Governance
of the IRCM

André Couillard

President, IRCM Foundation; Corporate Director

André Couillard was Vice-President, Executive Search & Recruitment Solutions at Optimum Talent, from 1998 to 2020. He worked as Associate and Associate Director for three national/international executive search firms, in Ottawa and in Montreal. His previous business experience includes executive positions in Operations and Human Resources for national and international corporations, including Sears Canada, Le Château Stores, Shirmax, Henry Birks and Sons Ltd., and Bell Canada.

Former President and member of the Board of Directors of the Regroupement des gens d’affaires de la Capitale nationale (Ottawa), he was/is a board member or member of the advisory committee for several organizations, including the Montreal Kidney Foundation, the Conseil québécois du commerce de détail, Le refuge des jeunes de Montréal, The Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation, and was a founding member of Destination Centre-ville (Montréal).

Mr. Couillard has been president of the IRCM Foundation’s Board of Directors since June 2013 (Board Member since 2009) and is a member of the Ad Hoc Recruitment Committee and of the Ad Hoc Major and Exceptional Donations Committee.

He has been a member of the IRCM Board of Directors since June 2013 and is a member of the IRCM Human Resources Committee.

Brian Z. Gelfand

Chair of the IRCM Governance Committee, Financial Market Professional

Brian Z. Gelfand is a senior executive in the derivatives exchange sector with leadership experience in all aspects of options and futures markets. He held several positions including Chief Commercial Officer at the Canadien Depository for Securities.

He is a member of the Bars of Quebec, New York and Massachusetts. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Bachelor of Common Law from McGill University, as well as an M.A. in international relations from the John Hopkins University. He is an active member of several professional and community organizations, including the Toronto Centre’s Securities Program Advisory Board, AIMA Canada’s Education and Research Committee, and the Roaster’s Foundation. 

Mr. Gelfand has been a member of the IRCM Board of Directors since June 2012 and is a member of the Governance Committee.

Marie Giguère

Corporate Director

Ms. Marie Giguère is a lawyer by training and has worked in commercial law throughout her career. Until 2016, she was Senior Vice-President, Legal Affairs and Secretariat of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. She was a partner at Fasken Martineau LLP where she began her career, then Senior Vice-President, Institutional Affairs and Corporate Secretary of the Montreal Exchange from 1997 to 1999, and Senior Vice-President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Molson Inc. from 1999 to 2005. Ms. Giguère also sits on the Board of Directors of TMX Group Limited. She is a member of the Order of Canada.