Welcome
On behalf of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, I am honoured to welcome you to our 2025 Canadian Business Leader Awards ceremony.
Tonight is not only a celebration of outstanding business leadership — it’s a celebration of community. We are proud to shine a spotlight on the many community partners joining us this evening, whose efforts help create a more inclusive, innovative, and connected Canada. Their involvement underscores the powerful role that collaboration between business and community can play in building a stronger future for us all.
This evening, we recognize the remarkable contributions of Guy Cormier and Sophie Brochu. Both honourees exemplify the values of excellence, innovation, collaboration and leadership. Their stories inspire us and remind us that business success and social impact go hand in hand.
I would like to thank the St. James Theatre, our esteemed sponsors and all those whose dedication have made tonight’s event possible. Please enjoy yourselves as you participate in what is sure to be a memorable evening!
Candace Laing
President and CEO
Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Evening Program
| 5:00 p.m. | Cocktail Reception |
| 6:00 p.m. | Dinner Begins |
| 6:25 p.m. | First Course |
| 6:45 p.m. | Presentation of the Canadian Business Leader of the Year Award |
| 7:15 p.m. | Main Course |
| 8:15 p.m. | Presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award |
| 8:45 p.m. | Evening Concludes |
About the Awards
Our Canadian Business Leader of the Year Award and Canadian Business Leader Lifetime Achievement Award were established to celebrate and recognize Canadian business executives at the top of their fields who have distinguished themselves through stellar corporate leadership and meaningful contributions to their communities.
Past Recipients
Explore the remarkable leaders we’ve honoured over the years.
2025 Honourees | Montreal, QC
Canadian Business Leader of the Year
Guy Cormier
President and CEO
Desjardins Group
Guy Cormier has been President and CEO of Desjardins Group since 2016. He has worked for the cooperative for 30 years, becoming a Caisse general manager in 2002, Vice President of Finance in 2009, and joining Desjardins Group’s senior management team in 2012.
Since being elected President, Mr. Cormier has worked hard to instill a strong member- and client-focused culture that resonates with all of Desjardins’s employees and directors. On top of creating the $280 million GoodSpark Fund, he’s also helped the organization grow and become a household name across the country.
As a champion of the cooperative model, shared prosperity, youth, and a greener, more inclusive economy, Mr. Cormier makes decisions that are based on the common good. In 2024, Finance et Investissement named him the Financial Personality of the Year in its annual Top des leaders de l’industrie financière ranking.
Mr. Cormier is a graduate of HEC Montréal, where he earned both an undergraduate degree in business administration and an MBA. He also taught finance there for close to a decade. He currently sits on a number of boards, has been named a Chevalier of France’s Légion d’honneur, and, in 2022, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of law by the John Molson School of Business.
Canadian Business Leader Lifetime Achievement Award
Sophie Brochu
Economist and Corporate Director, Former CEO
Hydro-Québec and Énergir
Sophie Brochu was President and CEO of Hydro-Québec from 2020 to April 2023. She is the first woman to hold this position on a permanent basis in the company’s history.
Ms. Brochu has 35 years of experience in the energy sector. She began her career in 1987 as a financial analyst at SOQUIP, the company responsible for developing Quebec’s natural gas network. She joined Energir in 1997 and was appointed President and CEO of the company in 2007, a position she held until 2019. Under her leadership, the gas distributor added renewable natural gas to its supply portfolio and became a leading player in the wind power sector, both in Canada and the United States.
Ms. Brochu holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Université Laval and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of CGI, CAE and Saint-Gobain. Prior to this, she spent many years on the boards of BCE and BMO. Very active on the social front, she has been involved with Centraide of Greater Montreal and is co-founder of the Ruelle de l’avenir, an organization that fights against school drop-out in the Centre-Sud and Hochelaga neighbourhoods of Montreal. She is also one of the leaders of L’effet A, an initiative to promote the presence of women at all levels of organizations. Ms. Brochu has been awarded honorary doctorates by Université de Montréal (HEC Montréal), Bishop’s University, Université du Québec à Trois Rivières and Université Laval. She is a member of the Order of Canada and an officer of the Ordre national du Québec.
About the Master of Ceremonies
A passionate advocate for women’s entrepreneurship, Déborah Cherenfant has been actively engaged in economic development and women’s leadership since arriving in Quebec in 2005. She plays a significant role as a board member for several organizations, including the McCord Museum, the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec, Bonjour Startup Montréal, the KANPE Foundation, and Humanov-is. Since 2018, she has also served on the Conseil du statut de la femme du Québec.
An entrepreneur at heart, Ms. Cherenfant launched several initiatives over the years, including the blog, Mots d’Elles, the fashion brand Atelier Coloré and the concept store Marché Coloré. She also co-founded BiAS, a cultural and artistic think tank, and Cabinet BlindSpot, which promotes greater equity, diversity, and inclusion in the business world.
In 2022, Ms. Cherenfant continued her media work as a radio commentator on Tout un matin on ICI Première and a TV contributor on Le Fil on Noovo.
About the Entertainment
Tonight’s entertainment is a student jazz trio from University de Montreal Faculty of Music’s jazz performance study programs.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
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