Our Board Members
Benoît Poupart, ICD.D - Chairman of the Board
Benoît has spent the majority of his career at what is now known as Entreprises Pol R. After 33 years as co-owner and co-president, he has been the CEO for the past eight years, during which he has also emphasized growth, succession, sustainability of the company, its values, and good governance. This last point pushed him to complete the training required to become a certified director by the Institute of Corporate Directors of Canada. Benoît has indicated that this training has greatly helped him transition from the status of entrepreneur and business leader to his role as Chairman of the Board of a company he no longer manages.
Mélissa Gilbert, FCPA, ASC - Director
Executive Vice President and Lead Finance at Beneva, an insurance company with assets of over $25 billion CAD, Mélissa was also named 'Best Executive' by the Globe and Mail and 'Financial Personality of the Year' by the Top Financial Industry Leaders. She also sits on the Board of Directors of Investissement Québec. As a certified company director, Mélissa is naturally concerned with financial matters and risk management in her training and career, but also has a keen interest in human resources issues. She has been on the Board of Pol R since 2017.
Nadia Martel, Ad.E., C.Dir., - Director
A director and lawyer by training, a significant part of Nadia's career has involved governance, particularly in newly publicly traded companies. This has given her a rather unique perspective and experience in the field. She is now one of the co-founders and partners of i4 Capital, a fund that invests in innovative start-ups. A recently appointed certified company director on the PolR Board of Directors, Nadia brings with her over 25 years of experience in governance, acquisitions, legal issues, and compliance.
Alexis Robin - Director
Associate, Executive Vice President, Culture and Brand at lg2, the largest independent advertising and creative agency in Canada, Alexis avoids labels and seeks, he says, to "help clients and colleagues cultivate a taste for change, to look at their problems from new angles, to identify growth opportunities, to develop innovative brand experiences, and to find the intersection of their ambitions and the common good." Alexis is part of a second wave of partners at lg2 and brings this experience with him to the PolR Board, where he was appointed at the beginning of 2023.
Karima-Catherine Goundiam - Director
Based in Toronto, Karima-Catherine is a business leader with a strong corporate background in the digital field. She has been working in the digital industry since 2000, holding various strategic roles at global companies. In 2015, she founded Red Dot Digital, a digital strategy and management consulting firm. Later, she launched B2BeeMatch.com, a next-generation business matchmaking platform for small and medium enterprises worldwide. Karima-Catherine believes in the power of connectedness and relationships, focusing on building bridges between people, places, and situations.