Heads of post

Marie-Claude Francoeur was appointed the Québec Government Delegate in Boston in May 2014. This is her second term in Boston.

Ms. Francoeur formerly served as the Assistant Deputy Minister for Policies, Multilateral and Francophone Affairs and as Acting Chief of Protocol, from 2011 to 2012, at the Québec Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie.

Ms. Francoeur was also Chief of Staff for the Québec Minister of Transportation and the Minister of Labour. Throughout her career, Ms. Francoeur has worked to shape and promote Québec’s policies on climate change, labor, transportation, energy and francophonie, both at home and internationally.

Ms. Francoeur holds masters’ degrees in both public administration and international relations from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in applied sciences from Laval University in Québec and a certificate in advanced management from the McGill Executive Institute. Ms. Francoeur has also completed the Senior Managers in Government program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Martine Hébert was appointed Québec delegate in Chicago in June 2019. In this capacity, she is responsible for promoting Québec’s interests in the 12 states comprising the American Midwest.

As an experienced economist, she is well-known to economic development stakeholders, policymakers and the media, and has built her career at prominent public and private organizations in both Québec and Canada. A seasoned expert on government relations and the business community, she has contributed to the economic development of Québec and Canada by serving for 10 years as senior vice-president and national spokesperson for Canada’s largest SME group, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) .

Prior to that, she held various positions, including strategic advisor, manager, administrator and policy advisor. In April 2015, the renowned Les Affaires magazine also named her one of the six most influential personalities in Québec in the field of public affairs.

She holds a master’s degree in economics, has authored the book Les secrets du lobbying and gave the first course on government relations at Université de Montréal where she was awarded an honorary degree in 2010 in recognition of her outstanding career.

​Philippe P. Huneault has been Québec’s delegate in Los Angeles since July 1, 2019.

He was previously chief Officer for the representative office in Canada of B&C Plc (Bank and Clients), a London-based bank.

A manager, entrepreneur and seasoned administrator, Mr. Huneault boasts nearly 30 years of experience in public and private corporate financing, business development and innovation.

From 1996 to 2004, he held several positions, including Vice-president, Strategic Opportunities, at Telesystem International Wireless (TIW), a leader in the field of cellular operators in Central and Eastern Europe.

In 2006, he co-founded Echo Capital, a private investment fund manager that supports the development of small and medium-sized businesses. He served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the company. He was also a Managing Partner at Mayfair Strategic Consulting, a firm specialized in providing strategic consulting services for tech companies as well as for municipalities to implement digital strategies and develop Smart City initiatives. In this capacity, he participated in the feasibility analyses of Montreal Digital Metropolis and Gatineau Intelligent et Numérique.

In late 2007, Mr. Huneault was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Medical Intelligence Technologies, a publicly listed company that provides mobile teleassistance solutions for the health and safety sectors.
Before joining TIW, he held management positions at a number of companies, including Cantel, Ericsson, Telezone, Vidéotron, YRH and Bell Canada International.

He has served on a number of boards of directors, including those of Montréal’s Quartier de l’innovation and the Cancer Research Society. He is also a founding member of Capital Intelligent Mtl.

Philippe P. Huneault holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a certificate in technological innovation from École Polytechnique de Montréal.

Stéphanie Allard-Gomez took up her duties as Québec Delegate General in Mexico on September 25, 2017. A career diplomat, she has nearly 25 years of experience in international business development, including 12 years in Europe and Latin America.
 
An economist by training, Ms. Allard-Gomez has served, among other positions, as Canada’s Ambassador to El Salvador (2006-2008), policy advisor and coordinator of Canada’s participation in the 2006 G8 Summit in Russia, consul and senior trade delegate in Milan (2002-2004) and business advisor and chargé d’affaires in Colombia (1999-2002). She also served as Director, Trade Relations with Latin America and the Caribbean, at Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa from 2008 to 2009. In 2009, she was appointed Vice President, International Organizations, at Montréal International, then joined the Tourisme Montréal team in February 2017 as Associate Vice President, Convention Sales and Services.
 
Ms. Allard-Gomez is originally from Montréal. She speaks French, English, Spanish, Italian and Russian.

Martine Hébert was appointed Quebec’s Delegate General in New York on August 16, 2021. In this capacity, she is responsible for promoting Québec’s interests in the 8 states comprising the Mid Atlantic region. Previously, she served as Quebec’s Delegate in Chicago.

As an experienced economist, she is well-known to economic development stakeholders, policymakers and the media, and has built her career at prominent public and private organizations in both Québec and Canada. A seasoned expert on government relations and the business community, she has contributed to the economic development of Québec and Canada by serving for 10 years as senior vice-president and national spokesperson for Canada’s largest SME group, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) .

