Management team: Deeply committed to the future

Michael Sabia
President and Chief Executive Officer

Michael Sabia was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Hydro‑Québec effective August 1, 2023. As such, he also sits on the company’s Board of Directors.

Mr. Sabia has extensive experience as an executive in both the public and private sectors. Prior to joining Hydro‑Québec, he was Canada’s Deputy Minister of Finance (2020–2023). Previously, he served as Chair of the Board of the Canada Infrastructure Bank and Director of the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. His tenure as President and Chief Executive Officer of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) from 2009 to 2020 was marked by growth of the investment group’s assets and global presence and the consolidation of its role as a leader of the Québec economy. Before taking office at CDPQ, Mr. Sabia held various senior positions at BCE, including that of President and Chief Executive Officer (2002–2008). He also worked at Canadian National Railway, where he was Chief Financial Officer from 1995 to 1999, as well as within the Canadian civil service (1983–1993).

Over the course of his career, Mr. Sabia was involved in numerous global initiatives, including the Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance convened by the United Nations and the G7’s Investor Leadership Network, set up to help drive the transition to a sustainable and inclusive global economy.

Mr. Sabia holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Toronto and a master’s in those fields from Yale University, where he also pursued doctoral studies. Deeply committed to community involvement, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Mastercard Foundation, one of the largest foundations in the world, whose mission is to advance learning and financial inclusion in Africa and to support Indigenous youth in Canada. He has also co‑chaired the capital campaigns of Université de Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal and HEC Montréal. Mr. Sabia is an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Claudine Bouchard
Executive Vice President, Chief Infrastructure and Energy System Officer, Hydro‑Québec
President and Chief Executive Officer, Société d’énergie de la Baie James

Claudine Bouchard was appointed Executive Vice President, Chief Infrastructure and Energy System Officer at Hydro‑Québec in 2022 as part of a major restructuring initiative. In this capacity, she oversees the design and development of an increasingly smart and interactive energy system, integrating new technologies and variable renewable energy sources. Also serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of Société d’énergie de la Baie James (SEBJ), she manages the company’s assets and infrastructure throughout Québec, as well as refurbishment and expansion projects. Her teams provide the expertise and technical support needed to carry out today’s projects and define the requirements for tomorrow’s operations. They develop acquisition strategies that maximize spin-offs for the company and Québec society as a whole, and also optimize methods and processes with regard to occupational health and safety and environmental management on the company’s jobsites.

A seasoned manager known for her human leadership, Ms. Bouchard has over 20 years’ experience at Hydro‑Québec, where she has held positions of increasing responsibility in wide-ranging fields including communications, community relations, operations and maintenance, occupational health and safety, environmental governance and expertise, the management of major cross-functional projects and crisis management. In particular, she served as Vice President – Distribution System, Vice President – Corporate Transformation, Chief Transformation Officer and Vice President – Strategic Procurement, and Executive Vice President – TransÉnergie and Construction.

Ms. Bouchard holds a Bachelor of Science from the Université de Montréal and an MBA from the Université du Québec à Montréal and the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, as well as a Master’s Certificate in Marketing Communications Leadership from York University. She also completed a business negotiations program at Harvard. Certified by the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés, she sits on the boards of Electricity Canada, the New York–based Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC) and the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ). In addition, she is a member of the FCCQ’s executive committee, chairs the organization’s human resources committee, is a member of the urban forestry leaders committee set up by the Société de verdissement du Montréal métropolitain (Soverdi) and has led Hydro‑Québec’s Centraide Leadership campaign since 2018. Moreover, she volunteers as a leader of The A Effect and an ambassador in the Women’s Leadership program of the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie Saguenay-Le Fjord.

In October 2021, Ms. Bouchard received the prestigious Woman of WaterPower Award from Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) and WaterPower Canada (WPC) in recognition of her contribution to the Canadian hydropower industry and the advancement of women in the renewable energy sector.

Julie Boucher
Vice President – Sustainability, Community Relations and Communications

After two years as Vice President – Customer Experience, Communications and Community Relations, Julie Boucher was appointed Vice President – Sustainability, Community Relations and Communications in 2022 as part of a major restructuring initiative at Hydro‑Québec. In this capacity, she will oversee sustainable development and environmental matters, such as the climate change adaptation plan. Her group is also tasked with ensuring open and constructive communications with the general public and all Hydro‑Québec stakeholders, including governments, and maintaining privileged relations with local and Indigenous communities.

Ms. Boucher joined Hydro‑Québec in 2007 as a media spokesperson in the Saguenay‑Lac‑Saint-Jean region and became a manager in 2009. After various positions of increasing responsibility in community relations, government and public affairs and communications, she was appointed Vice President – Communications, Government Affairs and Indigenous Relations in March 2020. Earlier in her career, she worked as a journalist for TQS and Radio‑Canada television for seven years.

