(Quebec) Prime Minister François Legault hires a long-time friend and his former chief of staff under the Bouchard government, Daniel Zizian, as a special advisor.
This is a rare change in the composition of Mr. Legault’s inner circle since he came to power in 2018.
The Press reported last week that Stéphane Gobeil had become director of strategic planning in the Prime Minister’s office. This freed up the position of special adviser, which will be filled by Mr. Zizian.
“It is driven by a deep desire to serve Quebec that I made the decision to return to service,” writes Daniel Zizian on his LinkedIn account.
The exchanges between MM. Legault and Zizian for a position in the cabinet go back a little after the general elections of 2022, therefore before the last tumultuous months for the government.
Daniel Zizian, 66, signaled to the prime minister during a social gathering that he was willing to come out of his recent retirement to lend a helping hand. François Legault offered him a full-time position; Mr. Zizian began to reflect. Then the latter had discussions with Mr. Legault’s director and deputy chief of staff, Martin Koskinen and Claude Laflamme. He was offered a position as a special advisor, a position he recently accepted.
MM. Legault and Zizian are long-time friends. They met 50 years ago, in CEGEP. Daniel Zizian was Mr. Legault’s chief of staff from the end of 1998 to 2001, when he was Minister of Education under the Bouchard government. Mr. Zizian had previously dabbled in politics, working with Pierre-Marc Johnson, then leader of the Parti Québécois and prime minister.
Daniel Zizian was deputy secretary general of HEC Montréal from 2001 to 2007. He subsequently became better known to the general public as president of the defunct Conference of Rectors and Principals of Quebec Universities (CREPUQ). He held this position during the student crisis of 2012. He left it the following year.
Daniel Zizian subsequently directed the Quebec Employer Center for Occupational Health and Safety until his retirement in 2022.