Board of Directors

Héma-Québec's Board of Directors is made up of directors from various backgrounds, representing the entire product manufacturing and distribution chain, from donor to recipient.

Members of the Board of Directors

Chair

Caroline Banville
Partner
Consulting and Deals
PricewaterhouseCoopers

A graduate of Polytechnique de Montréal and holder of the title of Institute of Corporate Directors, Director, Ms. Banville began her career at Teleglobe Canada as an engineer. She later worked in the United States, successively at Teleglobe USA and Startec Global Communications. She then held various positions as Assistant IT Director (Nextel Communications) and IT Director at Sprint Nextel and YRCW Technologies.

Upon her return to Canada in 2007, she assumed the position of Vice-President in the Consulting Services Department at CGI. After nine years with PwC Canada, she is the national partner responsible for application evolution and consulting services in the telecommunications, media and technology industry.

She has been a member of Héma-Québec's Board of Directors since 2017 and has chaired the Information Resources Committee since 2018. She has also served on the Audit Committee since 2022. She is Chair of Héma-Québec's Board of Directors as of July 17, 2024.

Vice Chair

Me Jean-Frédéric Lafontaine Atty
Lawyer and founder of MEDIATOR, Strategy, Governance, Legal, Negotiation

Jean-Frédéric has a proven track record and sought-after expertise in the life sciences sector, clinical research, the biopharmceutical industry, and artificial intelligence in health care. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of that ecosystem and his skills in strategic planning and governance, he contributes to organizations’ performance and is able to get the various stakeholders on board for developing projects and moving them forward.

In the context of his previous professional activities, whether as a political advisor to the National Assembly or in a large pharmaceutical company, Jean-Frédéric has consistently worked at rallying people around common goals. Among other things, he was involved in creating and expanding the NEOMED Institute (now called adMare BioInnovations) in aligning Montreal’s artificial intelligence sector with the pharmaceutical industry. He sits or has sat on multiple boards of directors, including the Fédération des Chambres de Commerce du Québec, Héma-Québec, BioQuébec, the Regroupement de soins de santé personnalisé du Québec (RSSPQ), the NEOMED Institute, and Arion Orchestre Baroque. He is also Chair of the Board of Directors of the Quebec –Clinical Research Organization in Cancer (Q-CROC).

Jean-Frédéric Lafontaine holds a Bachelor of Science (Neurobiology) from McGill University plus a Bachelor and Master of Laws from the Université de Sherbrooke. His Master’s thesis dealt with changes in the rules regarding obtaining consent in clinical research. Jean-Frédéric also received corporate director certification from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Since March 2016, Mr. Lafontaine has been a member of Héma-Québec’s Board of Directors as a representative of the business community. He has been its Vice-Chair since December 2017.

Secretary

Nathalie Fagnan
President and Chief Executive Officer
Héma-Québec

Nathalie Fagnan holds a Bachelor’s degree in business administration from HEC and is a member of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés. She has held several executive-level positions within internationally renowned service companies and currently serves on the boards of La Presse and the Théâtre Prospero/Groupe La Veillée. Until recently, she was executive vice-president and chief operating officer at Publicis North America, a world leader in communications and consultancy services for major transformation projects.

Previously, Ms. Fagnan was vice-president and chief operating officer at the firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton (RCGT), where she played a strategic role in the major transformation of the organization.

Prior to joining RCGT, she worked for more than 15 years at Publicis Canada where she held several financial management positions. In the nine years before leaving the firm, she served as executive vice-president, chief financial officer and member of the Canadian management committee.

Board members by categories

Recipients

  • Daniel Tremblay
    Member
    Fondation de la greffe de moelle osseuse de l’Est du Québec

Public health

  • Dr. Patricia Hudson 
    Scientific Director
    Direction des risques biologiques et de la santé au travail
    Institut national de santé publique du Québec

Héma-Québec

  • Secretary
    Nathalie Fagnan, CPA, ICD.D
    President and Chief Executive Officer

Presidents, CEOs and general managers from public establishments

  • Caroline Barbir
    President and General Manager
    Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine*

* Until January 17, 2024. She was recently appointed as a member of the Transition Committee for the implementation of Santé Québec.

Donors and Volunteers

  • Jacques Gédéon
    President
    Association des bénévoles du don de sang, section Outaouais

Collège des médecins du Québec

  • Dr. Jean-Marie Leclerc
    Hematologist-Oncologist

  • Dr. Patricia Pelletier, MD, FRCPC
    Director of Transfusion Medicine Service
    Centre universitaire de santé McGill

Scientific research community

  • Anne Bourhis
    Full Professor
    Department of Human Resources Management 
    HEC Montréal

  • Stéphanie Austin
    Full Professor
    Department of Human Resources Management
    École de gestion, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Business community

  • Caroline Banville
    Partner, Consulting and Deals
    PricewaterhouseCoopers

  • Vice-Chair
    Jean-Frédéric Lafontaine Atty
    Lawyer and founder MEDIATOR, Strategy, Governance, Legal, Negotiation