Ms. Boucher holds a bachelor’s degree in geography with a minor in political science from the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC). She sits on the board of the Montréal Council on Foreign Relations (CORIM), as well as on the advisory board of the energy sector management chair at HEC Montréal.

Nathalie Dubois
Vice President – Talent and Culture

After serving as Hydro‑Québec’s Vice President – Talent, Culture and Evolution for a year, Nathalie Dubois was appointed Vice President – Talent and Culture in 2022 as part of a major restructuring initiative within the company. She plays a key role in implementing strategies to support Hydro‑Québec’s growth in the rapidly changing energy sector. In particular, these strategies involve human resource planning, skills development and the creation of a talent pool to meet the company’s current and future needs. She also oversees initiatives to improve the employee experience and foster an inclusive, engaging workplace. In collaboration with her teams of experts, she also ensures the security of the company's facilities, assets and revenue.

Over the course of her career, Ms. Dubois has led several major organizational transformation and change management projects, particularly in the manufacturing sector where she worked for 20 years. As Production Supervisor and Human Resources Manager at General Motors of Canada from 1990 to 1998, she implemented processes and strategies designed to improve productivity and labor relations. She also made her mark at Pratt & Whitney Canada, where she held positions of increasing responsibility in human resources management in the Operations, Aftermarket and Customer Services sectors for 12 years, from 1998 to 2003 and from 2005 to 2011. She was Director of Human Resources at Cirque du Soleil from 2003 to 2005.

Ms. Dubois joined Hydro‑Québec in 2011 as Director – Human Resources at Hydro‑Québec Distribution. Appointed Director of Operational Services – Human Resources in 2012, she set up and supervised a service center to efficiently meet the needs of the company’s 20,000 employees. In 2016, she joined Desjardins Group as Vice President, Human Resources Service Centre (HR) and HR Officer in the General Insurance sector, a position she held for a year. She returned to Hydro‑Québec as Vice President – Human Resources in 2017 and served in that capacity until 2021.

Ms. Dubois holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial relations from the Université de Montréal. She has also completed executive training programs at Queen’s University in Ontario and the University of Virginia Darden School of Business in the United States. She is a member of the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés du Québec.

Geneviève Fournier
Vice President – Marketing and Customer Experience

Geneviève Fournier was appointed Vice President – Marketing and Customer Experience in 2022, as part of a major restructuring initiative at Hydro‑Québec. In this capacity, she is responsible for developing and implementing an innovative, integrated marketing and customer experience strategy for the company and its subsidiaries. She also acts as the company’s spokesperson in dealings with customers and ensures that the voice of the customer is clearly heard throughout the organization. By banking on proximity relations, she also sees to it that Hydro‑Québec’s products and services evolve in keeping with the needs and expectations of customers, as well as with Québec society’s collective ambitions in such areas as decarbonization, energy efficiency, sustainable mobility and economic development.

Convinced that a great customer experience hinges on a positive employee experience, Ms. Fournier is a member of Hydro‑Québec’s health and wellness network and has taken on the role of standard‑bearer for health within the company. As such, she seeks to develop a better understanding of the concept of overall health by managers and employees, to promote the use of available awareness and support tools, and to foster the establishment of an ongoing dialogue on health issues, along with a culture of caring throughout the organization.

Ms. Fournier joined Hydro‑Québec in 2016 as Director – Customer Transformation and was promoted Senior Director – Customer Experience, Sales and Loyalty in 2018. A seasoned and passionate manager, she quickly initiated a major digital shift and developed a genuine customer culture within the company. From 2020 to 2022, she served as Senior Director – Customer Experience and Marketing.

Previously, Ms. Fournier held a number of management positions in major companies including Videotron, Rogers and Fido, where she gained recognition as an expert in customer service and experience.

Geneviève Fournier holds a master’s degree in international relations from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and two MBAs, one from UQAM and the other from the Université Paris‑Dauphine. She is a member of Electricity Canada’s Customer Council and Chair of Hydro‑Québec’s subsidiary Hilo, as well as ACCS and Stello, which specialize in connected smart home products and building energy management systems. She also volunteers as an ambassador of FitSpirit, an organization that promotes physical activity among teenage girls, and L’effet A, a professional development program designed to showcase women’s talent, boost their ambition and help propel them forward in their careers, for the benefit of participants, their employers and society as a whole.

Mathieu Johnson
Acting Vice President – Strategy and Development

Mathieu Johnson was appointed Acting Vice President – Strategy and Development in April 2023 and therefore sits on Hydro‑Québec’s management committee.

