As part of the EMBA CEO Speaker Series, the current participants (future EMBA Class of 2022) had the immense honor of meeting with Mr. Serge Godin, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board of CGI.
During the hour-long meeting, Mr. Godin openly spoke about CGI, its practices and its strategy. He also talked about a topic that is very important to him and his business: the major transformation experienced by all the markets where CGI is doing business – with 400 offices around the world.
Biography
Serge Godin founded CGI in 1976 and he is the controlling shareholder of the company. Today, CGI is one of the largest IT and business consulting services firms in the world. Mr. Godin led CGI as its President and Chief Executive Officer from its founding until 2006, when he became Executive Chairman of the Board.
Under his leadership, CGI has expanded through both organic growth and more than 100 acquisitions, growing from 2 employees in 1976 to 78,000 today. Operating in hundreds of locations across the globe, CGI helps clients digitally transform their organizations through an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities: high-end IT and business consulting, systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions.
Mr. Godin is an Officer of the Order of Canada and Officer of the National Order of Quebec. In 2008, he was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame. In 2011, he was named an Honorary Associate by the Conference Board of Canada. In 2015, he became a lifelong member of the Horatio Alger Association. Mr. Godin has been awarded several honorary doctorate degrees, including from ÉTS (École de technologie supérieure) of Montréal, York University in Toronto, Montreal’s Concordia University, HEC (University of Montréal Business School) and Québec’s Université Laval.
In January 2021, he was appointed an independent director of Alstom.
Mr. Godin has long been involved in charitable causes. In 2000, together with other members of his family, he established the Godin Family Foundation with a mission to alleviate poverty, promote education and improve the health of children and teens in need. Since its inception, the Foundation has helped more than 400 schools, hospitals and youth organizations.
