The Honourable Donald J. Johnston, P.C., O.C., Q.C., joined Heenan Blaikie’s International Business Law group in 2006, after having spent ten years as Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris.

Throughout his impressive career, Mr. Johnston has alternated between his two passions: law and politics. Having graduated as a Gold Medallist from McGill University's Faculty of Law in 1958, he went on to pursue advanced studies in economics and political science in Grenoble. Upon his return to Quebec, he practised business and tax law for several years. In 1973, along with Roy Heenan and Peter Blaikie, he founded the firm Johnston Heenan Blaikie, the core of our modern firm. In 1978, he was elected Member of Parliament for Westmount. As a member of the Trudeau government, he successively held the positions of President of the Treasury Board, Minister of State for Science and Technology, Minister of State for Economic and Regional Development, and Minister of Justice and Attorney General.

He resumed the practice of law with Heenan Blaikie in 1988, before becoming president of the Liberal Party of Canada in 1990, from which position he helped bring the party to power in 1993. The following year he was encouraged by the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien, then Prime Minister, to submit his candidacy for the position of Secretary-General of the OECD. Following a vigorously contested competition, he won the post in November 1994.

As the first non-European to occupy this prestigious position, Mr. Johnston began his mandate in 1996 and was elected to a second term in 2001. Over the course of a decade in office, he breathed new life into the world’s most influential international economic institution. During his administration, the OECD represented 30 of the most advanced national economies and expanded its engagement to more than 70 non-members, with special country programs for Russia, China, Brazil and India.

While the OECD is a forum for macroeconomic policy issues, it also deals with virtually all underlying structural economic issues including financial markets, trade and investment, taxation and corporate governance.

Under Mr. Johnston’s stewardship, the OECD took the global lead in establishing the Principles of Corporate Governance (now the world standard) and revised the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the bedrock of what is now known as corporate social responsibility. The Organisation also championed the correction of international harmful tax practices and the international harmonization of competition policy, while at the same time fostering sustainable development, which Mr. Johnston introduced to the OECD agenda shortly after his arrival.

OECD recommendations in these areas have been critical in enabling countries to structurally adapt to the challenges of globalization while maximizing its benefits to their economies.

In recognition of his accomplishments at the OECD, Mr. Johnston was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, the second most prestigious Japanese decoration and the highest one that can be bestowed on a non-Japanese. He received the Grand-Croix de l’Ordre de Léopold II, one of the highest honorific distinctions of Belgium, given by royal decree and generally reserved for heads of state. He was also presented with the Commander’s Cross with the Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic by the President of Hungary and the Order of the White Double Cross, First Class, by the President of the Slovak Republic.

In July 2008, Mr. Johnston was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada, in recognition of his contributions to public service in Canada as well as his achievements at the OECD.

Mr. Johnston sits on the Board of the Montreal Economic Institute, a research and educational think tank whose mission is to put forward inventive and novel economic strategies for the development of sound public policies.

Education
B.C.L., McGill University, 1958

Chairman of the Board - Bombardier Inc.

Laurent Beaudoin was born in Laurier Station, Québec, in 1938. After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sainte-Anne College in Nova Scotia, Mr. Beaudoin went on to complete a Master of commerce degree at Université de Sherbrooke. He is a Chartered Accountant as well as a Fellow Chartered Accountant.

Mr. Beaudoin began his career in Québec City in 1961 with Beaudoin, Morin, Dufresne & Associés, Chartered Accountants. In 1963, after two years in private practice, he joined Bombardier Limited as Comptroller. He was appointed General Manager in 1964 and, in 1966, became President. In 1979, he became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bombardier Inc. In 1999, Mr. Beaudoin became Chairman of the Board and of the Executive Committee, then Executive Chairman of the Board in 2002. In December 2004, Mr. Beaudoin was named Chief Executive Officer and, as such, chaired the Office of the President, to which were assigned the strategic and executive management responsibilities of the company. On June 4, 2008, Mr. Beaudoin handed over his responsibilities as chief executive officer to his son, but remains Chairman of the Board.

Mr. Beaudoin holds honorary doctorates from the following universities: Université de Montréal (Québec); York University (Toronto); in Business Administration from Université de Sherbrooke (Québec); in Economics from the University of Sainte-Anne (Nova Scotia); in Civil Law from Bishop’s University (Québec); in Science from Queen’s University, Belfast (Northern Ireland); in Law from the University of Toronto; in Engineering from Carleton University (Ottawa); and in Law from McGill University in Montreal (Québec). He is a Companion of the Order of Canada and an Officer of l’Ordre national du Québec.

In April 1991, Mr. Beaudoin received the Canadian Business Leader Award from the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Administration.