Mr. Johnson joined Hydro‑Québec in 2020 as Senior Director – Corporate Strategy, Partnerships and Development and became Vice President – Strategy, Corporate Evolution and Development in 2022. Among other achievements, he developed the overall business strategies set forth in Hydro‑Québec’s Strategic Plan 2022‑2026 and spearheaded the evolution to One Hydro with a view to helping the company and Québec society carry out the energy transition in an optimal manner. He was also tasked with implementing changes in Hydro‑Québec’s regulatory framework and rate structure and was in charge of mergers and acquisitions, as well as partnerships and investments concerning renewable energy infrastructure related to generating options other than hydroelectricity, such as wind power. In his new role, he continues to oversee these activities while also taking on responsibility for managing Hydro‑Québec’s commercial activities outside Québec and energy trading on wholesale markets, along with research and innovation projects.

Previously, Mr. Johnson was Director of Renewable Gas Strategy and Development at Énergir. In collaboration with private- and public-sector partners, his team played a key role in developing the renewable natural gas sector in Québec, particularly agricultural biogas and hydrogen. Earlier in his career, he worked as a strategy consultant with KPMG and Roland Berger, both in Canada and abroad.

Mr. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance from HEC Montréal. He sits on the board of the documentary theater company Porte Parole.

Jean‑Hugues Lafleur
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Jean‑Hugues Lafleur was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hydro‑Québec in 2018. In this capacity, he is in charge of all financial functions within the company, including financing, treasury, accounting, budget planning, taxation, corporate control and financial reporting. He also oversees management of the Hydro-Québec Pension Plan and Pension Fund. He concurrently served as Chief Risk Officer from 2018 to 2020. In addition, he took on the role of Acting President and Chief Executive Officer in spring 2020, and then again in summer 2023.

Mr. Lafleur joined Hydro‑Québec in the early 1990s. He became Manager – Financial Risk Control in 1996, then went on to serve as Director – Financial Markets and Assistant Treasurer in 1998. He was appointed Corporate Treasurer in 2007 and was promoted Vice President – Financing, Treasury and Pension Fund the following year, a position he held until 2018.

He began his career as a securities broker at Lévesque Beaubien (now Financière Banque Nationale). In the late 1980s, he was also a lecturer in portfolio management at Université du Québec à Hull (UQAH), which later became the Université du Québec en Outaouais.

Jean‑Hugues Lafleur holds a bachelor’s degree in administration from UQAH and a master’s in finance from Université de Sherbrooke.

Jean-François Morin
Vice President – Digital Technologies

Jean-François Morin was appointed Vice President – Digital Technologies at Hydro‑Québec in June 2022, after having served as Vice President – Information and Communications Technologies (ITC) from 2021 to 2022. In this capacity, he spearheads the company’s ongoing digital shift, sees to the security of its systems and networks, and ensures that it has the technological and digital means to successfully carry out its business operations.

Mr. Morin has over 20 years of IT experience at Hydro‑Québec. After overseeing the development and operation of the infrastructure, systems and applications supporting the company’s financial activities as Director – Information Technology (Finance) from 2014 to 2016, he went on to manage the ITC portfolios and the rollout of innovative, efficient and agile solutions for other business units as Director – ITC Business Relations (Corporate Units), then as Director – ITC Innovation System Solutions. Promoted Senior Director in 2016, he assumed responsibility for building the foundations to support the company’s digital transformation, such as collaborative and analytical tools, as well as implementing optimized or custom solutions for managing maintenance functions, user identity and access, and accounts payable, for example.

Over the years, teams under his supervision won prestigious OCTAS awards from Réseau Action TI for an analytical solution to detect energy theft (2018), a digital customer solution related to Hydro‑Québec’s dynamic pricing offers (2021), the deployment of an analysis and predictive maintenance center for generating equipment (2021) and an integrated vegetation management system (2022).

Mr. Morin holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Université du Québec à Montréal and a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in finance from Université de Sherbrooke.

François Ramsay
Acting Vice President - Corporate, Legal and Regulatory Affairs and Chief Governance Officer

Biographical notes to come

Bruno Marcil
Vice President – Internal Audit

Bruno Marcil took office as Vice President – Internal Audit at Hydro‑Québec in October 2021. His team is responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of key management, control and governance practices in order to ensure the reliability and integrity of financial and operational information, the safeguarding of assets, as well as compliance with applicable laws and regulations and the company’s contractual commitments. It also oversees initiatives aimed at ensuring optimal efficiency and use of resources, placing particular emphasis on innovation, state-of-the-art technologies and risk management.

