Valérie Plante’s municipal administration wants to send a clear signal that it intends to “build bridges” with the business world, by creating the position of assistant director general responsible for economic development and real estate strategy for the City of Montreal.
Posted at 6:00 a.m.
“My role within the municipal administration will be that of pivot, of point of contact for activating connections between the business world and the municipal world. I believe that we can build bridges”, explains Philippe Krivicky, who has just been appointed deputy director general “economy and influence of the metropolis”, and who will take up his post at the beginning of next month.
Mayor Valérie Plante explains in an interview that the idea for this new position germinated during the pandemic. “We realized that the two issues we wanted to focus on were urban security and economic development, in the broad sense,” she says.
To oversee security issues, the Plante administration last May appointed the former big boss of the Sûreté du Québec, Martin Prud’homme, to the position of deputy director general of “public security”.
With the appointment of Philippe Krivicky, “we want to show that the economic recovery we are talking about, we want to support it and increase our economic impact,” says Valérie Plante.
In addition to the economy and housing, the newcomer will be responsible for international relations, procurement and property valuation.
The Plante administration is not recognized as having much in common with the business community, concedes Philippe Krivicky. “It’s the image that stands out, but there is a desire for rapprochement,” he says.
It is innovative for a city to create a position of this type. It demonstrates the openness of the administration to put its priority there.
Philippe Krivicky, new Deputy Director General responsible for economic development and real estate strategy at the City of Montreal
“The right people around the table”
To develop the 60,000 affordable housing units promised last year by Mayor Plante during the election campaign, “the City is aware that it needs the private sector,” he adds. “The municipal administration will have to be more agile in order to move the projects forward. »
For Valérie Plante, “real estate development is intimately linked to economic development”. “To succeed in our housing strategy, which is ambitious, we need the right people around the table,” she says.
Mr. Krivicky understands the language of the business community and also supports the values of our administration.
Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal
Philippe Krivicky was president of the real estate development and construction division at COGIR Immobilier. He previously worked at RONA, notably as vice-president of the retail market, emerging strategies. He also served as general manager of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, held in Montreal in 2007.
Mr. Krivicky points out that, at COGIR, he has contributed to the development of several innovative and mixed-use real estate projects, from commercial and residential projects to offices and residences for the elderly.
“All of my work experience has prepared me for this new role,” he says.