Montreal, June 15, 2021 – Janie C. Béïque, President and CEO of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, is pleased to announce the appointment of Diane Lafontaine as Vice President, Communications and Marketing. Prior to this appointment, she was Chief Québec Officer at Rise People, a digital HR|AssureTech SME, since 2019. In her new role, Ms. Lafontaine also joins the Fonds’ Management Committee.
“Diane is renowned for her unifying leadership skills and her ability to get big ideas off the ground. Her experience in digital and financial sector transformations complements our team’s expertise,” said Ms. Béïque.
Throughout her career, Ms. Lafontaine has consistently distinguished herself through her ability to define a strategic vision for communications and marketing as a means of supporting business development and growth. From 2011 to 2019, she served as Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Sun Life, a global leader in financial services. She and her teams transformed the marketing and communications practice into a more analytical and strategic operation, enabling the repositioning of the brand and allowing the company to secure an industry-leading position in Quebec. From 2016 to 2019, she successfully established a digital vision for the Group Retirement Services division and transformed the customer experience across Canada.
For 12 years in various leadership roles at Radio-Canada and RDI, she led the planning and execution of major advertising and brand campaigns, and oversaw the launch of the Tou.TV platform. She also helped the organization navigate through a number of major historical events, including 9/11. During her tenure from 1999 to 2011, several creative projects took home major awards at PROMAX-BDA in Los Angeles and New York. Ms. Lafontaine also worked at the Canadian Space Agency managing communications for astronaut Julie Payette's first space mission as well as overseeing media relations during the launch of the International Space Station’s first module from Russia.
“What the Fonds’ team has been able to accomplish since its inception has been nothing short of impressive. They have accelerated the realization of the dreams of countless businesses and facilitated the savings and retirement plans of many workers. Those results were made possible thanks to the determination and support from the Fonds’ unique and essential network of regional partners. Their vision of placing people and genuine change at the heart of their decisions is perfectly aligned with my own values. More than ever, we recognize that our choices must have a dual impact: good for business and good for the world. And the Fonds is all that and more,” noted Ms. Lafontaine.
Ms. Lafontaine's commitment to promoting the importance of diversity in business has also taken shape in other ways. She is actively involved as a leader with The A Effect, which aims to propel female talent. She is also a coach and mentor with the 3737 Group, a non-profit organization focused on innovation, immigration and diversity, including among local Black communities. Involved in governance for 15 years, she sits on the board of directors of the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés (CAS) and the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ). Ms. Lafontaine holds the designation of Certified Corporate Director (CCD and C.Dir) from the Université Laval. She is also a graduate of the École nationale d'administration publique (ENAP) and the University of Ottawa in communications and biology.
About the Fonds de solidarité FTQ
The Fonds de solidarité FTQ is investing in a better society thanks to its over 700,000 shareholder-savers. Through its private equity and venture capital investments, the Fonds seeks to have a positive impact on society, namely in the health, environmental and innovation sectors. With net assets of $15.6 billion as of November 2020, the Fonds supported over 3,300 partner companies and more than 220,000 jobs. To find out more, visit fondsftq.com.
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