By Staff
Marc-André Blanchard, the C$473B Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec’s executive vice-president and head of CDPQ global and global head of sustainability, is leaving the pension fund to become chief of staff to the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney.
Blanchard joined the investment organization in 2020, establishing CDPQ Global to support the fund’s investment teams on the ground through high-level relations with governments and partners worldwide.
In 2022, he also took over the leadership of the sustainability team, leading CDPQ’s approach to energy transition. During his tenure, CDPQ reached and surpassed its climate targets and was recognized by Global SWF, an industry benchmark, as the world’s leading pension fund for governance, sustainability, and resilience last year.
“Marc-André has definitely left his mark on CDPQ,” said Charles Emond, the pension fund’s president and chief executive officer, in the release. “Thanks to his leadership, we have transformed from an organization present in the world to a truly united and globally recognized organization. Additionally, we have raised our ambition in sustainable investment, which is now a hallmark of the institution. Marc-André has always been driven by a deep desire to serve the public and we thank him for his significant contribution to CDPQ as well as for the skilled team he has built. We wish him every success in his new role.”
This isn’t Blanchard’s first political post; from 2016 to 2020, he served as Canada’s ambassador and permanent representative at the United Nations, under then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Prior to assuming his ambassadorship, Blanchard spent more than a decade at McCarthy Tetrault, including serving as the firm’s chair and CEO from 2010 to 2016.
