Isabelle Hudon

Hudon's mother was a mathematics teacher and her father, Jean-Guy Hudon, was the former mayor of Beauharnois. Hudon worked seven years with her father who was a member of the House of Commons of Canada. In 1990, she became the press attaché of Monique Landry. In 1993, she became the assistant of the former Prime Minister's wife Mila Mulroney (Hudon's husband Paul Smith was the assistant of Brian Mulroney). Her husband moved to Fontaineblau to study at the INSEAD and she followed him there.{{Cite web |title=Comment une enfant timide est devenue PDG |url=https://www.lesaffaires.com/strategie-d-entreprise/management/comment-une-enfant-timide-est-devenue-pdg/522413 |access-date=2022-07-03 |website=www.lesaffaires.com |language=fr}}

She worked in various federal political offices, including in the office of the Minister responsible for the Canadian International Development Agency. She then held strategic positions in the private sector at Bell Global Solutions, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Bombardier Aerospace and BCE Media.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

Hudon has also sat on the boards of Hydro-Québec, Groupe Marcelle, Holt Renfrew and the Canada Council for the Arts, and is co-founder of L'effet A.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

===Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitain Montreal===

She joined the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal in 2002 and became Executive Vice-President in 2004. She became president and CEO of the board in 2005, following the departure of Benoit Labonté. She then sat on several boards of directors, and was a regular guest on many Montreal forums.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

In 2005, she was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40, and in 2006 was recognized as one of Canada's 100 most influential women by Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100. In October 2008, she made the announcement that she was leaving the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal to head up the Montreal firm Marketel, where she spent 18 months.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

She was appointed president of Sun Life Financial Quebec in August 2010. During her tenure, the insurer experienced growth in their business in Quebec.{{Cite web |date=2017-09-29 |title=Isabelle Hudon leaving Sun Life |url=https://www.investmentexecutive.com/news/people/isabelle-hudon-leaving-sun-life/ |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=Investment Executive |language=en}}

On September 29, 2017, she was appointed as Canadian Ambassador to France and Monaco by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.{{cite web| url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-ambassador-paris-hudon-1.4313420| title=Trudeau names Isabelle Hudon new ambassador in Paris| date=September 29, 2017| website=cbc.ca}} She became the first woman to hold this position.{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Service |date=2015-10-13 |title=Not Found |url=https://www.canada.ca/errors/404.html |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=www.canada.ca |archive-date=2024-09-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240902234055/https://www.canada.ca/errors/404.html |url-status=dead }} She took office on November 6, 2017. In this role, she played a key role in strengthening ties between Canada and France, particularly in the areas of economic, cultural and feminist diplomacy. In June 2018, Hudon served as co-chair of the Gender Equality Advisory Council at the G7 summit meeting in La Malbaie, Quebec.{{cite news| url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2018/06/09/donald-trump-disrupts-g7-womens-empowerment-session-by-showing-up-late.html| title=Donald Trump disrupts G7 women's empowerment session by showing up late| first1=Andy| last1=Blatchford| first2=Mike| last2=Blanchfield| date=June 9, 2018| work=Toronto Star}}

On October 29, 2019, following the 2019 Canadian federal election, in which the Liberal Party lost seats in Quebec, the Prime Minister's Office announced that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had hired Hudon as an adviser.{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-trudeau-hires-anne-mclellan-as-western-adviser/ |title=Trudeau hires Anne McLellan as western adviser |author=Leblanc, D, and Keller, J |publisher=The Globe and Mail Inc. |date=2019-10-29 |accessdate=2019-10-30}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/trudeau-taps-ambassador-to-france-anne-mclellan-to-aid-in-transition-1.4660092 |title=Trudeau taps ambassador to France, Anne McLellan to aid in transition |author=Aiello, R |publisher=CTV News |date=2019-10-29 |accessdate=2019-10-30}}

She stepped down from her role of Ambassador on July 30, 2021.