Mr. Marcil has some 30 years of experience in auditing, during which he acquired a solid background in several areas, including finance, information technologies and cybersecurity, operations, and risk management. Before joining Hydro‑Québec, he served as Corporate Vice-President – Internal Auditing and Enterprise Risk Management at Loto‑Québec. Prior to that, he held management positions in several other public- and private-sector companies, including WSP, GoSecure, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and the Ville de Montréal.

Mr. Marcil earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from HEC Montréal and is a member of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec (CPA, CA, CA-IT), where he served on the working group on internal audit for many years. He holds several professional certifications—CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor), CISM (Certified Information Security Manager) and CRISC (Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control) from ISACA, CRMA^® (Certification in Risk Management Assurance^®) from the Institute of Internal Auditors, and CITP (Certified Information Technology Professional) from the American Institute of CPAs— and is currently enrolled in the certification program of the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés.

Mr. Marcil cofounded a collaborative group on data analysis and has served as a meeting organizer for this group for the past 10 years. He occasionally takes part in various other professional activities as a speaker or moderator and also played an active role in creating the graduate program in governance, auditing and IT security at the Université de Sherbrooke, where he went on to become a lecturer.

Dave Rhéaume
Vice President – Integrated Energy Needs Planning and Risk Management

Dave Rhéaume was appointed Vice President – Integrated Energy Needs Planning and Risk Management in 2022. In this capacity, he anticipates Hydro‑Québec’s electricity needs related to the energy transition and optimally allocates financial resources by carefully weighing the risks and opportunities involved. His team is managing risk, producing energy and capacity balances, mapping the development of the power system, developing and implementing a new capital allocation process, promoting and increasing the value of all services related to hydropower, and assessing Québec’s residual hydropower potential, in addition to that of renewable generating options, to meet the growth in demand.

Previously, Mr. Rhéaume was Associate Vice President, after serving as Senior Director – Regulatory Affairs and Electricity Supply from 2018 to 2020 and Senior Director – Development, Strategies and Commercial Relations outside Québec from 2020 to 2022. He also worked for Énergir (formerly Gaz Métro) from 2009 to 2018, where he was successively Director – Regulatory Matters and Rates, then Assistant Vice President – Regulations, Rates and Gas Supply. His achievements during this period include helping to develop the renewable natural gas market and setting up the Québec carbon market.

Mr. Rhéaume holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the Université de Montréal and a master’s in economics from Université Laval. He has sat on the boards of various Canadian and American energy companies and has also mentored newcomers as part of a program run by the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.

Régis Tellier
Vice President – Operations and Maintenance

Régis Tellier was appointed Vice President – Operations and Maintenance in 2022 as part of a major restructuring initiative at Hydro‑Québec. In this capacity, he oversees planning, execution and support for the operation and maintenance of all the company’s generation, transmission and distribution assets. In addition, he contributes to the transition of the power grid to an increasingly smart and interactive energy system. In February 2023, he also assumed responsibility for occupational health and safety (OHS) and shared services, including the management of materials, real estate and the vehicle fleet, as well as food, lodging and air transportation services.

Since joining Hydro‑Québec in 1999, Mr. Tellier has held various managerial positions in facility operation and maintenance, project management and real estate. Appointed Senior Director – Distribution System in 2020, he was notably in charge of supplying the Québec market with electricity and delivering reliable power and ever‑evolving services to over four million customers.

Mr. Tellier holds a degree in business administration from Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and an Executive MBA from Université de Sherbrooke. He is a member of the Ordre des administrateurs agréés du Québec and has been serving on the board of Théâtre du Nouveau Monde since 2021.

Réal Laporte
Strategic Advisor to the Management Committee

Réal Laporte has served as a strategic advisor to Hydro‑Québec’s management committee since June 2020.

Mr. Laporte has over 35 years’ experience in designing and carrying out infrastructure projects and managing strategic business functions. He joined Hydro‑Québec in 1988 and personally supervised a number of jobsites, including the major Eastmain-1-A/Sarcelle/Rupert hydropower project, before being appointed President of Hydro‑Québec Équipement and President and Chief Executive Officer of Société d’énergie de la Baie James (SEBJ) in 2005. He also assumed responsibility for the company’s shared services center in 2010, and for its R&D initiatives in 2016.

Réal Laporte holds a bachelor’s degree in civil construction from the École de technologie supérieure and a master’s in project management from the Université du Québec à Montréal’s School of Management. He is also a graduate of the McGill Executive Institute’s Directors Education Program. He is a member of the boards of Hydro‑Québec IndusTech and Société du Plan Nord, and serves on the Committee on Sustainability of McGill University’s Board of Governors. Mr. Laporte was elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and was awarded the grand prize for professional excellence of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec in recognition of his remarkable contribution to the development of the province’s energy infrastructure. This is the highest distinction awarded by the professional order.