Board of directors

Jacques Gauthier

Jennifer Lang

Jennifer has over 20 years experience as a communications professional working in the public and private sectors and politics. Currently, she is director of communications for the Ministries of Tourism, Culture and Sport where she manages strategic communications for the ministry. Previously, she served as director of communications for the Ministry of Government Services from 2007 to 2009 where she led all internal communications for the OPS and serviced 28 program areas including ServiceOntario, HROntario and the Office of the Corporate Chief Information Officer. Her first role with the OPS was with the Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs from 2005 to 2007 where she managed communications for several First Ministers’ Meetings and gave strategic communications advice on intergovernmental issues including the fiscal imbalance and the Ontario’s “Fairness Campaign.”

Prior to joining the OPS, Jennifer worked in a variety of roles including Director of Communications for the Department of Canadian Heritage, Regional Office, Toronto where she organized several forums with stakeholders and media regarding cultural diversity. Before that, she worked at Edelman Public Relations Worldwide as an Account Director in the Corporate and Public Affairs Division. She advised clients such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Parmalat and Home Depot.

Previously, she worked in federal and provincial politics for 10 years where she served as Press Secretary to Prime Minister Jean Chretien and worked for Allan Rock in his role as Minister of Justice and Attorney General for Canada.

Jennifer holds a B.A. from the University of McMaster in Sociology and French and a Master’s of Arts in 17th century French Literature from Queen’s University. She currently serves on the board of the Alliance Francaise and is a true foodie.

Marc Létourneau

Marc Létourneau is a Senior Client Partner in Korn/Ferry International’s Toronto office and a member of the Global Financial Services Market, specializing in the Investment Banking, Capital Markets, and Insurance Sectors. He is also a member of the Firm’s Financial Officers Practice.

Mr. Létourneau is an accomplished investment banker with over 20 years of experience providing strategic advice, raising capital, and executing mergers and acquisitions in both domestic and international markets.

Most recently, he was a principal with Greybrook Capital, a venture private equity firm providing advice to senior management and boards of emerging growth companies in the healthcare and IT sectors. Previously, Mr. Létourneau was the head of CIBC World Market’s Canadian healthcare investment banking practice and a senior coverage officer in the diversified industries group.

Earlier, he served as managing director and head of diversified industries with Merrill Lynch Canada, and managing director and head of RBC Capital Market’s healthcare division, where he founded the group.

Mr. Létourneau is on the Board of the Alliance Française de Toronto. Mr. Létourneau was a member of the Toronto French School Board, where he served on the executive committee. He also served as chair of the human resources committee, chair of the search committee for the Headmaster, and past chair of the TFS foundation. Mr. Létourneau holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, and a bachelor’s in commerce from McGill University.

He is fluent in both French and English

Jacques Naud - Secretary

Jacques Naud has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry and has successively held the positions of Vice-President Commercial Banking Ontario, Vice President Personal & Commercial Banking Ontario East, Vice-President Mortgage Broker Services – Central Western & Atlantic Canada, Vice President Sales & Service Personal Banking – Ontario & Western Canada, Regional Vice-President Sales and Service Personal Banking - Laval/North-Shore, Vice-President – Abitibi-Témiscamingue Commercial and Retail Banking, Regional Manager Personal Banking Montreal East, Regional Manager, Commercial and Retail Banking Montreal Centre, Commercial Accounts Manager, Branch Manager and Investment Products Manager for Eastern Canada Marketing Department.

In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Naud has always been very involved in the community, especially in business, education and healthcare. He is an active member of the board of directors for the Theatre Francais de Toronto, the Montfort Hospital Foundation, the Alliance Française de Toronto, the Club Canadien de Toronto as well as President of the Comité de suivi du Forum Pancanadien sur le développement économique en Francophonie Canadienne.

Mr. Naud has a Bachelor’s Degree – Commerce from Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), as well as his MBA in Financial Services from Université du Québec à Montréal, and is a member of the MBA Association of Quebec. In addition Mr. Naud received his Financial Planner Certification in June 2002.

James Doak

James Doak has over 30 years investment experience including research analyst, proprietary trading and investment management. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Khan Resources Inc. and a director of Cascades Inc., Eurocopter Canada Ltd. and Purepoint Uranium Group Inc. He is past Chair of Alliance Française de Toronto, Toronto French School and the Toronto Society of Financial Analysts. He established the Robert Salter Fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children. Mr. Doak has published a number of columns in two Canadian financial publications. He holds a Diplôme des Etudes Collégiales from McGill University and a B.A. Economics from the University of Toronto and a Chartered Financial Analyst designation

Hon. Bill Graham

Former MP Toronto-Centre-Rosedale (1993 to 2007), Min of Foreign Affairs 2002-04) Min of National Defence 2004-06) Leader of the Official Opposition 2006 Interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada 2006

Currently : Chancellor Trinity College, Univ. of Toronto 2007-09; Chair, Atlantic Council of Canada; Co-Vice Chair Canadian International Council; Hon. L.Col. Governor General’s Horse Guards (2008)

Gail Lord

President, Lord Cultural Resources Planning & Management Inc., 1981–09 (to present); specializ-ing in Management Consulting, Facilities Plan-ning, Exhibition Development, Heritage Site Man-agement

Formerly: was with the Information Branch, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, 1980–81; Instructor, Art History and Multi–disciplinary Studies, Ryerson University, Toronto, 1970–75; Art Critic and Feature Writer for the Toronto Star, 1964–69; Commentator on weekly CBC national broadcast, The Arts in Review, 1968–70 Contributor to Chatelaine, Toronto Telegram, Toronto Calendar, and other publications Authored publications include The Manual of Museum Management, The Manual of Museum Exhibitions

Ed: Graduate Studies, History, U of T 1968–70; Hon. B.A. History, U of T 1968

Deni Martin

Corporate controller Desgrippes Gobe Group 2001-09, International branding and design agency.