Hudon became the first female president and CEO of Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) on August 10th 2021.{{cite web| url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/adv/appointmentnotices/article-isabelle-hudon/| title=Isabelle Hudon| date=August 10, 2021| website=theglobeandmail.com}}

Since she took office, BDC has seen the number of business owners it supports reach an all-time high, rising from 72,000 in 2021{{Cite web |title=BDC boosts its financing activities to an all-time high, supports record number of entrepreneurs through COVID-19 pandemic |url=https://www.bdc.ca/en/about/mediaroom/news-releases/bdc-boosts-its-financing-activities-to-all-time-high-supports-record-number-entrepreneurs-through-covid-19-pandemic |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=BDC.ca |language=en}} to 100,000 in 2023. While maintaining a solid financial performance, the organization has also significantly strengthened its support for greater diversity, equity and inclusion in the Canadian economy.

During her time as president and CEO, BDC launched a $500 million initiative known as the Thrive Venture Fund and Lab for Women, created to support Canadian women-led businesses.{{Cite web |title=BDC launches $500 million Thrive Venture Fund and Lab for Women |url=https://www.bdc.ca/en/about/mediaroom/news-releases/bdc-launches-500-millions-dollars-thrive-venture-fund-lab-women |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=BDC.ca |language=en}}

• Hydro-Québec{{Cite web|url = http://www.hydroquebec.com/about-hydro-quebec/who-are-we/corporate-governance/senior-management-board-directors.html|title = SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS|date = |accessdate = 10 May 2015|website = Hydro-Québec|publisher = |last = |first = |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131122122714/http://www.hydroquebec.com/about-hydro-quebec/who-are-we/corporate-governance/senior-management-board-directors.html|archive-date = 22 November 2013|url-status = dead}}
• Holt Renfrew Canada
• The Mount Royal Club
• The Canada Council for the Arts{{Cite web|url = http://canadacouncil.ca/council/about-the-council/governance/board-members/isabelle-hudon|title = Isabelle Hudon|date = |accessdate = 10 May 2015|website = Canada Council for the Arts|publisher = |last = |first = }}

• Named one of the 40 most successful Canadians under the age of 40 (Canada’s Top 40 under 40) in 2005
• Inducted into the Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Hall of Fame in 2014 (she was named to this list in 2006, 2012 and 2013){{Cite web|url = https://www.wxnetwork.com/top-100/top-100-winners/|title = Congratulations to the 2014 Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winners|date = |accessdate = 10 May 2015|website = Women's Executive Network|publisher = |last = |first = |archive-date = 10 February 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150210160023/https://www.wxnetwork.com/top-100/top-100-winners/|url-status = dead}}
• Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012
• Réalisations award from the Réseau des femmes d’affaires du Québec in 2014{{Cite web|url = http://www.rfaq.ca/prix/2014/docs/laureates.pdf|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150402163115/http://www.rfaq.ca/prix/2014/docs/laureates.pdf|url-status = dead|archive-date = April 2, 2015|title = LAURÉATES|date = |accessdate = 10 May 2015|website = Réseau des Femmes d'affaires du Québec|publisher = |last = |first = }}
• Medal of the National Assembly of Québec (2016), for her commitment to the cause of women’s ambition{{cite web| url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/adv/appointmentnotices/article-isabelle-hudon/| title=Isabelle Hudon| date=August 10, 2021| website=theglobeandmail.com}}{{cite web| url=http://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/abc-assemblee/assemblee-nationale/medailles-assemblee-nationale/medailles-assemblee-nationale.html| title=Recipients of the Medal of the National Assembly| date=March 8, 2016| website=assnat.qc.ca}}
• Honorary degree of Doctor of Law by Concordia University (2017){{Cite web |title=Honorary degree citation -Isabelle Hudon - Concordia University |url=https://www.concordia.ca/offices/archives/honorary-degree-recipients/2017/November/isabelle-hudon.html |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=www.concordia.ca |language=en}}
• Insignia of the Commander of the Legion of Honour from the French government (2021){{Cite web |title=La France décore Isabelle Hudon |url=https://ca.ambafrance.org/La-France-decore-Isabelle-Hudon |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=La France au Canada/France in Canada |language=fr}}

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Category:Living people

Category:1967 births

Category:Ambassadors of Canada to France

Category:Canadian women ambassadors

Category:Canadian women chief executives