Governance
Management endeavours to run the company transparently and effectively.
To ensure this is the case, the SAQ has established strict corporate governance rules.
Main self-governance tools
Board of directors
Our directors are appointed by the Quebec government. Together with senior management, they define the government corporation’s strategic directions.
Submit a complaint
Do you find yourself in a dispute with the SAQ? Do you feel frustrated about an issue? Have you witnessed a suspicious situation?
Code of ethics of board members
Members of our board of directors must adhere to the highest ethical standards and follow certain rules.
Code of ethics and conduct
The SAQ’s Code of Ethics and Conduct for Employees (PDF - 3.8 MB) is a complementary tool that guides employees in their actions and helps them make the best possible decisions in every situation.
Director profiles
- Johanne Brunet – Chair of the Board of Directors
- Appointed on August 7, 2007, for a four-year term (Order-in-Council 623-2007)
- Renewal on November 30, 2011, for a three-year term (Order-in-Council 1216-2011)
- Appointed Chair of the Board of Directors on August 19, 2015, for a five-year term (Order-in-Council 725-2015)
- Renewal on August 19, 2020, for a five-year term (Order-in-Council 678-2020)
- Independent member
Associate Professor
- Department of Marketing, HEC Montréal
A member of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec, Johanne Brunet has a doctorate in industrial and business studies from the University of Warwick (United Kingdom) and an MBA in marketing and international management from HEC Montréal. She also holds a certificate in corporate governance from the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés of Université Laval, qualifying her for the title Administratice de sociétés certifiée. Ms. Brunet received the 1999 Action femmes d’affaires award from the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal and was a finalist for the 2013 Business Professor of the Year award conferred by the renowned weekly The Economist. She worked as head of external production and acquisitions at Société Radio-Canada before becoming Senior Vice-President at TV5-Amériques. She is chair of the board of directors of the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) and of Groupe TCJ and holds seats of the boards of Théâtre du Rideau Vert and Letenda.
- Jacques Farcy – Director
- Appointed on June 14, 2023, for a five-year term (Order-in-Council 1000-2023)
President and Chief Executive Officer
- Société des alcools du Québec
Holding an Executive MBA from HEC Montréal–McGill University and a diploma from the Institut Commercial de Nancy in France, Mr. Farcy has 30 years’ experience in strategic management and the development of corporate omnichannel strategies.
Known for his leadership and great adaptability, he has worked for a number of multinationals in various industries in Europe and Canada. During the last eight years, he has held top management positions in Quebec government corporations, most notably that of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC). As such, he collaborated with his teams to achieve the SQDC’s accessibility objective for customers (opening 98 stores and introducing a range of delivery services, including 90-minute express delivery in several regions of the province). Working with his teams and in consultation with the SQDC’s partners, he also led a reflection on the vision for the organization’s future that resulted in the Strategic Plan 2023-2026. Prior to that, he served as a vice-president of several divisions of the SAQ, including Event Marketing, Donations and Sponsorships, Marketing and Merchandising and Sales Network Operations, and at dunnhumby France and dunnhumby Canada, where he was Chief Executive Officer.
Jacques values listening, collaboration and forming creative and strategic alliances to communicate and implement ambitious projects. He is also actively involved in the business community, from which he learns much and with which he willing shares his knowledge and experience by taking part in various events in Canada and Europe and conferences for HEC Montréal and the Institut Commercial de Nancy.
