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Biography

Marc Dutil

Born in St. Georges in 1964, Marc Dutil graduated from Boston College in 1987 and then founded an information technology company.
In 1989, he joined The Canam Manac Group Inc. while also pursuing his studies at various Canadian and American universities.
In 2001, he was appointed Executive Vice President and, in 2002, member of the Board of Directors. He was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer in 2003 and President and Chief Executive Officer of Canam Group Inc. in 2012. Mr. Dutil was Chairman of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) from 2001 to 2003. He is a member of the Cercle des présidents du Québec and the founding president of
the École d’Entrepreneurship de Beauce. In 2013, he was awarded the title of EY Entrepreneur of the Year for Quebec and was appointed
Member of the Order of Canada for his community and entrepreneurial involvement. Mr. Dutil has worked with several not-for-profit organizations on governance and funding. He is the author of the essay “Nos faux combats” published in 2021 and is frequently invited to speak
at various functions across Canada and abroad. Marc Dutil and Catherine Larochelle have been married since 1989 and have five children.
Biography 2023

Mélanie Paul

Mélanie Paul has been involved in business for over 22 years.  With a bachelor's degree in social work from Université Laval, she officially made the leap into entrepreneurship in 2002 when she joined the family business Groupe ADL, an internationally recognized Aboriginal business holding through one of its companies, Granules LG, where she acted as vice-president of business development and partnerships. In 2013, she enrolled at the École d'Entrepreneurship de Beauce (EEB), where she became the first Aboriginal entrepreneur to graduate in 2015.
Over the years, she has served as Vice-President of the Société de Développement Économique Ilnu and co-president of the Roberval Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Ms. Paul has worked with various authorites to increase partnerships and inclusion between Aboriginals and regional communities. She acted as president of the First Nations Table, and worked on an advisory committee in collaboration with the Conseil du Patronat and the regroupement des centres d'amitié autochtone.
Among other honors, she received the Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Conseil du Patronat du Québec, was recognized by Femmessor as a businesswoman who is changing the world according to the UN's sustainable development goals, was named one of Quebec's 25 impact leaders by Evol, and was the first Aboriginal woman to be named Honorary Colonel of Canadian Forces Base Bagotville.
Since March 2023, she has been working as a trainer at the HEC, as part of the Aboriginal Leaders Program, and since November 2023 as an entrepreneur coach at the École d'entrepreneurship de Beauce. She is called upon as a speaker, facilitator and trainer to share her knowledge and experience in Aboriginal entrepreneurial development, the creation of partnerships between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals, and the inclusion of Aboriginal labour in Quebec businesses.
Today, through her own businesses and collaborations, she is forging links between our nations.
Biography 2024