Prior to that, she held various positions, including strategic advisor, manager, administrator and policy advisor. In April 2015, the renowned Les Affaires magazine also named her one of the six most influential personalities in Québec in the field of public affairs.

She holds a master’s degree in economics, has authored the book Les secrets du lobbying and gave the first course on government relations at Université de Montréal where she was awarded an honorary degree in 2010 in recognition of her outstanding career.

Jean-François Hould began his third posting in the United States in July 2020, as director of the Québec Government Office in Washington where he is responsible for furthering Québec’s bilateral relations with the U.S. federal government.

This strategic post in the American capital builds on his past successes supporting Québec’s economic and political interests in the United States. Previously he served as Québec’s Representative in Chicago, fostering Québec political and economic relations in the Midwest. He was particularly involved in Great Lakes issues and trade between 2017-2019. He also served as Cultural Attaché in New York between 2011-2014, promoting Québec’s artistic development in the MidAtlantic.

Mr. Hould has a long history of public service beginning his governmental career in 2001. He was recruited to various political positions in ministerial cabinets including serving as Deputy Chief of Staff and Political Advisor to the Minister of Culture and Chief of Staff to the Minister of International Relations and la Francophonie.

Jean-François Hould graduated from the University of Montréal in 2003 and furthered his studies at Laval University and at HEC Montréal.

Jason Naud began his duties as Director of the Québec Government Office in São Paulo in September 2020. He has over 10 years of experience in project management and international relations. During his career, he has developed expertise in strategic planning and analysis and has frequently worked on international issues.

From 2013 to 2019, Mr. Naud primarily coordinated the Europe and United States team’s activities for the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation. In addition to these duties, he provided support to research organizations and companies that were setting up abroad and helped implement international partnerships in innovation. In his previous role as an advisor, he was responsible for the Asia Desk and sponsored projects in connection with Japan and Latin America. He also contributed to major government missions and sector-specific missions in Asia, the United States, and Europe.

Jason Naud has a master's degree in international studies and a bachelor’s degree in communication from the Université de Montréal as well as an undergraduate certificate in Spanish from Université du Québec à Montréal.

Elisa Valentin took office as Delegate General of Québec in Munich on June 1^st, 2020. She was previously Director of Europe and European Institutions of the Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie since 2016. 

Proficient in six languages ​​and with a significant professional background focused on international and economic aspects, she has been developing her career within the Ministry from the end of 2006, where she worked as Director for Asia-Pacific, Director for Latin America and Antilles as well as the head of Haiti and Germany / Switzerland / Austria desks, among other positions. 

Before joining the Government of Québec, she worked as an economic analyst at the Department of Human Resources Development Canada in Ottawa and, later, in the field of financial communication and sustainable development at Publicis Consultants in Paris. 

Elisa Valentin holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations and International Law (specialization in international economic relations - Gorizia, Italy, 1998) and a Master's degree in International Relations (specialization in international development - Laval University, Quebec, 2006). In 2019, she participated as the representative of Québec in the Europe module of the 26^th "Lehrgang für Verwaltungsführung", a formation of the Chancellery of the State of Bavaria. 

Michèle Boisvert has been Québec's Delegate General in Paris since May 13, 2019.

Previously, she was Executive Vice-President of Business Development at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, where she was also Senior Vice-President, Public Affairs and Strategic Communications from 2012 to 2015. During her most recent mandate, she was responsible for all entrepreneurial initiatives and ensured the Caisse's presence in all regions of Québec, supporting investment teams. Ms. Boisvert was also an associate professor at HEC Montréal.

An economist by training, Michèle Boisvert has had a prolific career in journalism for nearly 30 years, first at Radio-Canada as an economic journalist from 1982 to 2002, then at La Presse, where she covered economic news as a reporter and columnist. In January 2007, she became director of the newspaper's Business section. In addition to her duties at La Presse, Ms. Boisvert held a daily economic segment on the Radio-Canada radio for seven years.

Until her appointment as Delegate General, Michèle Boisvert was President of the Fondation de la Place des Arts and the Fondation du Centre Jacques-Cartier, and vice-chairwoman of the board of the University of Montréal. She also sits on the boards of directors of the McGill University Health Centre Foundation, the Montréal Council on Foreign relations, the Concours musical international de Montréal, the Fondation de l’entrepreneurship and ENCQOR.

Michèle Boisvert has received many awards over the course of her career, including the title of Woman of Distinction in Communication of the YMCA for 2009, which recognizes women who, through their commitment and achievements, have had a positive and lasting influence on society.