- Patrice Attanasio – Director
- Appointed on March 13, 2019, to a four-year term (Order-in-Council 194-2019)
- Renewal on March 29, 2023, for a four-year term (Order-in-Council 639-2023)
- Independent member
President and Senior Consultant
- AGO Communications
Holding both a bachelor’s degree in industrial relations and a certificate in public relations from the Université de Montréal, Patrice Attanasio is a seasoned manager with a multidisciplinary skill set and more than 25 years’ experience in communication and marketing. After stints at prominent communications agencies, he today heads his own firm specializing in the development and implementation of communication plans, brand awareness strategies and sponsorship programs. Recognized as a developer of innovative, creative, discipline-spanning and results-focused solutions, he has many accomplishments in strategic planning, advertising and public relations, partnership evaluation, management and activation and relational and event marketing.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Attanasio has been the recipient of two CRÉA awards from Infopresse, four Coq d’or awards from the Publicité-Club de Montréal and two Excellence awards from the Société québécoise des professionnels en relations publiques (SQPRP), on whose board of directors he now sits. He also holds seats on the board of directors of Esplanade Québec and CINARS, as he has on the boards of several other NPOs over the years, including La Vitrine culturelle de Montréal, the Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil and the Fondation En Cœur for children with heart disease. - Lyne Bouchard – Chair of the Governance, Ethics and Communications Committee
- Appointed on July 14, 2015, for a three-year term (Order-in-Council 673-2015)
- Renewal on July 14, 2018, for a three-year term (Order-in-Council 944-2018)
- Renewal on March 24, 2021, for a three-year extension (Order-in Council 398-2021)
- Independent member
Vice Rector for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Human Resources
- Université Laval
In In addition to bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Université Laval and a doctorate in administrative science from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Lyne Bouchard holds the title Administratrice de sociétés IAS.A. An associate professor at Université Laval, she also teaches governance and information technology governance at the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés.
After beginning her career as a professor at Université Laval. Ms. Bouchard worked in the private sector, where she held various positions at companies including Gartner, Montréal International and Fujitsu Canada/DMR. Her duties have included serving as a chief executive officer, executive coach, strategist, architect and advisor on corporate governance and information technology governance. Ms. Bouchard has also been vice-principal of the Longueil campus and, vice-principal of information technology at the Université de Sherbrooke, deputy minister for the Direction générale des services à l’organisation of the Quebec Justice Department and vice rector of human resources at Université Laval. She currently holds a seat on the board of directors of Aéroport de Québec and on the integrated risk management committee of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ. - Denis Chamberland – Chair of the Business Practices Committee
- Appointed on February 7, 2018 for a two-year term (Order-in-Council 82-2018)
- Renewal on April 1, 2020, for a four-year term (Order-in-Council 407-2020)
- Renewal on April 1, 2024, for a four-year term (Order-in-Council 53-2024)
- Independent member
Advisor to the President and Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Advisory Committee
- Rodeo FX Visual Effects Company
The holder of a degree in business administration from HEC Montréal and fellow of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec, Denis Chamberland has also earned a certificate from the Quebec chapter of the Institute of Corporate Directors, qualifying him for the title Administrateur de sociétés certifié.
Driven by a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Mr. Chamberland founded the Chamberland Hodge accounting firm, which focused on supporting and guiding entrepreneurs, and served as its co-chief executive officer. He was also co-CEO at the Richter accounting firm, where he put his business development expertise to use, before becoming a shareholder and CEO of Ricardo Media.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Chamberland has been a member of the board of directors of numerous charities. He is currently a corporate director and mentor to entrepreneurs, including Rodeo FX, as advisor to the president and founder, and D-Box Technologies, where he is chair of the board of directors. - France Desharnais – Director
- Appointed on July 14, 2024 for a four-year term (Order-in-Council 996-2024)
- Independent member
Corporate Director
A fellow of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec, France Desharnais holds an MBA with a finance major from HEC Montréal and a Bachelor of Business Administration with an accounting major from the Université de Sherbrooke. She has also been awarded the title of Administratrice de sociétés by the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés du Québec.
During her career, Ms. Desharnais has worked mainly as a senior executive in business development for major corporations, including Ernst & Young in Canada and aboard, Siebel Systems Canada and CGI. She also served for 10 years as a manager at Desjardins Group, where she was, among other things, responsible for turning around caisses in difficulty and for overseeing caisse groups with assets under management from $2 billion to $4 billion.
Ms. Desharnais’s talents are currently being put to use on the board of directors of the Société de télédiffusion du Québec, where she serves as both a director and a member of the audit committee. She is also a member of the board of directors of the Centre de création O Vertigo. In recent years, she has also held seats on the boards of directors of Avison Young, the Association des MBA du Québec, the Canadian Cancer Society – Quebec Division and Virage. - Roxanne Hamel – Director
- Appointed on October 20, 2021, for a three-year term (Order-in-Council 1338-2021)
- Independent member
Director, Communications and Marketing
- National Bank Direct Brokerage
Holding a bachelor’s in communication with a minor in marketing from the Université du Québec à Montréal, a master’s in marketing from HEC Montréal and WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 2 and 3 certifications on wine and spirits obtained through the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec, Roxanne Hamel is a marketing communications professional. Her supervised project at the end of her master’s studies focused on the marketing of Bordeaux wine to Quebec millennials.
