AIB Fellow - Paul Desmarais, Jr.

Born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada in 1954, Mr. Paul Desmarais, Jr. studied at McGill University where he obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree. He then graduated from the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD) in Fontainebleau, France with a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA).

 

In 1984, Mr. Desmarais was appointed Vice-President of Power Financial Corporation, a company he helped establish and of which he was named Chairman of the Board in 1990. He was appointed Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Power Corporation of Canada in 1996.

 

Paul Desmarais, Jr. is a member of the Board of Directors of several companies in Canada, the United States and Europe, including Power Corporation of Canada, Power Financial, Investors Group, Great-West, London Life, Canada Life, Gesca Ltd., Parsega Holding S.A. (Switzerland), Groupe Bruxelles Lambert S.A. (Belgium) and Suez and Total S.A. (France). He is Vice-Chairman of the Board and member of the Strategic Committee of Imerys and Chairman of the Advisory Board of SAGARD Private Equity Partners in France.