Board of Directors
The board of directors is composed of high-level business people and professionals, many of whom are members of professional orders, and who serve on a voluntary basis. All of Proanima’s directors have a great love for animals and are committed to helping citizens achieve better human-animal coexistence. Their expertise and complementary experience are invaluable in developing the strategy and overall management of our non-profit organization. Proanima also holds its certification from the AMP (Autorité des Marchés Financiers), which attests to its sound governance.
Geneviève Desrochers, Eng.,
president and founder
Retired engineer, 1988 graduate of Université Laval and member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, Ms. Desrochers began her career in a consulting engineering firm as a structural engineer. In 1995, she started a recruitment company specializing in engineering positions, then, in 2001, she joined Dotemtex Executive Search as Vice President and Partner, a position she held until 2018. In 2011, with the assistance of a business group, she started Proanima.
Chantal Allinger, MV, Vice President
After two decades of clinical practice and management of a small animal veterinary medicine service company, Dr. Allinger focused her activities on the associative sector by sitting on the board of directors of the Association des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (AMVQ), including two terms as president. She then focused her activities on acquiring expertise in animal welfare in Quebec by participating and working on several committees, working groups and associations, including ANIMA-Québec, AVQMR, OMVQ, MAPAQ and Proanima.
Fannie Noël, MBA, Treasurer
With over 20 years of experience in various sectors, Ms. Noël is Director of Corporate Financing at the Business Development Bank of Canada. A valuable partner, she supports companies in growth, productivity and innovation initiatives. Involved in the business community, Ms. Noël sits on various boards, including Proanima since 2017, where she heads the finance committee. She has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Université de Sherbrooke (2007).
Sylvie Gervais, CRHA, administrator
Ms. Gervais has more than twenty years of experience in human resources and health and safety, and sits on the Boards of Directors of Unicel Architectural Corp. and of CSMO Mines. She has also been a trustee for Proanima since 2017 and heads the Human Resources Committee of Proanima’s Board of Directors. In 2018, she became Vice President of Human Resources for Quebec’s leading diamond mine, Stornoway. She holds a bachelor’s degree with a major in psychology from Concordia University, as well as a certificate in industrial relations from the Université du Québec à Montréal.
Ghislain Cossette, MBA, administrator
Mr. Cossette is an IT professional with over 30 years’ experience, specializing in information security. Currently, he holds the position of CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) and Vice President of IT at FX Innovation. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Sherbrooke.
Mr. Robert Williamson, Vice President
Me Williamson has been a notary since 1993 and specializes in business law (business sales and financing) and corporate law (corporate reorganizations, share sales, shareholder agreements). He is a sought-after legal advisor for the entrepreneur and he favors contacts with other professionals, such as accountants and tax specialists, in order to provide complete service to his clients. Naturally, he is a member of several business organizations, including the Chambre de commerce de la Rive-sud de Montréal. Since 2006, he sits on the board of directors of the PME INTER NOTAIRES network, which brings together more than 250 notaries and 400 collaborators throughout Quebec.
Natacha Bouvier, MBA, administrator
Holder of a master’s degree in business administration, Ms. Bouvier has been a manager in information technology for more than 20 years. His experiences include the engineering, fashion, transit and logistics industries. She is currently vice-president of information technology and innovation at Groupe Robert. She also sits on the board of Place à l’emploi, the South Shore’s employability consulting center.
Christine Woolgar, CPA, Administrator
Ms. Woolgar is a retired manager specializing in finance and administration, with over 30 years’ experience in high-growth companies, mainly in the pharmaceutical sector. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Université du Québec à Montréal, and has been a member of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés (CPA) since 1991. She also sat on the board of directors of the Pierre-Boucher Hospital Foundation for 9 years and held the positions of treasurer and vice-president of the Richelieu Valley Golf Club from 2015 to 2020.
Mr. Martin Courville, administrator
A member of the Quebec Bar for over 25 years, Martin Courville practices primarily in commercial litigation, professional liability, and disciplinary and professional law. He is a partner at Ad Litem Avocats, a law firm he co-founded in 2018.
A member of the Quebec Bar since 1996, he obtained a bachelor’s degree in history and a law degree from the University of Montreal. Mr. Courville pleads before the courts of all jurisdictions, including the Quebec Court of Appeal, the Superior Court, the Court of Quebec, and the Financial Markets Tribunal. He was President of the Longueuil Bar for the year 2016-2017 and co-president of the Professional Association of Lawyers of Quebec for the year 2020-2021.
Caroline Lavallée, posthumous honorary member
The Proanima team would like to honor the memory of Caroline Lavallée and we thank her for her involvement in our mission.