Governance

Get to know the people who manage our organization

Corporate practices

We believe it is essential to create a corporate governance culture that aims to respect the rules applicable to our bank and achieve our mission: to have a positive impact on people’s lives. To do so, our Board of Directors, assisted by its committees and management, ensures the implementation of good corporate governance practices and standards with which everyone must comply.

Senior leadership team

Laurent Ferreira

President and Chief Executive Officer


Laurent Ferreira is President and Chief Executive Officer of National Bank, a position he has held since November 2021. He is responsible for the strategies, orientations and development of the Bank and its subsidiaries. He is supported by the Senior Leadership Team. At the time of his appointment, Mr. Ferreira was Chief Operating Officer.

Mr. Ferreira started his career at Bankers Trust where he worked for two years. He joined National Bank in 1998 and successively held the positions of Senior Manager, then Executive Vice-President and Managing Director of Derivatives and Equities within the Financial Markets group. From 2018 to 2021, Mr. Ferreira was Executive Vice-President and Co-Head, Financial Markets.

Mr. Ferreira served on the Hydro-Québec Board of Directors from 2014 to 2019. He is active in the community and has contributed to various causes throughout his career. He currently serves as co-chair of several organizations including Centraide United Way of Greater Montreal the Bal des lumières, and the Portage Soirée des grands philanthropes. He recently co-chaired the Montreal Women's Y Foundation fundraising campaign. In addition, he is the Honorary Chair of the 85th edition of St. Mary’s Ball.

Mr. Ferreira has a Master’s degree in Finance from HEC Montréal and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Université du Québec à Montréal.

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Stéphane Achard

Executive Vice-President and Co-Head Commercial Banking and Private Banking

As Executive Vice-President and Co-Head of Commercial Banking and Private Banking at National Bank with Éric Bujold, Stéphane Achard is responsible for developing strategic orientations, advancing the client experience and overseeing all Commercial Banking and Private Banking products and services, as well as National Bank Insurance’s activities.

In this role, he will supervise the sector’s growth and ensure its sustainability by soundly managing risks. Mr. Achard is a member of National Bank’s Senior Leadership Team and chairs the board of directors of National Bank Insurance. Before that, he was Executive Vice-President, Commercial Banking and Insurance.

With close to 35 years of experience in the financial services sector, Mr. Achard has developed excellent knowledge of the industry. Among others, he has held various management positions in commercial banking, managing regional markets, personal banking, marketing, strategic planning, capital markets, credit card services and payment solutions.

Throughout his career, Mr. Achard has been involved in various causes supporting health, the arts and entrepreneurship. He has served on the Boards of Directors of the École nationale de cirque, the Fondation de l’entrepreneurship, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations, the École d’Entrepreneurship de Beauce, ACET – Université de Sherbrooke and the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation. He is currently Chairman of the Board of the Martin-Matte Foundation and is Vice-Chairman of the Board of Québec Global 100. He is also a member of the Board of Payments Canada.

Furthermore, Mr. Achard was appointed by the Quebec government to chair the Board of Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC) in January 2021. Mr. Achard holds an MBA and Bachelor of Administration from Concordia University.

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Éric Bujold

Executive Vice-President and Co-Head Commercial Banking and Private Banking

As Executive Vice-President and Co-Head of Commercial Banking and Private Banking at National Bank with Stéphane Achard, Éric Bujold is responsible for developing strategic orientations, advancing the client experience and overseeing all Commercial Banking and Private Banking products and services, as well as National Bank Insurance’s activities. In this role, he will supervise the sector’s growth and ensure its sustainability by soundly managing risks. Mr. Bujold is also a member of National Bank’s Senior Leadership Team.

Mr. Bujold joined the Bank in 1996. He started off at National Bank Financial where he was an Investment Advisor and Insurance Broker in the Eastern Quebec region. After mandates as the founding manager of the NBFWM branch in Rimouski and Vice-President, he was promoted to Senior Vice-President and General Manager of National Bank Financial in 2007. In 2008, he founded National Bank Private Banking 1859, and was President of the business line until 2022.