In September 1991, Mr. Beaudoin co-chaired the organization Regroupement Économie et Constitution and, in December, he was named CEO of the Year by The Financial Post and The Caldwell Partners. On April 30, 1992, Mr. Beaudoin was honoured as Canada’s International Executive of the Year by the International Chamber of Commerce. In October 1992, Mr. Beaudoin was inducted into the World Trade Hall of Fame by the World Trade Institute and the Greater Los Angeles World Trade Center Association. On February 24, 1994, Mr. Beaudoin was named Aerospace Personality of the Year by the United Kingdom’s magazine Flight International and, on April 13, 1994, he received the 1993 Laureate Award in Aeronautics/Propulsion from Aviation Week & Space Technology Magazine. On May 9, 1995, Mr. Beaudoin received the C.D. Howe Award from the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute. On May 8, 1996, he received the 1996 Canadian Business Leadership Award from the Harvard Business Club of Toronto. As well, on April 3, 1997, Mr. Beaudoin received the 1997 Canadian Business Hall of Fame Award from Junior Achievement of Canada. On June 12, 1997, he was awarded the Prix de Carrière 1997 by the Conseil du Patronat du Québec. On October 26, 1997, he was named Personality of the Year during the Gala Excellence La Presse held in Montréal. On June 4, 1998, Mr. Beaudoin received the International Distinguished Entrepreneur Award from the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Management. On December 4, 1998, Bombardier was given the Entreprise du siècle au Québec Award by Revue Commerce. In May 1999, Mr. Beaudoin was inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame in Winnipeg, Manitoba and, on September 3, he was awarded the Golden Emblem of Merit from the Provincial Government of Upper Austria. On June 1, 2000, Bombardier was awarded the Visions 2000 – Grande entreprise by the Chambre de commerce du Québec. On October 18, 2000, Mr. Beaudoin received the Lifetime Achievement Award through the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2000 program in Québec, Canada. On January 25, 2001, Mr. Beaudoin was awarded the Golden Honorary Medal for Duties to the City of Vienna by The City of Vienna. In August 2005, he received the Aguila Azteca Award from the President of Mexico. On May 25, 2006, the Canadian Youth Business Foundation presented him with the 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Beaudoin also received in October 2007 the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship awarded by the Canada Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, based in Washington, D.C.

Since December 2003, he has served as Chairman of the Board of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.

Guy Saint-Pierre retired as chairman of the board for Royal Bank of Canada in February 2004, a position he had held since August 2001. Mr. Saint-Pierre retired as chairman of the board of the SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., a position he held between May 1996 and May 2002. From 1989 to 1996, Mr. Saint-Pierre was president and chief executive officer of the SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.

Mr. Saint-Pierre graduated from Laval University with a B.A.Sc. in Civil Engineering in 1957. An Athlone Scholar, he obtained an M.Sc. from the University of London in 1959 and holds a D.I.C. from the Imperial College of Science and Technology. Mr. Saint-Pierre began his career as an officer in the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers in 1953. From 1964 to 1966 he was Registrar of the Corporation of Engineers of Québec, then vice-president of Acres Québec until 1970.

He was elected to the Québec National Assembly in April 1970. He served for two years as Minister of Education and from 1972 to 1976 as Minister of Industry and Commerce.

Guy Saint-Pierre serves on the boards of The Royal Bank of Canada, Suncor, Stelco, Alcan Inc.

Mr. Saint-Pierre holds honourary degrees from Concordia University, Laval University, École des Hautes Études Commerciales of the University of Montréal, Sherbrooke University, the University of Ottawa and le Collège militaire Royal de Saint-Jean. He has been awarded the Sir John Kennedy Medal from the Engineering Institute of Canada. He was also awarded the Gloire de l'Escolle de l'Association des diplômés de l'Université Laval.

Mr. Saint-Pierre is a companion of the Order of Canada, and an officer of l'Ordre national du Québec.

Pierre J. Jeanniot is Chairman of Thales Canada Inc.  He is also President of Jinmag Inc., a private management and investment company which provides advice to various international civil aviation authorities and companies.  He currently serves on the Boards of Jet Airways, a number of subsidiaries of Scotia Bank, SECOR Consulting, and Convergentware Technologies, among others.  

From 1984 to 1990 Pierre Jeanniot was President and CEO of Air Canada, and led its successful transition from crown corporation to private company.  

Pierre Jeanniot was Director General and CEO of IATA from 1993 to 2002, and holds the lifetime title of Director General Emeritus in recognition of his outstanding contribution to international civil aviation. Under his direction, IATA was transformed into the global voice and leader of the international airline community and its partners, as well as a major supplier of products and services for the industry.