During her career, Ms. Hamel has worked for companies including National Bank of Canada, Vibrant Marketing, Bordeaux Sciences Agro and Match MG. Her expertise and detailed knowledge of the industry has allowed her to guide companies and support clients in their content strategies, manage the negotiation and activation of donations and sponsorships and carry out major brand campaigns. Ms. Hamel currently holds a seat of the board of directors of Sylvain Émard Danse. - Christian Leblanc – Director
- Appointed on March 13, 2019, for a four-year term (Order-in-Council 194-2019)
- Renewal on March 29, 2023, for a four-year term (Order-in-Council 639-2023)
- Independent member
Senior Partner
- Fasken Martineau
A Université de Montréal law graduate and member of the Quebec Bar, Canadian Bar Association and Barreau de Montréal, Christian Leblanc is a senior partner in the Fasken Martineau law firm. Specializing in civil and commercial litigation with a focus on media law, communications and intellectual property, he has received a number of prestigious recognitions during his career, with his name being listed in the Best Lawyers in Canada, Canadian Lexpert and Legal 500 directories and in the Managing Intellectual Property IP Star Handbook. Mr. Leblanc has also been called a litigation star by Benchmark and included in Lexpert’s Top 40 Under 40 in Canada list. During his career, his expertise has resulted in his pleading major cases before the Superior Court, Appeals Court and Supreme Court of Canada. He is also a past president of the Canadian Media Lawyers Association.
Mr. Leblanc sits on the boards of Métrocom, the Société historique du lac Saint-Louis and the Fondation de l’Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ). - René Leprohon - Chair of the Audit Committee
- Appointed on February 7, 2018, for a three-year term (Order-in-Council 82-2018)
- Renewal on December 16, 2020, for a four-year extension (Order-in-Council 1387-2020)
- Independent member
Corporate Director
A member of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec, the Institute of Internal Auditors and the Canadian Association of Management Consultants, René Leprohon holds a bachelor’s in business administration from HEC Montréal and a risk management certificate (CMC) from the Insurance Institute of Canada. A retired KPMG partner, he headed the firm’s internal audit and corporate risk management practice for more than a dozen years. In the course of his career, Mr. Leprohon was also a senior vice-president at TD Meloche Monnex (today TD Insurance) and a partner at EY, where he, among other things, had the opportunity to develop expertise in human resources, change management, internal control, corporate reengineering, mergers and acquisitions and strategic planning. Over the years, he has been part or a member of many boards of directors, audit committees and other governance committees of publicly traded companies, government corporations and non-profit organizations. He continues to hold a seat on the board of directors of the Institute of Internal Auditors (Montreal chapter) as chair of the finance and audit committee. He has been a member of the board of directors of the Société québécoise du cannabis since September 2018 and was named chair of its human resources committee in December 2019.
- Alain Pinsonneault - Director
- Appointed on January 23, 2024, for a four-year term (Order-in-Council 53-2024)
- Independent member
Professor
- McGill University - Desautels Faculty of Management
Holding an honorary doctorate from the Université d’Aix-Marseille in France, a Ph.D. in Administration from the University of California in the United States, an M.Sc. in Administrative Sciences from HEC Montréal and a B.Com. from Concordia University, Alain Pinsonneault is a professor at the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University in Montreal. A fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and of the Association for Information Systems, he is also the IMASCO Chair of IS and Distinguished James McGill Professor. In 2016, he was made a Knight of the Ordre national du Québec in recognition of his international scientific contributions to the field of technology and the digital economy.
His research focuses on information technology management and business digitization, the strategic alignment and implementation of information technologies, technology change management, new digital business and platform models and artificial intelligence management in business organizations. Besides being a prolific, internationally recognized researcher, Mr. Pinsonneault is involved in the scientific, university and professional communities. He has directed teaching programs at HEC Montréal and McGill University, managed several multidisciplinary research teams, been a member of numerous granting agency committees and of more than 30 editorial boards and international conference committees. Mr. Pinsonneault is also co-founder and co-director of the McGill-HEC Montréal EMBA program for experienced managers. - Stéphanie Raymond-Bougie - Director
Director
• Appointed on October 20, 2021, for a four-year term (Order-in-Council 1338-2021)
• Independent memberDirector, Regulatory Compliance, Information Management and Securities, and Chief Compliance Officer
• Fonds de solidarité FTQThe holder of an LLB from the Université de Montréal and of an LLM in business law from McGill University and a member of the Barreau du Québec, the Canadian Bar Association and the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association (CCCA), Stéphanie Raymond-Bougie is head of legal affairs and compliance at the Fonds de solidarité FTQ.