Formerly: Senior Audit Mgr BDO Dunwoody, LLP CA’s 1995-99

Other: Bd Mbr Etobicoke Municipal Employees’ Credit Union,

Ed : B.Comm, UofToronto.

Gordon K. McIvor, Ph.D.- President

Communications executive and board work; Consultant with The World Bank, Washington, D.C.

Formerly VP, Strategic Acquisitions, Public and Government Affairs, Canada Lands Company Limited.

Other Boards: Communications and Public Affairs Foundation of Canada (Chair).

Previous Boards: Le francais pour l'avenir (Chair); The Canadian Club (Chair); The Couchiching Institite on Public Affairs (Chair); S-Vox Vision TV; Le Musee archeologique de Montreal Pointe-a-Calliere.

Paul Perron - Vice president

Former Principal University College, U of T

Author: 30 books

Formerly: professor (semiotics), head Dept French Studies UofT

Ed: Doctorate French Studies, Un of Bordeaux early education in Manitoba and B.C.

Boards: Board Mbr Alliance Française (2001-04), Mbr Standing Ctee on Policy & Planning and Standing Ctee on Nominations--Ontario Council of Ontario Universities

Other: Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Legion d’Honneur; Officer Ordre des Palmes Académiques (for services to French culture)

Donald Rumball - Treasurer

Occupation: Author, consultant

Born in South Africa, Donald Rumball has lived in the U.K and Canada since 1963. He obtained his B.A. at Witwatersrand University, majoring in Mathematics, French and Economics. In 1966, he became a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (F.I.A.) in London.

He left the actuarial profession in 1972 to become a journalist for the Financial Post, where he rose to become Business Editor. In 1981, he started Canada’s first national magazine for entrepreneurs, The Magazine That’s All About Small Business (now called Profit). He started his own business in 1987 and has since contributed to several major newspapers and magazines, as well as writing numerous studies on entrepreneurs for the federal and Ontario governments (in both official languages). He led a research program at the University of Toronto on entrepreneurship in the arts and cultural sector. He has consulted to the publishing industry and to clients of the Industrial Research Assistance Program, on strategy, marketing and financing. He has also designed seminar programs for new entrepreneurs for the Business Development Bank of Canada. During 1991-93, he ran a national network of entrepreneurs (the National Entrepreneurship Development Institute), and subsequently helped create a comparable network in Ontario (the Innovators Alliance).

Since 1975, he has been a regular commentator on business and economics for Radio Canada and the French channel of TV Ontario. He has published three books – The Entrepreneurial Edge (1988), Peter Munk: The making of a Modern Tycoon (1996 and 1997) and The University Club of Toronto: Its Life, Its Times (2009).

He was Entrepreneur-in-residence at the Centre for Entrepreneurship in the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Toronto (1993-95) and Executive-in-residence at Ryerson University (1995-97). He was named a Fellow of Ryerson in 1990.

He is Past President of the University Club of Toronto, Pleiades Theatre and Théâtre français de Toronto, as well as York Cricket Club. He also served as director and Treasurer of the Lycée Français de Toronto.

Solange Strom

Solange Strom is currently the President of the French Chamber of Commerce in Canada. Born in Lyon, her father was from Marseille and her mother from Montreal. She arrived in Canada in 1989 and first settled in Montreal where she worked for Laboratoires Boiron before moving to Vancouver, where she met her husband and founded a family. Attached to her father’s Provencal culture, she opened a shop “L’Occitane en Provence” in Vancouver in 1999 and one year later, after taking over the distribution of L’Occitane in Canada she opened a second shop in Toronto. Managing 12 shops until 2009, this Franco-Canadian was involved in the Charitable Foundation of l’Occitane, which helps people with sensory disabilities.

Formerly : CEO and owner of « L’Occitane en Provence” Canada, Toronto, 1999-2009 ; Communication director and new strategies coordinator for STROMS PHARMACIES, 1997-1999, Vancouver Island, BC ; Director of sales for Western Canada 1994-1996, sales representative and medical trainer 1989- 1994, LABORATOIRES BOIRON, Montréal.

Education : EMBA McGill-HEC 2012 ; Lyon Medical School, France (1979-1985).

Awards : Best Bistributor of L’Occitane International 2007 ; Profit 100- Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies 2007; Profit W100 - Canada’s Top Women Entrepreneurs, ranked in 2005, 2006 et 2007 ; France – Canada personality of the year 2003.

Others : Foreign Trade Adviser for France; Founding committee member of Club Excellence 2005-2009 ; Volunteer for Sick Kids “Scrubs in the City” 2000-2003.

Francine Watkins - Secretary

Pres. Francine Watkins Translation Services Inc, 1999-09; Prof. Translation, Glendon College Formerly: Director Communications & Information Services Metro Toronto 1997-99; Director Translation and Interpretation Metro Toronto 1991-99; Asst Regional Director - Official Languages Ontario Region of Dep’t of Secretary Of State 1989-91

Ed: DEUG Certificat de maîtrise d’anglais 1972-73 and DEUG d’études françaises, University of Strasbourg

Other: Pres Parent-Teacher Assn of Gabrielle-Roy (2 yrs), Mbr-founder Council of French Schools of Metro Toronto, Bd Mbr French Canadian Assn of Ontario, Mbr of French Ctee of City of Toronto