A Legacy of Success and Profound Humanity
For more than thirteen years, André Couillard, outgoing Chair of the IRCM Foundation’s Board of Directors, has embodied a leadership style that is both strong and deeply humane. Within the wider IRCM community, he made his mark with quiet confidence: sharp intellect, thoughtful words, and a calm warmth that inspires trust. With his strong business acumen and unwavering commitment to the common good, he helped transform the Foundation into a more ambitious, more open, and forward looking organization.
Arrived in 2009, André assumed the presidency in 2013, and shaped the Foundation as a collective work: with patience, coherence, and a natural instinct for bringing people together. He infused the Foundation with a sense of community, mission, and authentic humanism that will resonate for years to come.
“When I joined the Foundation, it was very small, family-like organization. Over the years, we built a structured, dynamic institution supported by strong committees and a renewed board. This collective mobilization allowed us to grow from a few hundred thousand dollars in donations to more than five million last year.”
His professional journey speaks volumes about the man. A seasoned executive search specialist with experience in major national and international firms — such as Sears Canada, Birks or Le Château — André always placed people at the heart of his work. This approach, grounded in genuine listening, natural respect, and sharp intuition, profoundly shaped the Foundation’s culture. It is this spirit that he now passes on to his successor, Martin Bourassa.
“As Chair, my job was to surround myself with the right people. I wanted to build a team, recruit committed members and give them the means to succeed. That teamwork, year after year, is what drove the Foundation’s success.”
Those who worked with him will remember his steady calm, his rare ability to ease a room with just a few well chosen words, and his sincere, unpretentious way of thanking others, whether a major donor or a discreet volunteer. His colleagues know how deeply he valued people’s strengths, encouraged new ideas and always made time for true listening.
André is also a presence: a direct gaze, a subtle sense of humour and an authenticity that cannot be explained but is instantly felt. While he leaves behind a Foundation that is stronger, better organized and more widely recognized, his most enduring legacy is a way of being: generous, simple and guided by a sense of duty that is both rigorous and entirely unassuming.
One of his most meaningful contributions to modernizing the Foundation came through a commitment he recounts with pride:
“When I joined the board, there were only men. I was determined to achieve gender parity, and we did it. Today, we have equal numbers of women and men around the table, and several of our committees are led by women. This diversity has changed the Foundation and made it stronger.”
As he steps down from the presidency, André leaves a Foundation that is more inclusive, more resilient, and more confident in its future. But above all, he leaves a lasting imprint on the hearts and minds of all those who had the privilege of working alongside him.
Thank you, André, for your steady leadership, your unwavering integrity and your unique ability to bring people together around a mission greater than any one of us.
Your legacy will leave a lasting mark on the Foundation and the IRCM.