His efforts and accomplishments have been recognized around the world.  He was named Officer of the Order of Canada in 1989, and was appointed Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur by the French Government in 1991. In 1995, H.M. King Hussein of Jordan awarded him the Independence Medal of the First Order, and he was named to l'Ordre du Québec in 2002.  

Pierre Jeanniot was honored with a Doctorat Honoris Causa, from the Université du Québec in 1988. He received the Management Achievement Award from McGill University's Faculty of Management in 1989, and an Honorary Doctorate in International Law from Concordia University in 1997.  In 2006 he was awarded the Degree of Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, by McGill University.   

In addition to his professional duties, he devotes himself to many social and charitable organizations.  He was named Chancellor of the Université du Québec à Montréal / UQÀM, in September of 1995, having previously held the position of Chairman of the Board, as well as President of the institution's Foundation.  Pierre Jeanniot has been Honorary President of the Canadian Cancer Society fund-raising campaign, and presided in a similar capacity for the Youth and Music Canada Foundation.  He served as Chairman of the Council of Canadian Unity from 1991-92, and was the Founding Chairman of the association “Canadians in Europe” with chapters in France, Belgium and the U.K.   

 

Jocelyn Beaudoin is one of the founding members of FAV, and was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer in March 2008.

Mr. Beaudoin was President and Chief Executive of the Canadian Unity Council (CUC) from 1969 until his retirement in 2004. Founded in 1964, the Canadian Unity Council is a non-profit, non-partisan organization, set up to promote a better understanding of Canadian institutions, to strengthen citizen involvement and allegiance, and to enhance Canada’s unique regional economic, political, social and cultural attributes.

During his long career at the CUC, Mr. Beaudoin coordinated and maintained a wide network of influential contacts at all levels of government – federal, provincial and municipal – as well as within the private sector, thereby developing a high level of expertise in fundraising. He had overall responsiblity for strategic planning, and was closely involved in the development and management CUC programs.

At the time of his retirement in 2004, the CUC employed over 90 permanent staff throughout the country, and had an annual operating budget of $17 000 000.

In 1999, Mr. Beaudoin founded the first chapter of Canadians in Europe, based in Paris, with the mandate to bring together Canadian expatriates representing a wide variety of sectors to promote exchanges and discussions on major issues with their European counterparts. Under his leadership, Canadians in Europe became an important forum within European political, economic and cultural circles. Other chapters followed in London and Brussels.

Mr. Beaudoin was subsequently appointed by the Québec Government to the position of Assistant Secretary of Canadian Intergovernment Affairs, with responsibility for Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Colombia, the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Jocelyn Beaudoin has served on the Board of numerous organizations and institutions, many of which are health-related, for example the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada, l’Institut de réadaptation de Montréal, the Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, and Ste-Jeanne d’Arc Hospital, among others.

Mr. Beaudoin was named a Member of the Order of Canada in1996.

Senior Scientist, Ottawa Health Research Institute; Co-founder, ICAV

Michel Chrétien received his medical degree from the University of Montréal in 1960. This was followed by his post-graduate studies at McGill and Harvard Universities (Peter Bent Brigham Hospital) and at the University of California in Berkeley. He spent a sabbatical year at the Salk Institute and at Cambridge University (UK). He returned to Canada in 1967 to the Clinical Research Institute of Montréal (IRCM). From 1984 to 1994, he was Scientific Director of the Institute. In January 1998, Dr. Chrétien became Scientific Director of the Loeb Health Research Institute at the Ottawa Civic Hospital. In 2005 he founded the Ottawa Institute of System Biology.

Michel Chrétien has received five Honoris Causa: in 1980 from the Université de Liège in Belgium; in 1992 from the Université René Descartes in Paris; in 1996 from the Laurentian University in Sudbury; in 1999 from the University of Guelph; and in May 2000 from Memorial University in Newfoundland. In 2004, Président Chirac named him Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur de la République Française. In 2009, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of London, the first French Canadian physician to be so honoured.

In Canada, he received the Izaak-Walton-Killam Memorial Prize, the Henry Friesen Award (1999) of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Medal of Honour (1999) given by Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies, the Actualité Médicale Medal of Scientific Merit (2000) and the Archambault Medal (1978) from the Association canadienne française pour l’avancement des sciences (ACFAS). The Royal Society of Canada honoured him with its McLaughlin Medal (1993), the Canadian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (CSBMB) with its Boehringer-Mannheim Award (1993), and the Manning Foundation (Calgary) with its Award of Distinction (1995). In the United States, he was the Fuller Albright lecturer (1992) of the Peripatetic Club and the Metzger lecturer of the American Clinical and Climatological Association (1990). He is a member of various scientific societies, committees and boards including the UNESCO International Scientific Advisory Committee and more recently the Ontario Science and Innovation Council.

