Analysts say SNC’S choice of anglophone may upset Quebecers, but please investors

SNC-Lavalin’s choice of an experienced American executive to head the Quebec-based engineering giant will be well-received by the beleaguered company’s investors, despite some political concerns in the province that he doesn’t speak French, analysts said Monday.

Robert Card, a senior executive at CH2M Hill Companies and former undersecretary of energy in the U.S., will take the reins Oct. 1.

He was chosen after a global search for leaders outside the Montreal-based company, which has recently been mired in scandal.

Former CEO Pierre Duhaime stepped down in March amid controversy over millions in mysterious payments in North Africa.

Card and his family plan to move to Montreal and learn French, but the naming of an anglophone to head one of the province’s marquee businesses is sure to upset some Quebecers in the midst of a provincial election campaign.

Concerns have been raised about a hostile bid to acquire Quebec’s hardware giant Rona by U.S. retailer Lowe’s. There were also some grumblings when bilingual Ontario-born Michael Sabia was chosen to head the Caisse de depot fund manager — despite his longtime Quebec residency — and when unilingual George Cope was picked to head Montrealbased BCE, while he lives in Toronto.

Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois said Monday SNC should require Card to take French lessons so that at least he becomes bilingual.

SNC-Lavalin spokeswoman Leslie Quinton said the ideal candidate to head “this great Quebec institution” would speak French.

“However, at a time when the company requires strong, decisive and insightful leadership, the most important criterion was to hire the best overall candidate with significant international experience,” she said in an email.

Quinton added the company has a global reach and attracting someone with such extensive experience demonstrates that Montreal is an attractive international location to which such people can be recruited.

Analyst Frederick Bastien of Raymond James said Card’s appointment may not be initially wellreceived by the average Quebecois who expected another francophone to head the firm.

“But we are of the view that SNC shareholders should be pleased that the firm has managed to attract someone with Mr. Card’s experience and reputation,” he wrote in a report.

The analyst said the SNC-Lavalin board’s key focus was to identify a senior leader with an extensive background in the international engineering and construction sector and a deep understanding of operating internationally.