Specialized in corporate law, Ms. Raymond-Bougie is known for her strategic thinking and organizational development skills as well as her devotion to diversity and inclusion. Over the course of her career, she has worked as a lawyer for organizations including Intelcom, Novalex Inc., Consultation LEJ Inc., Heenan Blaikie, StikemanElliott LLP and Desjardins Ducharme. Ms. Raymond-Bougie is a member of Independent Review Committee (IRC) of National Bank Investments. In the past, she has held seats on the board of directors of Novalex Legal Clinic NPO, Les Amis du Devoir, Groupe 3737 and the Jeune Chambre de commerce haïtienne. - Marc Tremblay – Director
- Appointed on June 29, 2023, for a four-year term (Order-in-Council 1327-2022)
- Independent member
Corporate Director
As the holder of a law degree from the University of Ottawa and as a retired member of the Barreau du Québec, Marc Tremblay has extensive legal experience. Specializing in employment and labour law, he worked for 22 years as part of the Ogilvy Renault firm (today Norton Rose Fulbright Canada). Appointed partner in 1990 and director of the Montreal office’s Employment and Labour Law Group in 2006, Mr. Tremblay has been privileged to represent some of Quebec’s largest corporations active is sectors as varied as the media, pulp and paper, food, financial services, retailing, metallurgy and manufacturing.
Mr. Tremblay joined the Quebecor group in 2007, initially as Vice-President, Legal Affairs, and then as Senior Vice-President, Legal Affairs and Corporate Secretary before being appointed Chief Operating Officer and Chief Legal Officer in January 2019. During his time at the company, he headed the human resources, communications, institutional and government affairs, real estate, IT security and local and national sales departments.
Mr. Tremblay is currently chair of the board of directors of the Fondation du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) and acts as an ambassador for Éducaloi, an organization whose mission is to inform Quebecers about the legal system and for which he received, in 2016, the Distinction Engagement award in recognition of his outstanding commitment. - Carolina Vellucci-Willsher – Director
- Appointed on March 24, 2021, for a four-year term (Order-in-Council 398-2021)
- Independent member
Associate Vice-President, Human Resources
- Concordia University
A graduate of McGill University in industrial relations, Carolina Vellucci-Willsher is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) and holds a Personal and Professional Coach Certification (PPCC). Since 2009, she has headed the Concordia University Human Resources Department, where she provides strategic support while overseeing professional teams in employee benefits, compensation, labour relations and pensions, among other fields. Over the years, she has led various strategic and operational initiatives, including bargaining and signing several collective labour agreements. These experiences are complemented by others acquired in various private and parapublic sector organizations. Throughout her career, Ms. Vellucci-Willsher has also been active as a volunteer with community organizations, including, most recently, as vice-president of Literacy Unlimited, dedicated to improving adult literacy. She is currently an advisor to the organization’s board of directors, a member of the board of governors of Marianopolis College and chair of its human resources committee.
- Michael L. Vineberg – Director
- Appointed on February 7, 2018, for a three-year term (Order-in-Council 82-2018)
- Renewal on February 7, 2021, for a four-year term (Order-in-Council 1387-2020)
- Independent member
Founding President and Chief Executive Officer
- Portage conseil inc.
Associate Professor
- HEC Montréal
Holder of a bachelor’s in arts, economics and management from McGill University and an MBA from HEC Montréal, Michael Vineberg has also earned a certificate from the Institute of Corporate Directors, qualifying him for the title Administrateur de sociétés certifié (IAS.A). Mr. Vineberg is a recognized leader in the corporate turnaround and transformation fields. He works with several investment firms across North America as chief executive officer, chief restructuring officer, director and holding company consultant. In the course of his career, he has held many senior management positions, including president and chief executive officer of Alasko Foods Inc. and as corporate turnaround partner at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton.