| PIERRE BENOIT, PRESIDENT | | | Very familiar with Orléans because of having worked and lived there, Pierre Benoit wanted to put some energy back into this community. Becoming a member of the board of directors of the Caisse d’Orléans seemed appropriate to him because he has confidence in the co-operative model. A graduate of the University of Ottawa with a Master’s degree in educational administration, he taught for more than 25 years in Orléans. Since retiring from teaching, he has been an occupational health and safety consultant. Pierre believes that the Caisse’s greatest challenges involve labour and the increasing competition from the banking network in our territory. President of the Caisse since 2004, he is also chair of the Board of Directors of Horizons Renaissance, an organization that assists adult francophones experiencing mental health problems and who are at risk of becoming homeless. He also sits on the board of directors of Montfort Renaissance. His desire is to ensure the success and longevity of the Caisse and serve members well.
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| | MARCELLE BÉLEC, VICE-PRESIDENT | | | | Keen on working in french within the community, Marcelle Bélec has been involved with the Board of Directors of the Caisse populaire Orléans since 2006. She has broad experience in the administration sector and for 20 years has been managing a seniors’ residence. As General Manager, her job involves planning, organizing and monitoring activities and motivating a team of high-performing employees who are respected by everyone. Marcelle believes that the Caisse should focus on visibility, advertising and marketing and provide the same benefits even better than the competition in order to retain our members and attract more. Warm and energetic, Marcelle is aiming for a full life both personally and professionally.
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| | JOHANNE LACOMBE, SECRETARY | | | | A native of the Orléans area, Johanne Lacombe is proud to have been a part of the board of directors of the Caisse populaire Orléans for nine years. During her career, she has had the opportunity to work in several areas that have enabled her to explore various avenues and meet people who have helped her develop her skills as a manager. She is currently executive director at Languages Canada. Johanne believes that, in the coming years, the Caisse will have to keep promoting the benefits of membership in a co-operative and will also have to be sure to offer products and services to customers who are increasingly knowledgeable and demanding. With an aging population and a population of young people with different needs, the Caisse will always have to find a happy medium to meet its members’ needs. A dynamic person, Johanne does not hesitate to give voluntarily to other organizations. She has been sitting on the board of directors of the Fondation de la Cité collégiale for eight years and on the board of directors of the Ottawa Community Housing organization since early 2008. She is proud to be able contribute to the socio-economic development of francophone's in the large community of Ottawa, especially the Orléans area.
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| | STEVEN DUPONT, DIRECTOR | | | | It was in 2006 that Steven Dupont joined the board of directors of the Caisse populaire Orléans. A computer projects team leader in the Public Service, he is currently completing his Master’s degree in public administration. According to Steven, the Caisse should continue to improve and develop its means of communication. Communicating its value added to individuals and member companies, namely its co-operative distinction, with the aim of attracting new members and informing current members will be a significant challenge. Despite his family and professional concerns, Steven has been providing his computer specialist services on a volunteer basis at a day camp for over eight years. An avid photographer, Steven always ensures he has his camera close at hand so that he never misses a memorable moment.
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| | DANNY GUILBAULT, DIRECTOR | | | | To come.
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| | SERGE MARTEL, DIRECTOR | | | | Serge Martel has been on the board of directors of the Caisse populaire Orléans since 2004 because he believes in the co-operative values conveyed by Desjardins and wishes to contribute his expertise to his community. A criminologist by training, he has a master’s degree in public administration. Retired from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, he is currently a manager with Health Canada’s Audit and Accountability Bureau. In his view, member loyalty, population aging, retention of young people and stiff competition from financial institutions are major challenges for the Caisse. Serge wishes to continue enjoying good health in order to get the most of out life. He wishes prosperity for all members of the Caisse populaire Orléans.