Ten years ago, his group discovered proprotein convertases, enzymes that are involved in a number of debilitating conditions including: hypercholesterolemia, cancer, atherosclerosis, malaria and viral disorders like SARS, influenza and HIV/AIDS. His research is expected to produce novel approaches not only to diagnose and treat these illnesses but to prevent them. He has also presented numerous lectures around the world. To date, he has published more than 554 scientific articles and has given hundreds of lectures worldwide.

Ron Allen was named President and Chief Operating Officer in 1983, and Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer in 1987. Mr. Allen assumed the additional title of President in 1993, and held all three positions until his retirement in 1997.

A native of Atlanta, Mr. Allen is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology. He began working part-time at Delta in the Personnel Department in 1963 and became Senior Vice President – Personnel in 1970. He was elected to the company’s Board of Directors in 1975.

During his career, Delta grew from an airline primarily serving the southeastern United States to an international airline serving more than 190 cities in 26 countries. Building on its heritage of outstanding customer service, Mr. Allen led Delta through a comprehensive program to re-position the company to meet growing international and domestic competition, and successfully returned the company to profitability following the financial losses of the early 1990’s.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Aaron Rents Inc., the Coca-Cola Company, Air Castle Limited, Interstate Hotels & Resorts, and the Tourism Development International in Dublin, Ireland. He also serves on the Board of the St. Joseph Translational Research Institute and the Georgia Technology Foundation.

Mr. Allen has previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, and of the Board of Trustees at Presbyterian College. He has also served on the Board of Directors of Nations Bank Corporation, NSI Corporation, the United States Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Governors of the Wings Club, Imaging Automation, and the Commerce Club of Atlanta. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Christian City Home for Children, the Metropolitan Atlanta Red Cross, and the United Way of Atlanta.

Born in Strasbourg in May 1942, Jean-Claude Baumgarten graduated from the French business school, Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales. He held the position of Vice President for Becco (the French confectioners) and was responsible for mutual funds in Africa.

He joined Air France in 1970 as assistant Regional Manager in Los Angeles and New York and was appointed Regional Manager in Osaka for West Japan in 1974. He later became Regional Manager for Thailand and Burma, as well as Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia in 1978. Jean-Claude held the position of General Manager for Japan in 1982 and was also Chairman of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In September 1986, Mr Baumgarten became Vice President and General Manager for the United States where he was responsible for the entire activities of the company throughout the USA, as well as in the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands and French Polynesia. In June 1990 he was appointed Vice President for the Americas and Asia.

From June 1992 to August 1993 Jean-Claude was Executive Vice President for GMF, a French insurance company. He returned to Air France in September 1993 as Vice President for the Americas and Asia.

In November 1993 Jean-Claude was promoted to Executive Vice President of Commercial Operations and Member of the Executive and Strategic Committee. He also represented the company on the Board of Governors of IATA and the Executive Committee of the AEA. In February 1996 he became Executive Vice President of Corporate, International & Industrial Affairs. From December 1997 until July 1998, prior to leaving Air France, Jean-Claude held the position of advisor to the Chairman.

After his departure, he established a company with American investors under the name of CREWE Associates. This involved consultancy work and start-up advice for new businesses.

In October 1999 he was appointed President of the World Travel & Tourism Council.

Mr Jean-Claude Baumgarten is both an Officier de l'ordre National du Merite and a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres. He is advisor in Foreign Trade to both the French Government and the Chairman of the Tourism Commission. He was presented with the Gold Medal for Tourism by Turismo do Algarve in 2003.

In March 2007 Mr Jean-Claude Baumgarten has received the ISHC Pioneer Award for his contributions to the Travel & Tourism industry.

Jeremy P. Carver, B.A. (Toronto), Ph.D. (Harvard) is the co-founder and CEO of the International Consortium on Anti-Virals. He is also Chair of the Advisory Committee of the NRC Institute for Biological Sciences and is a Director of Translational Medicines, a Boston biotechnology company. Dr. Carver is an Emeritus Professor of the University of Toronto and an Honorary Conjunct Professor at Trent University.

Dr. Carver chaired the Board of the Protein Engineering Network of Centres of Excellence (PENCE) from 2002 until 2006. From 1994 to 2002 he was the Founding President, CEO and CSO of GlycoDesign Inc, a biopharmaceutical company that was taken public on the Toronto Stock Exchange in November 2000 at a market cap of $150 million. He was a Professor and Associate Dean in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto (1968 – 1994), a Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellow at Oxford University (1966-68) and a World Trade Visiting Scientist at IBM Watson Labs, New York (1977). He is an expert in the molecular design of drugs and has over 100 refereed publications.