In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Bujold has been committed to several causes and organizations since the beginning of his career. He is very involved in youth organizations and healthcare. He has chaired the board of directors of the Fondation Jeunes en Tête since 2009 and is co-president of the 2018-2022 financing campaign for the Fondation du CHUS. He also actively contributes to the field of arts and culture. As well as being a member of National Bank’s strategic art acquisition committee, he has also sat on the Board of Directors of the Fondation du Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal since 2010. He is also a member of the advisory board for the Accélérateur Banque Nationale — HEC Montréal, whose mission is to develop innovative entrepreneurs. He stands out for his engaging leadership in both his professional activities and his personal commitments, and is known for his ability to create high-performing teams made up of exceptional, determined people.

Mr. Bujold is an actuary and holds the title of Associate of the Society of Actuaries. He began his career as an actuarial consultant at the international firms Mercer and Aon. He was also a lecturer at Université Laval’s school of actuarial science. Mr. Bujold has a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Studies from Université Laval.

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Lucie Blanchet

Executive Vice-President – Personal Banking and Client Experience

As Executive Vice-President – Personal Banking and Client Experience, Lucie Blanchet oversees all personal banking operations. In that capacity, she manages the network of financial planners, branches and client contact centres. Her responsibilities also include product and pricing management, distribution and marketing strategies, as well as developing the Bank's digital offering.

Ms. Blanchet joined National Bank in 2002. She worked for 7 years as part of the Risk Management business line, first as Senior Manager – Operational Risk, and then as Senior Manager – Credit Portfolio, Personal Banking. Since then, she has held various management positions in the Personal and Commercial Banking sector. In particular, she served as Vice-President – Mortgage Development, Specialized Networks, Vice-President – Sales and Service, Personal and Commercial Banking, and more recently, Senior Vice-President – Distribution, Solutions and Processes.

Ms. Blanchet is a chartered professional accountant (CPA) with over 25 years of experience in the banking industry. Prior to joining National Bank, she worked for the Business Development Bank of Canada as well as Société générale and Crédit Lyonnais, two European banks. She began her career at KPMG.

Throughout her career, Ms. Blanchet has been particularly interested in the development of her teams. She prizes effective teamwork and makes it one of her highest priorities to engender inclusive and productive innovation in all professional activities. Outside of National Bank, she pursues her passion for youth-related causes.

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William Bonnell

Executive Vice-President – Risk Management
 

William Bonnell was appointed Executive Vice-President – Risk Management and a member of the Senior Leadership Team in June 2012. As the Bank's Chief Risk Officer, he is responsible for enterprise-wide risk management including credit, market and operational risks.

Mr. Bonnell, who joined National Bank in 2001, has held successive leadership positions in credit risk management, proprietary trading, and market risk management.

Before joining the Bank, Mr. Bonnell worked in Toronto, London, and Dublin in a variety of risk management, capital markets, and management roles within the banking industry.

Mr. Bonnell serves on the Board of Directors of the Risk Management Association and is Chair of the Canadian Bankers Association’s Risk Committee. He is a past member of the Board of Directors - Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation as well as of the Rotman MFRM Advisory Board.

Mr. Bonnell holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, a Bachelor’s degree from Bishop’s University and completed studies at EM Lyon Business School. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and holds the Financial Risk Manager (FRM) designation from the Global Association of Risk Professionals.

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Étienne Dubuc

Executive Vice-President and Co-Head, Financial Markets

Étienne Dubuc is Executive Vice-President and Co-Head, Financial Markets. He is in charge of National Bank's wholesale banking activities and treasury, including the Investment Banking, Corporate Banking, Equity, Fixed Income and Derivatives divisions. Mr. Dubuc is also a member of National Bank's Senior Leadership Team.

Mr. Dubuc began his career at the Bank in 1999 and successively held the positions of Options Market Maker, then Head Trader, Option Flow and Head Trader, Structured Products. He then oversaw the development of the Equity Derivatives Group into a leader in options and ETF trading. He took over the Cash Equities group in 2014 and the Research Department and the Equity Markets group in early 2018. In January 2020, he was given the responsibility of managing the FX and Commodities groups in addition to sharing management of the Risk Management Solutions team's activities.

At the time of his appointment, Mr. Dubuc was Executive Vice-President, Managing Director and Head of Equities, Currencies and Commodities, and Co-Head of Risk Management Solutions for Financial Markets.

In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Dubuc has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation since 2020. He has a Master's degree in Finance from HEC Montréal and a Bachelor's degree in Economics.

