Denise Verreault, (born in 1958) is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

businesswoman. She is currently the president and

Chief Executive Officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of Groupe Maritime Verreault Inc., a shipping company founded by her father, Borromée. Verreault was named the Quebec businesswoman of the year in 1999.

Biography

Verreault was born in Les Méchins, Quebec. She received her

Bachelor of Education A Bachelor of Education (B.Ed. or BEd) is an undergraduate academic degree which prepares students for work as a teacher in schools. A Bachelor of Education program typically lasts three to four years and combines both coursework and practical exp ...

degree from the University of Quebec at Rimouski. Verreault served on several companies' board of directors. She began serving as a director for TELUS Québec in 1997. She was a member of the board of directors at the University of Quebec at Rimouski. Verreault also served as the representative for the Government of Canada on the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation's board of directors. Verreault was one of the twelve signatories of '' Pour un Québec lucide'', a 2005 manifesto supporting economic developments in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

. In September 2013, Verreault invested $5 million in gluten-free grain production in Gaspésie.

Groupe Maritime Verreault

In 1992, Verreault inherited Groupe Maritime Verreault Inc., after her father, Borromée Verreault's death. The company is the largest in Les Méchins. For several months in 2011, Verreault fought with

's economic development minister, Clément Gignac over the government's subsidization of rival company, Chantier Davie Canada Inc. She disagreed with Gignac, claiming he was funding "unfair competition" and that it may force her to shutdown her company. In 2016, she accepted a $8.5 million contract for her company to service the CCGS Pierre Radisson icebreaker for the

Canadian coast guard The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; ) is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in Canadian waters, such as navigation aids and i ...

Awards

Verreault was named the Quebec Businesswoman of Year in 1999. In 2001, Verreault was inaugurated as a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. In February 2007, she was a recipient of the Order of Canada due to her experience in business management and promotion of women in business. In 2013, Verreualt received the

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal () or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. There are four versions of the medal: one iss ...

. In 2014, Verreault won the Mercure Leadership Germaine-Gibara award. She also received the Graduate Excellence Award from the University of Quebec at Rimouski. She received an honorary

Doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

Management Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a Government agency, government bodies through business administration, Nonprofit studies, nonprofit management, or the political s ...

from the

University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a Official bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ot ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Verreault, Denise Living people Businesspeople from Quebec Canadian women business executives Knights of the National Order of Quebec People from Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine 1958 births Members of the Order of Canada