovative. Afterwards, I’m going to do a second spin with those around me. I then put all the ideas on a whiteboard, but it’s often by swimming or running that I end up getting things done.
My first investment in the Fonds FTQ [as an employee before becoming president]. The company eventually went bankrupt. What I learned is that even though you have good numbers, it’s the people who ensure that the company will succeed or not. Today, in due diligence, I spend a lot more time on people than on numbers.
More ? Capital. I would take so much more. I dream about so many things. I meet entrepreneurs and I like being in the field. There are so many people I would like to help, but I can’t, I only have $1.2 billion to invest every year.
As much ? The right balance of the Fund’s mission between financial and societal performance.
Less ? I would leave the offices here (at the corner of Autoroute 40 and rue Lajeunesse) to work downtown [But she says she has no intention of selling the recently renovated building].
When I asked Michel Fillion [of Chantier Chibougamau] what his dream was. He told me that he wanted to relaunch the Lebel-sur-Quévillon factory and I said: OK, we’ll do it. The factory had been closed for 15 years. It was called Chernobyl. When I presented the matter to the Fund’s board of directors, the members said: “My God. » But we did it.
…is able to see your potential, which is not just about your qualifications, but about your qualities. Who will create a context to help you surpass yourself. Who listens, who will take on the failures with you, but who will give you credit for your good moves.
Yes, Hubert Lacroix [advisor at Blakes and former CEO of Radio-Canada]. I see him every three months. I started working with him when I was 19. He was my boss, my colleague, my mentor, my friend. He is a significant figure in my life. This kind of mentor helps you gain perspective, grow, and see things differently. He continually pushed me out of my comfort zone.
I was not at the top of my class. But when you have heart and will, you can do great things. Have confidence in yourself. Nothing is impossible when you believe in something. Pursue your dreams to the end.
I remember a moment, when I was a young lawyer at McCarthy, when my boss, faced with the disbelief of an important client at seeing me lead the case, defended me by replying: “It’s my best. » The best way to show gratitude to people, therefore, is to go to the front for them and recognize their specific results in front of others.
I have a great capacity to unplug, especially with sport. Until the pandemic, I played hockey every week, summer and winter. They pull my ear to start again. I play center or wing. I’m going to do a triathlon this fall [swim-bike-run].
It’s still the last one I read. I’m reading It’s Not the End of the World, an analysis of how we will manage climate change.
