Finance et Investissement (FI) has named Louis Vachon as the Financial Personality of the Year in its annual Top des leaders de l’industrie financière ranking (formerly known as the Top 25).
At the time of his nomination, Vachon was president and CEO of National Bank of Canada. He is now an operating partner with JC Flowers & Co. LLC.
The jury named Vachon as Personality of the Year because of his inspiring career and his legacy for the Quebec financial community. Vachon was National Bank’s CEO from June 2007 to October 2021, and had served as chief operating officer prior to that.
The jury praised Vachon for steering National Bank through the 2008 financial crisis and making the National Bank one of the most successful companies in Canada.
For fiscal 2021, National Bank had an “incredible” year, the jury added, noting that most of the bank’s performance indicators were very promising. The jury also lauded National Bank for setting targets for workforce representation of visible minorities, Indigenous people and people with disabilities.
The Top des leaders evolves
FI’s program is now divided into seven categories, and the Financial Personalities of the Year are selected from among the winners in each of the categories. This year, FI added two categories: leaders in the financial industry and fintech companies.
The category winners are:
- Fintech companies: Simon Boulet, president and CEO of Wealthica until February 2022
- Full-service brokerages: Denis Gauthier, senior vice-president and national manager, Quebec, with National Bank Financial Wealth Management
- Independent management companies: not awarded this year
- Leaders in the financial industry: Renée Laflamme, executive vice-president, individual insurance, savings and retirement, with iA Financial Group
- Life and health insurers: Denis Ricard, president and CEO, iA Financial Group
- Multidisciplinary firms: Gino-Sébastian Savard, president, MICA Financial Services Firms
- National financial services institutions: Louis Vachon
FI’s site has full details of the Top des leaders de l’industrie financière, including the recipients of five special mentions for this year. FI is Investment Executive’s French-language sister publication.