You were vice-president of Tourisme Montréal, did you apply to become CEO of the Palais, or were you picked up?
Headhunters and board members were researching and my name came up a lot because of my experience in the industry and then my knowledge of Montreal and the business community. They also appreciated my skills in marketing and new technologies to promote the Palace and the destination. It must also be said that I am in love with Montreal. I was born there, I have always lived there, except for three years spent in Vancouver.
Before accepting the mandate, did you doubt? Have any mentors encouraged you to accept this challenge?
If I had been asked at 20 if I would one day become CEO of the Palais des congrès, I would have answered no! Having said that, I am very proud of what I have accomplished over the past few years, and when the opportunity presented itself, I had no doubts. I am a girl of challenges. When a great opportunity presents itself and I know that I can create value and that the experience will make me grow, I do not hesitate to take it. I have never had official mentors, but I have always interacted a lot with my colleagues and bosses. There are also several women who inspire me, like Isabelle Hudon [présidente et cheffe de la direction de BDC], Sophie Brochu [PDG d’Hydro-Québec], Manon Brouillette [cheffe de l’exploitation et nouvellement PDG de la division consommateurs de Verizon, géant américain des télécommunications] and Kamala Harris [vice-présidente des États-Unis].
How did you end up in the tourism industry?
I studied communication and advertising. I have worked in the food, banking, fashion and advertising industries. I was an account manager at Sid Lee, and Tourisme Montréal was my client. I fell in love with this industry. Tourisme Montréal approached me and I took the leap.
What are your priorities at the Palais?
The first challenge is to plan for the future. You have to look after the pandemic to see what the customer wants and rethink the events accordingly. Then there is the challenge of employee engagement. They ensure the success of our organization. The Palace is doing quite well because it continued to hold certain activities during the crisis, especially digital events. But the fact remains that coming out of this pandemic, everyone is a little tired and wondering where he is going. We want our employees to feel valued. We need them for the recovery.
After three months on the job, do you already have an accomplishment that you are proud of?
There will be a second cohort of the Event Lab that allows organizations to join the Palais to offer clients services that are out of the ordinary. We also have a second cohort of the event transformation program where we invite clients to create more added value for their events in order to encourage people to come and attend. These initiatives are necessary in order to plan for the future.