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Martin Gagnon

Co-President and Co-Chief Executive Officer, National Bank Financial Executive Vice-President – Wealth Management

Martin Gagnon was appointed Co-President and Co-Chief Executive Officer, National Bank Financial, and Executive Vice-President – Wealth Management in July 2016. He is responsible for all wealth management-related activities at National Bank, including full-service securities brokerage, services for high-net-worth individuals, trust services, third-party clearing services, as well as investment product manufacturing and distribution and self-directed brokerage solutions. Mr. Gagnon is also a member of National Bank’s Senior Leadership Team.

Mr. Gagnon began his career in 1987 in National Bank’s Treasury department. He subsequently occupied various management roles in financial markets, financial engineering and asset/liability management. From 1993 to 2003 he held positions at Goldman Sachs Canada in Toronto, at Laurentian Bank, and then again at Goldman Sachs, this time in New York as Vice-President – International Equities. Mr. Gagnon rejoined National Bank in 2003 at its subsidiary responsible for hedge fund operations, Innocap Investment Management Inc., where he went on to become the Co-Chief Executive Officer. At the time of his appointment, Mr. Gagnon was Senior Vice-President – Intermediary Business Solutions, Wealth Management.

Mr. Gagnon is Chairman of the Board of Directors of National Bank Trust lnc., Natcan Trust Company and National Bank Investments Inc., and Co-Chair of the board of National Bank Financial Inc. He is the Chairman of the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal Foundation and also serves on the board of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.

Mr. Gagnon has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Université du Québec à Montréal and a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of British Columbia. He is also a CFA® charterholder.

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Marie Chantal Gingras

Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice-President – Finance

 

As Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice-President – Finance, Marie Chantal Gingras is responsible for Accounting, Finance, Strategic Planning, Procurement, Merger and Acquisition and Internal Audit, including Capital Management, Taxation, Investor Relations and Financial Governance. Ms. Gingras is a member of National Bank’s Senior Leadership Team.

Until April 2022, Ms. Gingras was Senior Vice-President – Financial Accounting. When she joined National Bank in 1998, she worked in the Finance sector until 2013 when she moved to Personal and Commercial Banking as Vice-President – Performance, Risk and Support. In November 2016, she was appointed Head of Internal Audit, the position she held until her appointment as SVP – Financial Accounting. Prior to joining the Bank, she worked at Royal Bank and Bombardier.

In addition to her professional activities, Ms. Gingras is vice-chair of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Internal Auditors of Montreal and also sits on the Chapters Relations Committee Canada. She offers her time to the Regroupement Partage organization that promotes the advancement and development of sustainable solutions for food security and to Héma-Québec.

Marie Chantal Gingras has a Bachelor of Business Administration from HEC Montréal. She is also a CFA® charterholder.

Photo of Marie Chantal Gingras

Denis Girouard

Executive Vice-President Co-Head, Financial Markets

 

Denis Girouard is Executive Vice-President and Co-Head, Financial Markets. He is in charge of National Bank's wholesale banking activities and treasury, including the Investment Banking, Corporate Banking, Equity, Fixed Income and Derivatives segments. Mr. Girouard also oversees the Bank’s cultural transformation. He is a member of National Bank’s Senior Leadership Team.

Mr. Girouard began his career in 1982 as a bond market trader at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. In 1990, he joined National Bank Financial (NBF) where he has held various strategic executive positions. At the time of his appointment to the Senior Leadership Team, Mr. Girouard was Executive Vice-President, Managing Director and Co-Head of Fixed Income and Deputy Head of Financial Markets at NBF.

During his career in Financial Markets, Mr. Girouard gained in-depth knowledge of the sector's activities. Under his stewardship, National Bank notably positioned itself as a leader in government financing in Canada.

In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Girouard has served on several boards within the business community. He is currently a member of the CanDeal Board of Directors. Mr. Girouard has a Bachelor's in Finance from HEC and is a Chartered Financial Analyst, CFA®.

