A total of 110 companies led by women and with a turnover of more than five million dollars per year are found in the third edition of the magazine’s list Firsts in business unveiled on Wednesday. This year, it is the high number of emerging entrepreneurs that stands out.
“There are still few gendered statistics on female entrepreneurship,” said editor-in-chief Déborah Levy in a press release. The list, which is presented as a census rather than a ranking, is not exhaustive. Nevertheless, it allows “to measure the growing contribution of women to the Quebec economy,” believes Ms. Levy.
37 new companies were added this year, a sign of growing interest. The compilation and analysis of the data were carried out by the firm Léger.
At the top are 15 companies that do business in excess of $50 million per year in this third version of the list. Lg2 is notably entering the group. “Our greatest wish is that women, through their inclusive and benevolent leadership, change the business world and ensure sustainable growth for local businesses,” said Pénélope Fournier, president of the Montreal branch of the Canadian agency.
Cook it, specializing in ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat meals, is also entering this category. These companies are also surrounded by Aliments Asta, Nationex, Trudeau, Germain Hôtels and Biron Groupe Santé, led by Caroline Biron and which made itself known to Quebecers during the pandemic with its COVID-19 screening tests.
Twenty companies were also added to the category of medium-sized companies, which have a turnover between 10 and 50 million dollars, and there are 14 more in the category of “living forces”, small and medium-sized companies with an annual turnover between 5 and 10 million dollars.
Place for the next generation
This year, 53% of female entrepreneurs came from the next generation and took over the reins of an existing business. This is notably the case of Anne-Marie Trudeau, president and general manager of Trudeau, of Julie Roy, who is president and chief executive officer of Roy, of Pénélope Fournier at lg2 and of Zara-Emmanuelle Villani, who took the next generation of Envelope concept.
According to data disclosed by Firsts in business, 39% of women leaders are between 45 and 54 years old. 16 regions of Quebec are represented in the census, proof that many are active outside Montreal. And, a sign that they are not all in traditionally more “feminine” fields, 14% of companies come from the manufacturing sector and 11% are in the field of architecture, engineering and construction.