Departure of Éric Martel: Jean-Hugues Lafleur appointed interim President and CEO

After five years as President and Chief Executive Officer, Éric Martel announced that he would be leaving Hydro-Québec to become President and Chief Executive Officer of Bombardier, starting April 6.

“I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Éric Martel. Under his leadership, customer satisfaction improved significantly and the company adopted an approach focused on transparency. He also allowed Hydro-Québec to adopt a clear vision in the context of the current energy transition. With his deep humanity, he left a mark on our organization. He will now continue to contribute to Québec’s economic development,” said Jacynthe Côté, chair of Hydro-Québec’s Board of Directors.

Interim president and CEO

The Board of Directors appointed Jean-Hugues Lafleur as interim President and CEO, starting today. Éric Martel will stay on at Hydro-Québec until assuming his new role at Bombardier, and he will ensure a smooth transition with the Management Committee.

Jean-Hugues Lafleur joined Hydro?Québec in the early 1990s. He became Manager – Financial Risk Control in 1996, then went on to serve as Director – Financial Markets and Assistant Treasurer in 1998. He was appointed Corporate Treasurer in 2007 and was promoted Vice President – Financing, Treasury and Pension Fund the following year, a position he held until 2018. He has been Executive Vice President and Chief Financial and Risk Officer of Hydro-Québec since April 2018.

Appointment of the next president and CEO

The Board of Directors will immediately start the process to find the best candidate, whether they come from within our outside the company. A recruitment firm has been selected to support the Board in its search.