In 2018, she received the honorary title of Chevalière de l'Ordre national du Québec.

In January 2017, Marianna Simeone was appointed Québec delegate in Rome. 
 
An accomplished journalist, host, and columnist on television and radio, she began her career in international trade.
 
For 14 years Marianna was head of the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Montréal. Under her leadership, the organization became the largest of the eight accredited Italian chambers of commerce in North America.  Marianna opened the Vancouver and Québec City offices, was the driving force behind the creation of the NAFTA board of Italian chambers of commerce, and founded a business development office in Milan in partnership with the Government of Québec.  
 
From the business world, Marianna moved into the news and media, where for over 12 years she was a host and columnist on television and radio for leading English and French networks in Montréal, including CBC News and Radio-Canada. A trilingual journalist, she also hosted her own news show in Italian for Canwest Media.
 
To put her media experience to work for numerous international organizations in Montréal, Marianna founded MS Média, a communications and public relations firm she headed up for several years before moving into public service.
 
Marianna is a member of the board of directors of Concordia University, Foundation Santa Cabrini, and the Montreal Port Authority. She is also a trustee of the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, for which she sat on the building committee. 
 
A knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and Gladiatore d’Oro of the province of Benevento, Marianna has received numerous journalism awards, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and the Women of Distinction Award from the Montréal Women’s Y Foundation.

An asset to Québec’s international relations in Africa.

Mr. Iya Touré began his duties as Québec’s Delegate General in Dakar on December 15, 2020, continuing his 28-year career with the Québec government. Before joining the Ministry, he occupied several positions with Investissement Québec (the financial arm of the Québec government, with assets of more than $12 billion) from 1998 onwards, including the position of President of Ressources Québec’s Mines, Hydrocarbons and Energies branch. 

His excellent knowledge of the African business environment and markets, gained largely through his involvement with many different companies, has allowed him to develop strong expertise in financing and the issues surrounding complex financial arrangements. 

Mr. Touré holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration and is currently completing a certification in corporate governance. 

Mr. Touré’s strong background and extensive experience make him highly qualified to be Québec’s Delegate General in Dakar. He intends to continue putting them to use to serve the Government of Québec, particularly by ensuring a permanent government presence among Senegal’s leaders and by working on the ground to strengthen political relations and support the long-term development of economic, institutional, educational, cultural, and solidarity exchanges with this key country. His arrival is also an opportunity to anchor the financial turnaround of this important representation of Québec in Africa. 

Francis Paradis has been Director of the Québec Government Office in Mumbai since September 2019.

Mr. Paradis has nearly 15 years’ experience in Québec public service. Previously to his current position, he had held the office of Assistant Deputy Minister for Business Partnerships and Client Services at the Ministère du Tourisme since June 2018. From 2016 to 2018, he ran the Québec Office for the Atlantic Provinces at the Ministère du Conseil exécutif and, from 2011 to 2016, he was Director of Aboriginal Services and Nordic Development at the Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche.

Mr. Paradis holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, as well as three master’s degrees: one in Business Administration for Managers from Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, one in Public Administration from the École nationale d’administration publique and one in Human Kinetics from Université Laval. He also obtained a certificate in Corporate Governance from Université Laval.

Gabriel Chartier was appointed Director of the Québec Government Office in Honk Kong early in 2019 and took office on 25 June, 2019.

Prior to this nomination, he had been Director of Official Correspondence, Privileges and Immunities at the Québec Government Protocol.

Gabriel Chartier entered Québec’s Public Service in 2000, when he joined the Ministry of International Relations and Francophonie (Ministère des Relations internationals et de la Francophonie), where he held several positions, including Head of Desk for the Andean countries, the West Indies, Mexico and New York.  From December 2013 to June 2017, he was also head of the Ministry’s China Desk and was interim coordinator of Québec’s offices in China from November to December 2015.

He worked at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity from 2011 to 2013 as an advisor on intergovernmental affairs (federal-provincial relations) and was also member of the Board of Directors at the Québec-Americas Office for Youth from 2007 to 2014.

Gabriel Chartier holds two Geography degrees: a honors degree from the University of Ottawa and a master’s degree from Laval University.

Genevieve Rolland was appointed Director of the Québec Office in Seoul in December 2020. 

She honed her project and team management skills with many years of work in the tourism and leisure sector, before joining the Government of Québec. From 2010 to 2016 she worked at the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, helping Quebec businesses develop their market in Asia. She was then promoted to Head of Economic Affairs at the Québec Office in Shanghai and Vice-Consul for Québec at the Consulate General of Canada in Shanghai. Geneviève was instrumental in the expansion of the province’s presence in China, leading the opening, in January 2019, of the Shenzhen Antenna office serving the booming Greater Bay Area market. 

