Isabel Dansereau, a McGill-HEC Montréal EMBA 2019 ALUMNA, has been promoted to the position of COO, Attractions (Quebec) and Executive Director of the Old Port of Montréal Corporation Canada Lands Company (CLC). She also remains Executive Director of the Montreal Science Center Foundation.

As part of her new duties, her mandate will be to develop the vision and strategic planning of Quebec attractions within the organization, in order to achieve corporate objectives, while fulfilling the mission of each attraction under her responsibility. She will also be called upon to take care of various national initiatives and to represent CLC’s Attractions division with external stakeholders. This is a major mandate that will allow the institutions under her leadership to continue to shine at the pan-Canadian level. Moreover, this appointment coincides with the deployment of the initial phase of the Master Plan of the Old Port which provides for a major investment for the revitalization of the site.

Since 2005, Isabel has worked in the Science Center and the Old Port of Montreal and continues to advance both institutions while bearing her mark.

« Au cours des dernières années, nous avons initié un vaste projet de création de valeur par le biais d’une vision forte et assumée en responsabilité sociale. À ce jour, celle-ci nourrit et inspire autant les orientations stratégiques que les pratiques opérationnelles du Vieux-Port et du Centre des sciences. La réflexion amorcée au cours du module Sustainability Mindset du programme EMBA McGill HEC Montréal a définitivement agi comme catalyseur de cette grande initiative qui est rapidement devenue une source de fierté et de mobilisation dans nos équipes. Je suis emballée par l’opportunité de pouvoir pousser cet engagement encore plus loin grâce au mandat élargi qui m’est confié aujourd’hui. »


At the end of the EMBA McGill-HEC Montréal, Isabel Dansereau was selected among the “EMBA Best & Brightest” by Poets & Quants.
> To read all her answers to questions about the EMBA.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school?

I consider myself very lucky to have successfully transitioned to a new leadership role in my organization while I was enrolled in the EMBA program. While it meant extra pressure in an already-full schedule, I benefitted from the experience, knowledge, and support of my 40 fellow students.

Why did you choose this executive MBA program? 

This was my big 40th birthday gift to myself. After 13 years at the Old Port, I needed to be challenged and to step out of my comfort zone. The EMBA program was to allow me to learn from the best practices in other industries and to allow me to meet other ambitious, curious and dynamic leaders – with added benefits of a bilingual environment and two prestigious academic institutions. To me, the choice was an easy one!

What did you enjoy most about business school in general? 

No hesitation on this one: the fantastic, generous, wise and bright men and woman – all great leaders – that I had the great privilege to study with over the 18-month period of the program. I learned from every single one of them.