A heavyweight from Investissement Québec has just been shown the door. The state-owned company is parting ways with someone close to the CEO, the first vice-president of the Regional Network, according to a terse email from the big boss sent to employees on Wednesday. The latest in a series of departures in senior management.
“It is with regret that I announce the departure of Jocelyn Beauchesne after more than six years at Investissement Québec,” writes Guy LeBlanc in his message, of which La Presse has obtained a copy. His journey within IQ has been full of challenges. Jocelyn has been at the heart of the transformation of the Regional Network and more recently, he welcomed the Vice-President, Innovation to his large team. »
Reached by telephone, Jocelyn Beauchesne refused to explain the reasons for his departure. “In the current circumstances I cannot comment further than what has been announced,” he said. He did not want to specify whether he would be entitled to severance pay.
Some considered Jocelyn Beauchesne to be number three at Investissement Québec, an eminence grise who was Guy LeBlanc’s confidant.
After CEO and senior vice-president of private placements Bicha Ngo, he was the most influential executive at Investissement Québec. Jocelyn Beauchesne was at the head of hundreds of employees within the vast network of regional offices that the state corporation deployed across the four corners of Quebec to support businesses.
He also supervised the Vice-President of Innovation, which includes the Quebec Industrial Research Center. This organization conducts research aimed at helping companies improve their processes.
Contacted to find out the reasons for the departure of her number three, the vice-president of public affairs Gladys Caron has still not provided any information.
Jocelyn Beauchesne is the latest in a series of senior Investissement Québec executives to leave the organization since April 2022. In fact, three of the top seven vice-presidents listed in the latest annual report have left: Christian Settano (finance and credit risks), Sylvie Pinsonneault (strategies and innovation), then him.
In April 2022, Alexandre Sieber, former senior vice-president of corporate financing, had already jumped ship, receiving a severance payment of $379,080, according to the annual report.
In February 2023, vice-president of risk management Yves Bourque also parted ways with the organization.
“It’s like the fire was caught,” laments an employee who requests anonymity because he is not authorized to speak and wants to protect his job. There is no more relief at all. »
By coping with the departure of experienced managers one after the other, he believes that the organization has lost “all its firewalls” against the Minister of the Economy Pierre Fitzgibbon, responsible for the state-owned company. .
On Thursday, CEO Guy LeBlanc also announced the departure of another executive reporting directly to him: David Stréliski, who was senior director of risk management and financial governance.
Contacted by La Presse, this former member of the accounting firm EY and Elections Canada assures that his departure has nothing to do with that of Jocelyn Beauchesne. “I don’t think it’s related,” he said.
He mentions “a lack of fit with members of the board of directors”, without further details.
Former director of integrated risk management Alexandre Bercovy takes his place on an interim basis.