A graduate of Laval University with a degree in International Studies – Asia specialization, Geneviève Rolland also holds a Master's degree in International Public Administration from the National School of Public Administration in Montréal. She also attended Nankai University in Tianjin, China. 

Over the past 20 years, René Sylvestre has held several positions in the public and private sectors that have enabled him to acquire extensive experience in finance, business development and project management in an international context. During that time, he served as a consultant for major organisations and a market analyst at a financial institution, in addition to working abroad for an economic development agency. He also held the position of director of finance and general affairs for a division of a European conglomerate.
 
Mr. Sylvestre has extensive knowledge in financial analysis, government relations and market research. His expertise likewise includes in-depth knowledge of economic development at the provincial and municipal levels.
 
Mr. Sylvestre holds an MBA from the National University of Singapore, a B.B.A. with a specialisation in finance from HEC Montréal business school, and a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree with concentrations in economic science and Canadian and Québec politics from the University of Ottawa.

David Brulotte was appointed Delegate General of Québec in Tokyo on June 3, 2019.
 
In June 2018, He was appointed Director for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East for Invest Quebec, the Province of Quebec’s financing corporation and economic development agency. Based in Japan, Mr. Brulotte manages the operations of IQ’s offices in Japan, Korea, China and India and the business development in the wider region. Before his posting in Tokyo, He was based in Paris from 2014 to 2018 as the as the business development director for France, Italy and the BENELUX in IQ’s Paris offices. Prior to his role in Paris, Mr. Brulotte worked as a trade commissioner for over 2 years at the Quebec Government office in London.
 
Before joining the Quebec civil service, he worked in disarmament affairs for the United Nations in Kathmandu, Nepal.
 
Mr. Brulotte speaks French, English and Japanese. He studied in France and Singapore, holds a B.A. in political sciences from Université Laval as well as an M.A. in international studies and diplomacy from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. He has been involved in cultural philanthropy in Quebec and has represented Canada at the Triathlon world championships in 2017 as well as being an Ironman All World Athlete the same year. He received Université Laval Foundation’s Raymond Blais distinction in 2015 and Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellowship in 2018.

Claire Deronzier has been the Delegate for Francophone and Multilateral Affairs since August 5, 2019.

Ms. Deronzier has a degree in communication and holds the title of Certified Corporate Director (ASC). She has extensive experience in government communications and public administration, including strategic consulting. As assistant deputy minister in the Québec government, she headed the development of public policies on diversity management and immigrant integration and oversaw the immigration and mobility component of the Québec-France Agreement on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications. She coordinated land-use development and planning activities for the Montréal metropolitan area and was also in charge of immigration services in Québec and abroad in the competitive context of growing international mobility. She served as the Québec Delegate General in Tokyo from 2013 to 2017 and was President of the Council for the Promotion of La Francophonie in Japan from 2015 to 2017.

Since November 2017, Ms. Deronzier has been serving as gender equality project manager for the Administrator of the International Organization of La Francophonie. In that capacity, she coordinated the work on developing The Francophonie Strategy for the Promotion of Gender Equality and the Rights and Empowerment of Women and Girls and the creation of an entity dedicated to that issue.

Michel Bonsaint has been the Québec Government representative at the Permanent Delegation of Canada to UNESCO since September 17, 2019.  
 
Prior to this appointment, he has held various positions at the Québec National Assembly since November 1989 and served as Secretary General from September 2010 to September 2019.
 
Throughout his career, Mr. Bonsaint has been actively involved in consolidating democratic institutions, by participating in several international cooperation initiatives within the French-speaking world mainly in Africa, but also in Asia and in Haiti. This has required him to work closely with the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, Senghor University in Alexandria (Egypt) and the Chair of Democracy and Parliamentary Institutions at Laval University in Québec City (Canada).
 
Also in a democratic institution consolidation perspective, Mr. Bonsaint coordinated the drafting of Québec’s Parliamentary Procedure, which was the province’s first reference work on this issue. He also contributed to the creation of the Chair of Democracy and Parliamentary Institutions at Laval University and from 2005 to 2010 taught a course on how democratic institutions work at Laval University’s Faculty of Law. Mr. Bonsaint has also been a guest speaker at various events on the subject of how Parliaments are managed as well as on their fundamental role in the governance of States.
 
Michel Bonsaint holds a bachelor’s degree in Law and a master’s degree in Public Law.