Peter Harbison
Managing Director, Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation

Peter Harbison is Managing Director of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, a specialist aviation management consulting company.

Peter is one of the region’s foremost aviation and tourism strategists and commentators, speaking regularly at major international airport and airline events. He regularly provides analyses on commercial industry matters, the inter-relationship between aviation and tourism, government policy development, bilateral structures and infrastructure requirements.

He has over 30 years’ experience in the aviation industry, having worked with the Australian Department of Aviation, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Montreal and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Geneva.

With 15 years’ specialist aviation consulting experience, he has worked on a wide range of high level strategic projects, from international aviation policy development, airport and airline privatisation, and airline advisory work and business planning to airport pricing strategies for airports.

The Centre performs a wide range of consulting assignments in the Asia Pacific region and elsewhere. These include airline restructuring, airport and airline privatisation, airport marketing and advice, advices to government agencies on policy, bilateral and multilateral issues, airline startup business planning and implementation, traffic forecasting and airline management education.

The Centre also presents significant industry conferences on such issues as low cost airlines and industry outlook. A major event was recently held in January 2005 in Singapore. The Centre’s specialist aviation publications are widely read throughout the world.

Peter was until recently Chairman of IATA’s World Aviation Regulatory Monitor Group and is immediate past President of the Aviation Law Association of Australia and New Zealand.

He is Managing Director of a tourism development company and sits on a number of industry committees providing advice on tourism and aviation policy. He is a law graduate of London and Melbourne Universities, with an LLM from McGill University's Institute of Air and Space Law.

Urban Joseph’s distinguished career in the Toronto Dominion Bank began 40 years ago in Quebec and culminated in his appointment as Vice-Chairman in 1992. He holds an Associate in Arts from the University of Saskatchewan, an Honours degree in Business and an MBA from the University of Western Ontario.

Although retired from TD Bank in 1996, Urban is extremely active as a Corporate Director. He holds directorships in a number of highly regarded companies and organizations including First Nations Bank of Canada, Blue Mountain Resorts, Bird Construction, Ontario Pension Board, Medcan Health Management, We Care Health Services, Mediteck International, Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation, Career Edge Organization, The Design Exchange, and Prime Mentors.

Urban was made an Officer of the Order of the Canada in 2001 for his extensive contributions to the aboriginal peoples and youth of Canada.

Né en 1938, docteur en pharmacie, ancien interne des Hôpitaux de Lyon et ancien élève de Harvard Business School (PMD).

Alain Mérieux crée BIOMERIEUX en 1963 et il en assure la Présidence depuis cette date. Cette société est aujourd’hui l’une des 10 premières sociétés mondiales de diagnostic biologique.

En 1968, il prend la Présidence de l’Institut Mérieux et donne au groupe sa place de leader mondial dans le domaine des vaccins, à la fois en médecine humaine et en médecine vétérinaire. Il assure cette présidence jusqu’en 1994, ayant en 1985 pris le contrôle de l’Institut Pasteur Production en France et réalisé en 1989 l’acquisition des Laboratoires Connaught en Amérique du Nord.

De 1991 à octobre 2002, il assure également la présidence de Transgène, société de biotechnologie spécialisée en thérapie génique.

De 1986 à 1998, il a en outre assumé la fonction de Premier Vice-Président du Conseil Régional Rhône-Alpes, en charge des Relations Internationales, du Développement Economique, de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supérieur.

Alain Mérieux est aujourd’hui le président de Mérieux Alliance qui rassemble 5 entreprises internationales dans le domaine de la santé : Biomérieux ; Transgène ; Sillikers ; ABL et Shanta.

Alain Mérieux préside également la Fondation Mérieux, fondation familiale, reconnue d’utilité publique, qui œuvre dans les pays en développement pour renforcer les capacités de lutte contre les maladies infectieuses.

Il a crée, avec son épouse Chantal Mérieux, la Fondation Christophe et Rodolphe Mérieux, placée sous l’égide de l’Institut de France.

Il est titulaire des décorations suivantes :
• Officier de l’Ordre National de la Croix du Sud (Brésil) - 1976
• Commandeur de l’Ordre National du Mérite - 1994
• Commandeur de l’Ordre National du Mérite de la République de Pologne - 16 avril 1998.
• Commandeur de l’Ordre National du Mali à titre Etranger – 15 janvier 2004
• Commandeur de la Légion d’Honneur – 2004.