Ordre des comptables professionnels agrées du Québec

  • Marc Jutras, CPA, ASC
    Retired associate, KPMG

Board committees

Governance and ethics committee

  • Jean-Frédéric Lafontaine Atty, chair

  • Dr. Patricia Hudson

Audit committee

  • Marc Jutras, CPA, ASC, chair

  • Dr. Jean-Marie Leclerc

  • Me Jean-Frédéric Lafontaine

  • Caroline Banville

Human resources and compensation committee

  • Anne Bourhis, chair

  • Stéphanie Austin

  • Caroline Barbir

Information resources committee

Director members

  • Caroline Banville, chair

  • Daniel Tremblay

External members

  • Adrian Glaman, Vice president, Consulting Services, Transportation & Logistics, Life science, CGI

  • Sonia Israel, Chief Technology Officer, Nurau

Advisory Committee

Recipient Representatives Advisory Committee

"It is recommended that, in addition to the customary committees of a corporate board of directors, the following standing committees be created to facilitate the work of the national blood service:

A Recipient Representatives Advisory Committee, consisting of representatives of community and consumer organizations. This committee should ensure that special interests are brought to the attention of the board and that there is adequate communication between the national blood service and any pertinent external organizations, including community and national organizations for recipients, public health organizations, and national and international health and blood-banking organizations. It should also advise the board about the development of educational material for donors and consumers."

Mr. Justice Horace Krever, Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada, Final report, Volume 3, p. 1055.

Mandate

  • Establish effective lines of communication between Héma-Québec and the various groups representing recipients of products;
  • Bring their particular interests to the attention of the Board of Directors;
  • Advise Héma-Québec on its communication with other interested parties regarding any development and/or change in the supply system that could affect them;
  • Allow committee members to present their position on any topic of interest to them;
  • Advise the Board of Directors as well as the Management Committee on risk management with respect to aspects that may affect recipients.

Composition

The committee is composed of a minimum of ten (10) external members entitled to vote. The Board of Directors appoints the external members among the candidates recommended by organizations combining the interests of the recipients.

  • Association des patients immunodéficients du Québec
  • LEUCAN
  • Québec Sickle Cell Association

 

Scientific and Medical Advisory Committee

"It is recommended that, in addition to the customary committees of a corporate board of directors, the following standing committees be created to facilitate the work of the national blood service:

A scientific and medical advisory committee, to keep abreast of the frequent and rapid technical and scientific developments that affect the blood supply system. This committee should ensure that the board of directors always has current information about scientific developments. It should also advise the board about the expenditure of the research funds for the blood supply system and should monitor technical developments affecting the blood supply system, including alternatives to blood components and blood products, and methods of improving the safety and efficacy of blood components and blood products."

Mr. Justice Horace Krever, Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada, Final Report, Volume 3, p. 1055.

Mandate

  • Advise the Board of Directors on scientific and medical developments that might have an impact on the supply of products, particularly technological developments, therapeutic effectiveness and substitutes;
  • Assess the scientific relevance, status and quality of work in all research and development programs, with the exception of projects in cell and tissue therapy production, and to advise the Board of Directors;
  • Monitor the implementation of policies and procedures with regard to research and development.

Composition

The committee is composed of a minimum of ten (10) external voting members, including a representative from Canadian Blood Services. The Board of Directors appoints the external members after reviewing their curriculum vitae with the exception of one member appointed by the Advisory Committee of Recipients' Representatives.

Conflicts of interest (organization and intellectual property) should be avoided in the selection of members. The member selection process must take into account the following fields:

  • Transfusion medicine
  • Hematopoiesis
  • Plasma derivatives
  • Blood component manufacturing
  • Diagnostic technologies
  • Molecular biology
  • Immunology
  • Biotechnology
  • Industrial research
  • Human tissue and sickle cells

 

Safety Advisory Committee

“It is recommended that, in addition to the customary committees of a corporate board of directors, the following standing committee be created to facilitate the work of the national blood service:

A safety committee, consisting of persons from the fields of infectious diseases, epidemiology, public health, medicine, and blood banking, as well as consumers. The purpose of the committee is to advise the board about the safety of the blood supply, including existing and emerging pathogens. It should also assist the board in the process of risk assessment.”

Mr. Justice Horace Krever, Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada, Final report, Volume 3, p. 1055.

Mandate

Advise and make recommendations to the the Board of Directors and Management Committee on the safety and quality of all products for recipients which are manufactured and/or distributed by Héma-Québec, the services offered by Héma-Québec with respect to donors' health.

More specifically the committee monitors:

  • any emerging risks that could affect the quality and safety of products as well as donors' health;
  • all developments concerning the measures to be taken regarding the quality and safety of products;
  • any other issue to reduce the quality and safety risks associated to the products and donors' health.

Composition

The committee is composed of a minimum of ten (10) external voting members, including a representative from Canadian Blood Services. The Board of Directors appoints the external members after reviewing their curriculum vitae with the exception of one member appointed by the Advisory Committee of Recipients' Representatives.

The member selection process must take into account the following fields:

  • Infectious diseases
  • Public health
  • Transfusion medicine and practice
  • Donor
  • Epidemiology
  • Ethics and law
  • Representative of the public
  • Human tissues and sickle cells

Research Ethics Committee

The Research Ethics Committee is responsible for evaluating whether research projects comply with ethical rules, ensuring ethical follow-up and monitoring the protection of the rights, safety and well-being of all research project subjects.

Fields

  • Human origin biological products' donors
  • Human origin biological products' recipients
  • Law
  • Ethics
  • Research areas specialists