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Brigitte Hébert

Executive Vice-President – Employee Experience
 

As Executive Vice-President – Employee Experience, Brigitte Hébert is responsible for developing HR strategies and practices for the entire Bank and overseeing head office units related to legal and public affairs. She plays a key role in helping to deliver a superior experience for all National Bank clients and employees. She is also a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

Ms. Hébert joined National Bank in 1994. Over the course of her career, she has developed solid experience in high-level management positions. She is recognized for her mobilizing leadership in the Bank's transformation and has successfully carried out numerous strategic reorganizations in the Operations, Finance and Information Technology sectors. Prior to her appointment, Brigitte Hébert was Executive Vice-President – Operations.

In addition to her professional activities, Ms. Hébert is actively involved in a number of organizations. She is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of FitSpirit and a member of Alloprof’s Board of Directors, chair of its Finance and Audit Committee and a member of its Human Resources Committee. For several years now, she has been part of the Bank's mentoring program, which seeks to provide inspiration and coaching for the Bank's up-and-coming leaders.

Ms. Hébert has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from HEC Montréal and is a chartered professional accountant (CPA).

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Julie Lévesque

Executive Vice-President – Technology and Operations

Julie Lévesque was appointed Executive Vice-President – Information Technology in June 2020. As such, she is responsible for implementing the Bank’s technological strategy. She has also been in charge of the Operations sector since January 2022. Ms. Lévesque is a member of National Bank’s Senior Leadership Team.

At the time of her appointment to the Office of the President in 2020, Julie Lévesque was Senior Vice-President – IT Delivery Strategy at National Bank. Previously, she spent three years working for the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board as Managing Director and Head of System and Data Delivery, Technology. Ms. Lévesque worked at National Bank from 2005 to 2016, where she held various management roles in IT, including Vice-President – IT Delivery, Risk, Finance, Capital Markets and Human Resources.

With over 25 years of experience in information technology, Julie Lévesque has in-depth knowledge of corporate IT environments and infrastructure. Her leadership style is based on collaboration, trust, partnership and cross-sector teamwork. Her passion for innovation and emerging technology means she quickly grasps the issues involved and excels at explaining concepts in business terms.

Ms. Lévesque sits on the Boards of Directors of the Computer Research Institute of Montréal (CRIM) and the fintech Flinks Technology Inc. In 2022, she washamed CIO of the year in the Private Sector category by IT World of Canada and the CIO Association of Canada. Ms. Lévesque has an Executive MBA (EMBA) from McGill-HEC Montréal.

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Ghislain Parent

Executive Vice-President – International
 

Ghislain Parent is Executive Vice-President – International. He is primarily responsible for our subsidiaries Credigy in the United States and ABA Bank in Cambodia. Mr. Parent is also a member of National Bank’s Senior Leadership Team.

Until April 2022, Mr. Parent served as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice-President – Finance. He also held the position of Senior Vice-President – Internal Audit in 2010 and 2011. Before joining National Bank, Mr. Parent was Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and President of CDP Financial Inc. During his career, Mr. Parent also served as Vice-President – Internal Audit and Security, and Vice-President, Chief Accountant for Laurentian Bank as well as Senior Advisor – Banking Supervision and Restructuring, Africa, for the International Monetary Fund.

In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Parent is involved in several organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM). He was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Quartier International de Montréal from 2003 to 2008 and was involved in Centraide United Way and the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec. Furthermore, Mr.  Parent was the Honorary Co-Chair of the 2015, 2016 and 2017 benefit dinners for Intégration Jeunesse du Québec, an organization that offers training programs, stay-in-school programs, job placement services and employment assistance services to young people. Since 2012, Mr. Parent and his team have been actively involved with Accueil Bonneau, an outreach organization that works with the homeless.

Ghislain Parent has a BA in Business Administration and Accounting and is a Fellow of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec (FCPA).

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Corporate governance practices

Our governance practices are a set of structures, policies, and processes designed to:

Photo of a woman speaking to their colleagues in a conference room
  • Protect National Bank’s interests
  • Ensure sound risk-taking
  • Ensure the integrity and ethical conduct of National Bank’s Directors, Officers, and employees
  • Detect and prevent conflicts of interest
  • Ensure that Directors are independent

Download our Statement of Corporate Governance practices for more details

Board of directors

Find out about the mandate of our Board of Directors and learn more about the professional background of each of its members.

Meet the Board

Codes and commitments

From consumer protection to anti-corruption, read more about the policies, codes and commitments that frame our activities.

Read our documents