Events

Mario Lefebvre was appointed Regional Director (Economics) at the Bank of Canada’s Quebec Regional Office in July 2020. In this capacity, he directs research and analysis on economic and sectoral developments in the region, including overseeing the Bank’s Business Outlook Survey in Quebec. Mr. Lefebvre also plays a major role in the office’s activities by communicating the Bank’s messages to various external audiences and promoting an exchange of views on the economy and monetary policy.

Mr. Lefebvre began his career as an economist in 1991 at the Bank of Canada where he worked in both the Research and International Departments.

In 1998, he joined The Conference Board of Canada where he stayed a total of 16 years.  He worked in the International Services Group, on projects with several Ministries of Finance and was also the Director of the Conference Board’s Centre for Municipal Studies from 2002 to 2013.

In January 2014, Mario Lefebvre joined the Québec Urban Development Institute, where he served as President & CEO for two years.  He then joined Ivanhoé Cambridge in January 2016 which he led and supervised the Research Team who monitored the economic and real estate fundamentals of markets from around the world.

Mr. Lefebvre holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Montreal. He is also a member of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec’s Research Committee.  He was Chair of the Economic and Public Policy Committee at the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal from 2011 to 2013 and Chair of the Public Policy Committee at the Quebec Economic Association from 2014 to 2016.   He co-authored the book Power Play: The Business Economics of Pro Sports, published in March 2014.

Pedro Antunes is the Chief Economist at The Conference Board of Canada where he provides insights and general direction for economic products, which include reports and economic indicators about Canada, its regions, and sectors. He provides professional testimony before parliamentary and senate committees along with media appearances in both English and French. Pedro is widely sought to speak to industry leaders and decision-makers on a wide range of issues and topics impacting Canadians.

Pedro started his professional career in 1987 with the Canadian forecast team at the Bank of Canada, joining the Board in 1992 as part of the provincial forecast team. Over time, he had responsibility for the economic analysis of different provinces and sectors. He also worked on several international projects to help decision-makers in Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, and Ukraine develop appropriate forecasting and policy analysis tools. Among other topics, Pedro has researched the impact of Canada’s demographic change on labour markets, the fiscal sustainability of health care, productivity, and long-term economic growth.

The Honourable Clément Gignac is an economist with over 35 years of experience in the public and private sectors. He was appointed as a Senator on July 29, 2021.

From 2012 until he became a Senator, Mr. Gignac held the position of Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist at iA Financial Group. He was the Group’s spokesperson on economic matters and chaired the Asset Allocation Committee.

Prior to joining iA Financial Group, Mr. Gignac worked as an economist and strategist for major financial institutions, including as Vice-President and Chief Economist for National Bank Financial from 2000 to 2008.

In 2009, Mr. Gignac was elected as a member of the National Assembly of Québec. He was named Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade in the Quebec government, and went on to serve as Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife from 2011 to 2012.

On the international scene, he chaired the World Economic Forum’s council on competitiveness in 2012. He is also an associate member of the Conference of Business Economists, a group of distinguished global economists based in Washington, D.C.

Note that in June 2022, he was appointed chair of the board or the “Collège des administrateurs de Sociétés.” Mr. Gignac was awarded the Gloire de l’Escolle medal from Université Laval and is an honorary member of the Association des économistes québécois, a prestigious distinction that has only been bestowed upon 10 people since its inception in 1992.

Senator Gignac holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in economics from Université Laval. He is a married father of three and the proud grandfather of five.