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| | ANNIE RÉMILLARD, DIRECTOR | | | | As a member of the Caisse populaire Orléans since childhood, it is completely natural for Annie Rémillard to want to fill the position of administrator in order to maximize her involvement in the Caisse’s development. She has a business degree with a specialization in accounting from the University of Ottawa and has broad experience in business administration and financial management. Having headed a company specializing in accounting for a few years, Annie is now team leader of financial monitoring at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Annie believes that the Caisse must compete and keep competing with banks and other financial institutions that offer increasingly innovative financial products. The Caisse will have to ensure it maintains the loyalty of its clients and adapt to Canada’s changing financial/economic situation. A warm and cheerful person, she derives great satisfaction from her family life, around her two young children and her husband Denis. She loves to cook and travel. Annie wishes to learn more about the profile of Caisse populaire Orléans members and ensure that everyone finds the perfect fit!
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| | GISÈLE SAVAGE, DIRECTOR | | | Having always been a very active person, it was hard for Gisèle Savage to slow the pace at which she worked at the time of her retirement. Volunteering in her community was and still is a way for her to “pay it forward” and put her years of work experience, her time and her energy to use.
Her professional activities were very rewarding. During her 38 years with the Public Service of Canada, she held several positions of responsibility: first with the Department of Health and Welfare, then with the Department of Canadian Heritage. During those years, she was able to develop expertise in compensation and benefit programs offered to the employees of those two departments.
She also acquired solid experience in the business world by working at the company her husband established. As the accounting officer for that company, she was required to be involved at various levels of management for the company.
She believes that, over the years, the Caisse populaire Orléans, as a service-based cooperative, will have the challenge of taking the necessary steps for meeting the expectations of its owner-members, by providing them with services that are always geared to their needs. This mandate sets us distinctly apart from other financial institutions and forces us (or encourages us) to make every effort to have this distinction be at the core of each of our business decisions. This requires constant vigilance and must remain active on an ongoing basis in order to quickly make the necessary improvements.
Human resource management is another priority for the Caisse populaire Orléans. It requires setting up an ongoing process of reflection and analysis with the objective of enabling us to find realistic, innovative solutions to certain problems that some companies must face these days. For example, there is the shortage of skilled labour, the implementation of programs encouraging the next generation and retaining our employees.
Customer satisfaction is an essential criterion for measuring the performance level of a cooperative like the Caisse populaire Orléans, which is service-based. In this area as well, it is crucial that we set ourselves apart from other financial institutions. For each of our decisions, we must therefore keep this criterion constantly in mind and take concrete steps to keep customer satisfaction level high.
Gisèle sits on the Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s 20-20 Campaign Cabinet, which is currently organizing a fundraiser for the hospital’s cancer centre. Her primary motivation: statistics are predicting that, over the next five years, more than 100,000 patients will come through the doors of this cancer centre. When faced with data like that, how can you remain unresponsive?
She is also an active member of Club du Midi, a non-profit organization whose role is primarily socio-cultural and humanitarian.
She is also a member of the Camelot Golf Club. Naturally, golf is a sport she enjoys and that helps her unwind. However, when it became a question of combining the useful with the pleasurable, she agreed to become part of the Organizing Committee of the 2009 activity: “Ladies Day – Guest-member of Camelot”.
Lastly, Gisèle has been on the Board of Directors of Caisse Orléans since April 2000.
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| | GERMAIN SOULIGNY, DIRECTOR | | | A local businessman, Germain Souligny joined the Board of Directors in December 2008 to become more familiar with the Desjardins Movement in order to promote it in an informed manner within the community.
A graduate of Laval University and the University of Ottawa, Germain is a member of the Ordre des CGA du Québec. He is co-owner and director of the Salon funéraire Héritage in Orléans and runs an accounting office at home.
An energetic man, Germain does not hesitate to volunteer his time to other organizations. He has been on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, and is currently treasurer on the St. Vincent de Paul National Council since 2004. He is the treasurer of the 150th Anniversary Committee of the Parish of Orléans, a member of the Business Club of Orléans and the Orléans Optimist Club where he has held the positions of treasurer, president and district lieutenant-governor.
Germain believes that the Caisse should, over the next few years, increase its membership while ensuring that it keeps its current members. To become more involved in the community not only by issuing donations to organizations, but by participating personally in community events and organizations to better promote the Caisse and protect members’ interests through sound management, especially during the difficult economic period we are going through.
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