As President and Chief Executive Officer of the
Business Development Bank of Canada, Michel
Vennat brings insights and expertise gained
during a distinguished and multifaceted career
in the public and private sectors.
Mr. Vennat was born in Montreal in 1941. A
Rhodes Scholar for Quebec, his academic
achievements include degrees from Collège
Jean-de-Brébeuf, the Université de Montréal
Faculty of Law, and Oxford University, where he
studied politics and economics.
On his return from Oxford in 1965,
Mr. Vennat served
for two years as a Foreign Affairs Officer with
the Department of External Affairs. He then
accepted appointments as Special Assistant to
the Minister of Finance, Mitchell Sharp, Special
Assistant to the Prime Minister, Pierre Elliott
Trudeau, Special Counsel to the Prime Minister
on issues related to energy and the
constitution. He
also acted as Chairman of the Canadian Film
Development Corporation and as a member of the
CBC Board.
He then accepted
appointments as Special Assistant to the
Minister of Finance, Mitchell Sharp, Special
Assistant to the Prime Minister, Pierre Elliott
Trudeau, Special Counsel to the Prime Minister
on issues related to energy and the
constitution. He also acted as Chairman of
the Canadian Film Development Corporation and as
a member of the CBC Board.
And
Mitchell Sharp
as
describe in:
The
Abridgment Updated 2000 — Relation 3 was
Chretien's "advisor,
counselor and strategist" for the
past 30 years has been MITCHELL SHARP, who brought Chretien into politics
when *he* was Finance Minister. Sharp has been, since 1981, Vice-Chairman
for North America of David Rockefeller's TRILATERAL COMMISSION.
Mr. Vennat resumed the practice of law
in late 1970,
specializing in corporate and commercial
matters, by joining one of Canada's most
prominent legal firms, Stikeman, Elliott of
which he became a senior partner.
Mr. Vennat
resumed the practice of law in late 1970,
specializing in corporate and commercial
matters, by joining one of Canada's most
prominent legal firms, Stikeman, Elliott of
which he became a senior partner.
In the same year, he lectured in
constitutional law at the Université de Montréal
Faculty of Law. In 1983, he was appointed
Queen's
Counsel and, in 1995, was called to
the Bar of Paris, France.
A passionate defender of Canada, Mr. Vennat
acted as Chairman of the Council for Canadian
unity from 1994 to 1996. In 1995, he was made an
Officer of the Order of Canada. He is also
Honorary lieutenant-colonel of Les Fusiliers
Mont-Royal Regiment.
Mr. Vennat provided leadership in the private
sector as well. He has served as President of
Dumez Investments Inc., Westburne International
Industries Limited, Bastos du Canada Limitée,
Maxi-Crisp Canada Inc. and Moody Industries Inc.
At various times, he has also served as
Vice-Chairman, Chairman, and CEO of United
Westburne Inc.
He was Chairman of the Board at BDC from 1998
to 2000.
Mr. Vennat is married and has five children.
He currently lives in Montreal
Queen's Counsel
![[Main Page]](wiki.png)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Queen's Counsel (QCs), during the reign of a male Sovereign known as King's Counsel (KCs), are
barristers appointed by patent to be one of "Her Majesty's Counsel learned in the law." They do not constitute a separate order or degree of
lawyers. But whilst utter barristers are called to the
Bar by their
inn of court, the Queen's Counsel are called by the Court within the Bar. They are thus more than merely a professional rank, as their status is conferred by the Crown and
recognized by the courts.
Queen's Counsel have the privilege of sitting within the Bar of court, and wear silk gowns of a special design (hence the informal title Silks).
Michel Vennat
