The ceiling breaker

FRANÇOISE BERTRAND, CHAIR, QUEBECOR INC.

Françoise Bertrand didn’t often run into her female friends from college in the working world. As a result, the long-time business leader says she attracted attention in part because of the lack of competition from her contemporaries, many of whompursued careers in teaching or nursing or simply married and stayed home. Bertrand, of course, had more than just good timing on her side, and acknowledges she seized opportunities to work hard, excel and then move on to the next challenge. But the chair of Quebecor’s board of directors sees a real difference now, quickly naming half-a-dozen high-powered female executives at the communications giant — for example, Manon Brouillette, president and chief operating officer of Videotron; Julie Tremblay, chief operating officer of Sun Media; and Wendy Metcalfe, editor-in-chief of the Toronto Sun. Bertrand’s own career has included a management position at the Université du Québec à Montréal; leading what is now Télé-Québec; and becoming the first female chair of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in 1996. She also currently heads the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec. Here, she reflects on her career and the changing face of corporate management. we have nine members on the board. WhenI joined 10 years ago, I was the only woman. Now there are three of us. I don’t know that we’re ahead of other organizations throughout Canada, but I can say there’s been a great improvement over the years here in Quebec. Certainly the directors programs that have been available at McGill, Rotman and Université Laval have been really helpful in promoting women. If you take Quebecor, we also have lots of women with huge responsibilities throughout the company. Some might say because it relates to broadcast and media, it’s normal there are more women, but when you see the responsibilities they have — they’re CFOs, COOs — it’s not only about the soft issues.” SHE OFTEN STOODOUTBECAUSE OF HER GENDER, BUT SAYS THAT’S MORE A“SIGN OF AGE” THANANYTHING ELSE. “I’m 65, so there were not many women at the time who were really embracing their careers, who had a master’s degree, who were not going into teaching or nursing. I was in communications first and I was not business-averse, so it really made me noticeable. The real difference is: What do you do with the opportunity? You have to be the best, to work hard. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL YOU NEED. “Of course, you need the energy, the health, and a family that allows you to devote that much time without making you feel guilty. Mysister was executive vice-president at Hydro-Québec, so there’s something about the values that our parents had and the college education we got. First my parents and then my ex-husband and then my daughter supported me. I took myfirst executive job when my daughter was almost a teenager and she needed for me to be busier so I would get off her back. So we grew together in that way. I was 23 when she was born and it was a good thing that I had her when I was younger than what most couples do now.”