Board of Directors
The board of directors is made up of high-level business people and professionals, many of whom are members of professional orders, and who act on a voluntary basis. All Proanima administrators have a great love for animals and are committed to supporting citizens towards better human-animal cohabitation. Their complementary expertise and experiences are very valuable in developing the strategy and overall management of our NPO.Proanima also holds its certification from the AMP (Financial Markets Authority), which attests to its sound governance.
Geneviève Desrochers, P.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, and in 2001, she joined Dotemtex Recherche de cadres 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, DMV, Vice-President
Ms. Allinger has been involved in small animal veterinary medicine for thirty-six years, including nearly thirty years as a veterinarian. She has about fifteen years of hands-on experience, in addition to several years in the industry and as the owner and manager of her own company. For about ten years, she was a member of the Association des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (AMVQ) Board of Directors, including five years as its president. For the past ten years, she has also been a member of the Board of Directors of Anima Québec. In addition, her participation in various committees and working groups on animal welfare in Quebec has enabled her to acquire an expertise that she has shared with Proanima since the very beginning.
Fannie Noël, MBA, Treasurer
With more than 20 years of experience in various sectors of activity, Ms. Noël is Director of Corporate Finance 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. He currently holds the position of CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) and IT Vice President at FX Innovation. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Sherbrooke.
Me 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, Director
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.
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.