Our Mentors

Throughout his career, Guy has derived great satisfaction and motivation from being in contact with entrepreneurs. As such, it was only natural for him to take up coaching upon retirement, which led to his keen interest in mentoring in a structured, recognized organization. That’s how he came to join the SADC mentoring team. 

He is at ease with businesses of all sizes. His respectful and empathetic approach allows him to understand the issues faced by the people he meets. Logical and organized, it is important for Guy to approach situations with flexibility and good humour, which allows him to play down even the most complex situations. He has facilitated several succession transactions, particularly in cases of family succession, which required finesse and good communication if all parties were to be satisfied.

He sees mentoring as a long-term collaboration to ensure the entrepreneur enjoys lasting success. 

Jocelyn is passionate about human behaviour and business performance. His training in industrial psychology and business (Executive MBA) has led him to work as an expert in leadership and talent management both in Canada and internationally. He has also developed extensive expertise in business development and marketing.

Now that he has slowed down his professional activities, he wishes to give back to the region’s entrepreneurs and share his experience. For him, mentoring is second nature. He knows how to ask questions and listen. Although he has a strong academic background, he describes himself as down to earth.

His practical approach and enthusiasm will be appreciated by entrepreneurs who face challenges.

One of the questions that Daniel Drolet is asked when talking about his experience as an entrepreneur is how he went about starting his own business after a career in journalism.

Through his involvement as a mentor, he hopes to guide people who are experiencing this challenge. Although he had close collaborators with whom he could talk while in business, he is convinced that a mentor could have saved him from stumbling along at certain points of his career.

As a consultant, he has had the privilege of following the evolution of a few companies from start-up to growth. He has gained a deep understanding of the difficulties that entrepreneurs may encounter during the different phases of their journey.

This disciplined and dedicated man hopes to stimulate the thinking of people ready to commit to their business project.

She has been immersed in entrepreneurship since the age of 6. Sylvie Florent, a chartered accountant, equates success with a sense of accomplishment, which she finds in the satisfaction and achievement of her clients’ objectives/results.
Her contribution as a mentor is motivated by the influence she can have on her mentees to help them maintain their business and ensure economic vitality in the region.

Sylvie Florent is an open-minded and attentive person who wants to help entrepreneurs find balance.

Is she a passionate woman? Absolutely! Sylvie has a vision of excellence that means, among other things, trusting oneself as an individual and believing in one’s own success.

“For me, success is not only the achievement of a result, it also implies – and above all – the personal and collective process to get there,” she emphasizes.

In her role as a mentor, this governance specialist wishes to contribute to the well-being of entrepreneurs and continue to learn, with humility, from their strength and courage. Her sensitive and rational approach allows her to quickly grasp what is wrong and to say it like it is.

With an engineering background and an MBA and practical experience in large, medium, small (and tiny!) companies, mentor Louis Lapointe wants to share his toolbox with entrepreneurs in the region.

He compares himself to an X-ray machine, which can scan companies to find out what’s wrong and act on the real cause of the problem. And what about success? According to Louis Lapointe, success can be seen in the pride you take in accomplishing your projects every day.

And success with a capital “S” is the achievement of inner balance.

Fils d’un entrepreneur détaillant et fort de 40 ans d’expérience comme gestionnaire et exécutif, Jean a participé à la croissance et la rentabilité d’entreprises québécoises et européennes. Sa devise d’affaires: “si ça ne se mesure pas, ne le fais pas”. Il est discipliné, rigoureux et a une approche humaine teintée d’humour.  Au cours de sa carrière, il a développé des habilités comme chef et leader des intégrations de grandes entreprises. Il a lui- même bénéficié des conseils d’un mentor qui l’aidait à mettre ses idées en ordre et se mettre en action. Maintenant qu’il a réduit ses activités professionnelles, il souhaite mettre à profit son expérience et il considère que c’est un privilège de pouvoir continuer à œuvrer auprès de gens d’affaires. Il croit pouvoir avoir un impact, notamment dans les entreprises qui cherchent à se positionner et qui sont à la recherche de solutions concrètes ainsi qu’auprès des gens qui achètent ou vendent une entreprise.

With over 20 years of experience in the municipal sector, Louis-Martin Levac initially led an urban planning department before becoming the director of economic development in 2020.

Having guided several urban planning interns throughout his career, he now wishes to give back to entrepreneurs. He enjoys supporting them through various phases of their business development. His experience in municipal administration is certainly an asset in his contributions to entrepreneurs and their challenges.

Louis-Martin views mentorship as a way to help entrepreneurs identify and leverage their own strengths. With a calm and positive nature, he is committed to putting people at the heart of his efforts. He seeks to support open-minded individuals, ready to explore new avenues and face challenges.

Consultant and seasoned entrepreneur, André has spent the last decade developing the business he started, which has enjoyed very strong growth in the Quebec and Canadian markets. Although he has managed all facets of the company, he has learned the most about human relations. André has a knack to quickly understand the challenges and opportunities of different business models.

His aim is to equip the people he accompanies to live entrepreneurship to the fullest by helping them to maintain a balance between their professional and personal lives. For André, it’s important that the company serves to create value and benefit the people around it, always with a human touch. For him, mentoring is a way of continuing to grow and to use the experience he has acquired to help entrepreneurs navigate through their growth phase and all the other challenges presented by business development.

Any business he touches becomes huge. An expert in participatory management, customer relations and employee recognition, entrepreneur François Marcil attributes his success to following the example of those greater than himself.

The secret to his many successes? Finding his niche and knowing how to stand out. A philanthropist, Mr. Marcil nurtures his entrepreneurial culture through charisma, love and respect.

As a mentor, he enjoys working with young entrepreneurs.

“Success is an art, it’s about believing”. And Martine Paiement is a Grand Master! This energetic mentor has the strength to accompany ambitious, innovative and passionate entrepreneurs focussed on growing their company.

By listening attentively and grasping the essentials, she leads the mentee to discover the big picture of opportunities, threats and barriers in the internal and external environment of the company.

For the past 40 years, Marie Provost has been contributing to the growth of those who work in her field. A professional with keen business acumen, she has employed strong analytical skills and an intuitive sense of risk to build a profitable and healthy business. A manager who prioritizes human values and her team’s personal development, she helps her employees grow and guides towards personal fulfillment. She actively contributes to her community, using her skills and experience to guide those starting who are making their own way as entrepreneurs.

The man who describes himself as a stubborn go-getter explains that pitfalls motivate him more than they discourage him. Being functionally blind has never prevented him from achieving his goals and he even believes that it has helped him not to be afraid of taking risks.

He joins the mentoring cell to contribute to the business community in his area and continue to have a positive impact. He knows how to take the time to listen and can spur those around him to action. He is at ease in situations that require him to surpass himself, in moments when he must innovate and push the limits.

Michel wishes to accompany his mentees in their overall growth by helping them clarify their vision and put their priorities in order.

Geneviève set out in business in her twenties. Armed with boundless energy and determination, she put her heart and soul into her company, which grew rapidly. Over time, she surrounded herself with the right people and sought out tools to help her make informed decisions. She also learned how to mitigate delicate situations between associates. With hindsight, she now sees entrepreneurship as a journey, rather than a destination. She believes in a model of entrepreneurship that takes into account the well-being of the entrepreneur.

Geneviève describes herself as a “hands-on entrepreneur” and looks back fondly to her early days as a young entrepreneur. She wants to support those who need clarity and rigor and who aspire to develop their business while maintaining a balance.