Member for Marguerite-Bourgeoys
Québec Liberal Party

Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife

Minister responsible for Plan Nord

Biographical Notes

Mr. Clément Gignac obtained a master's degree in economics at Université Laval in 1980. The same year, he started his career as an economist at Confédération des Caisses Desjardins. In 1984, he accepted to take up a new challenge by entering the ministère des Finances du Québec, where he held various positions as adviser on economic forecasting and federal transfers.

In 1988, Mr. Gignac joined National Bank Financial, where he held various high-level positions. In 2002, he became National Bank's chief economist. He then served as an economic spokesperson for that bank's whole financial group, whose opinion is often requested by the media. As well, during that period, Mr. Gignac was frequently consulted by Canadian company executives and by the federal and provincial governments in the context of their budget planning.

While the financial system encountered major difficulties, both in Canada and internationally, the Department of Finance of Canada designated Mr. Gignac as official representative of Canada on a G20 working group following the Leaders' Summit in Washington.

Mr. Gignac has played an active role within the Association des économistes québécois (ASDEQ), of which he was president until recently.

Since 2011, Mr. Gignac has been a member of the Council on Competitiveness, part of the World Economic Forum's Network of Global Agenda Councils. He is the only Canadian minister to sit on any of the councils forming that network, which totals 72 councils and over 700 experts, government representatives and leaders of the business world. Their conversations and debates play a major role in setting the agenda for the World Economic Forum meetings held annually in Davos.

Political, Parliamentary and Ministerial Offices

Elected as a Member for Marguerite-Bourgeoys in the by-election held on June 22, 2009

• Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife since September 7, 2011
• Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade from June 2009 to September 2011
• Member of the Comité des priorités since June 23, 2009
• Vice-chair of the Comité des priorités économiques since June 23, 2009
• Member of the Comité ministériel de la prospérité économique et du développement durable since June 23, 2009

To contact the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife