Our team: Collaboration, rigour and mutual support

Normand Lebeau

President & Chief Guardian of the Mandrake Experience

514 878-4224, ext. 234

At only age 22, Normand Lebeau already had high aspirations, starting a display manufacturing business with offices eventually in Montreal and Toronto. Eleven years later, he landed a position at Mandrake Toronto, Canada’s first executive search firm. After years of experience at this firm, who had already built a solid reputation, he decided to launch a Montreal branch of Mandrake Group, with the aim of conquering a new region. In January 1998, at the height of the ice storm, Normand established Mandrake Group’s Montreal offices. During one of the biggest storms in Quebec history, he signed his first contract with Procter & Gamble Canada.

Normand is a leader who brings people together and thrives in team environments. A determined businessman since the start of his career, he works hard to connect the right candidates with the right companies. Normand has developed leading-edge expertise in headhunting. He has transferred his knowledge to his team and instilled his values in his peers over many years to help elevate the businesses he works with.

Throughout his career, Mr. Lebeau has served as Executive Vice President of the Montreal Young Chamber of Commerce in 1991, as well as Chairman of the Chamber’s 1989 and 1990 fundraising campaigns. In March of 2000, the Quebec division of the SCSP gave him their Leadership Award for his enthusiasm and contribution as a member of the Quebec business community. Since 2008, Mr. Lebeau has been a mentor in the Montreal Young Chamber of commerce program. Currently, Mr. Lebeau is the Chairman of the Board of the Montreal Board of Trade’s Foundation as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the Montreal Economic Institute also serving as the Chairman of the Admission’s and Human Resources Committees.

As well as having published several articles as part of his role, Mr. Lebeau is often quoted in professional journals, business newspapers and electronic media in Quebec.

Mr. Lebeau is also a passionate athlete. He was ranked one of the top 25 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) singles tennis players while he was in university in the US and one of the top 10 junior singles players in Canada. During that time, he also earned the title of NAIA Men’s Academic All-America Tennis Team. He was inducted into the University of West Florida Hall of Fame in 2004.

Danny Savard, Ing.

Vice President, Corporate Development

514 244-6867

After graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering degree, Mr. Savard held a variety of positions, primarily in the areas of strategic sales organization and management, business turnaround, and the organization and management of operations management. He has worked for several leading organizations such as Hewitt Equipment, Mecfor, Cegertec WorleyParsons, Wajax Equipment, Goodfellow and Symbiose & Strategies. He has held positions in sales management, general management, sales/marketing vice presidency, executive presidency and presidency.

Throughout his career, Mr. Savard has been exposed in the front line to the real and practical challenges of a business manager focused on concrete results: strategic development of organizations, implementation of operational processes and performance indicators, and selection/development of employees.

With the combination of all his past experiences, he is able to fully understand the operational requirements of his clients. His practical expertise allows him to advise and support his clients in the definition and realization of their executive search mandates. In addition, his extensive network of contacts in the fields of engineering, equipment, industrial production, logistics, mining & metals and information technology allows him to constantly keep abreast of technological developments and market trends.

Mr. Savard has developed a strong passion for interpersonal relationships and talent management. In addition to intimately understanding the needs of his clients, he is able to draw an accurate portrait of the profiles sought and recommend the appropriate candidates who will integrate perfectly in the organization.

Isabelle Girard

Vice President & Practice Leader

514 833-2201

Isabelle Girard has provided executive search services to companies in all sectors of the economy. She has also collaborated with many Canadians and International companies in identifying top talent that has brought significant value to the organizations. Isabelle Girard worked for two of the major international executive search firms, Korn/Ferry International and Russell Reynolds Associates where she was responsible for recruiting senior executives. She also worked for local search firms. Mrs Girard began her career with an international conference planning firm. She carried out research and consultations with leaders in all areas of the economy for the purpose of producing conferences tailored to selected audiences. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Relations from the Université de Montréal, a certificate in occupational health and safety and a certificate in marketing, both from the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Isabelle Girard has hands-on experience in executive recruitment. With her training in Industrial Relations, she has acquired a very good understanding of companies’ organisational structures and of the relationship between key roles and executives. Her broad skills, knowledge and experience in all facets of strategic research and recruitment of executives make her a versatile, adaptable and efficient consultant much appreciated by her clientele. She is recognized for her relational skills and her capacity to establish business connections based on trust and honesty.

Isabelle Girard has successfully recruited executives for Canadian and international clients in the private (for which some are quoted on Stock Exchanges), public and para governmental sectors. She has developed customized search strategies based on the needs of local and international clienteles and recommended top talent with impressive records of achievement. She also recruited several candidates outside big city centers.

Denise Brisebois

Vice President & Practice Leader

514 234-9986

Ms. Brisebois has a very accomplished track record. She rose through the ranks in human resources primarily in the financial sector, notably at Desjardins Group, Laurentian Bank and BNP Paribas, in addition to spending ten years at accounting firm Deloitte & Touche. As Senior Vice-President and Executive Vice‑President – Human Resources, she successfully implemented and completed a number of strategic projects, headed large teams and sat on various committees within these firms, such as the Executive, Management and Efficiency Committee, and on the HR committees of boards of directors.

In 2011, Ms. Brisebois joined the Desjardins Group and became Senior Vice‑President – Human Resources, Consulting. In that capacity, she is responsible for a team of approximately 150 people whose mission is to support the HR function for all Desjardins Group corporate sectors and entities, whose mission is to support the HR function for all Desjardins Group corporate sectors and entities, representing more than 25,000 employees. These entities comprise two insurance companies and one securities firm, including the retail and capital markets sector, the investment portfolio and investment funds sectors, and a number of other banking and insurance sectors. Her team also supports corporate sectors such as finance, IT, communications and marketing. More specifically, her role is to take part in the strategies of various management tables, present files to various boards of directors, coach her team and managers at the Executive VP and VP level, and ensure people development. These many accomplishments include a number of organizational transformations within the personal insurance firm and the wealth management sector. She is also an active agent for culture change in order to break down silos and create cross-functional bodies. She has spent her career very actively recruiting senior executives.

Ms. Brisebois holds a bachelor’s degree in administration as well as an MBA in financial services from Université du Québec à Montréal. She has also taken part in many discussion groups within the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés du Québec and is a member of the Association des femmes en finance du Québec.

Maxime Lebeau

Vice President & Practice Leader

514 878-4224, ext. 239

As proud successor to the firm, he has big ambitions for the future of the company. Having led a number of initiatives such as the database of Quebecers abroad, he takes pride in finding innovative ways to push conventional boundaries.

Fascinated by Executive Recruitment and Interpersonal Relations, Maxime has supported or led more than 100 assignments since his beginning in 2015.

Before joining the team, Maxime completed a bachelor’s degree in Demography at the Université de Montréal, a university recognized for having laid down the first demography department in North America. As part of the completion of his baccalaureate, Maxime had the chance to spend two years abroad: at first in Nice, France, at the University Sophie Antipolis in economics, and second, in Minneapolis at the University of Minnesota in urban geography.

Since 2017, Maxime has been involved in various organizations and groups of a political nature and economic development such as the “Groupe la Relève en famille, en affaires! “.

Since 2015, Maxime has been an active member of the “Jeune Chambre de Commerce de Montréal” (JCCM). In addition to serving on the JCCM’s Executive Committee in 2016, Maxime will hold several management positions within the JCCM. Since 2019, Maxime has been involved in his community by sitting on the board of directors of a NPO in the Villeray-Parc-Extension neighbourhood, which helps disadvantaged youth to give them the tools and resources to reach university. Maxime wants to actively participate in the international reputation of local businesses by matching the needs of these companies with the profile of the ideal candidate.

Maxime has been an ambassador of Mandrake’s values from his very beginning with the organization.

Brigitte de Champlain

Director, Executive Search

514 703-2015

Brigitte de Champlain has more than 20 years of tangible achievements with North American and European organizations as an executive-level manager, member of management committees or as an expert consultant. Throughout her career, Brigitte has worked on strategic planning, development, restructuring, market analysis and conquest, company positioning, product launches and divisions while ensuring the impact on internal resources as well as organizational development and operational optimization needs. She has supervised and led hundreds of employees and numerous managers in significant change management and organizational transformation contexts.

She has held leadership and vice presidency roles in operations, marketing, sales, and distribution, as well as customer experience and customer contact center leadership. She has always considered human capital to be one of the main success factors of any business. Selecting the right resources according to business challenges, mobilize them by defining clear objectives while valuing their talents, accelerates the implementation of action plans and the delivery of strategic orientations.

Brigitte has been using this applied know-how in an executive search practice for more than 12 years. She combines her business acumen, her analytical skills, her in-depth knowledge of organizational realities and challenges with the leaders’ profiles and expectations. Her ability to consider the multiples variables surrounding the recruitment needs, refine the research strategies and better present the position in the market to the proper candidates. Results: relevant, aligned and added-value recruitment interventions and solutions. She has contributed to several hundred executive search and recruitment mandates in multiple sectors for organizations of various sizes: private, public or NPOs.

Renowned for her professionalism, a great respect for people, the delivery of high standards of service, Brigitte values relational efficiency both in her contacts and follow-ups with customers and with the identification and preparation of executive candidates for their next professional challenge.

Geneviève Guité, CRHA, CPCC, PCC

Executive Onboarding Coach

514 250-0794

Founder of Audacio, Geneviève has more than 25 years of experience in talent management.

She has worked in entrepreneurial and creative cultures and has developed her expertise in talent management and coaching leaders.

Sidlee, Zoom Media, MEGA Brands, Behavior Interactive, Thinking Capital (now Driven) and Purpose Financial are all entrepreneur-run businesses where she left her mark as an HR leader and senior executive.

Geneviève has been a professional coach and member of the ICF since 2014. She supports senior leaders and executives who wish to develop their full potential and maximize their impact. She also provides support in integration coaching.

She is a certified talent optimization consultant, member of the Ordre des CRHA, certified facilitator on the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method and certified trainer by Emploi Québec.

Marie Beaulieu

Executive Assistant & Office Manager

514 878-4224, ext. 233

Alexandre Raymond

Vice President & Practice Leader

514 805-1364

His practical experience in executive recruiting and his interpersonal skills combined with his understanding of organizations allow him to act as an influential leader and to advise and support clients working in complex environments. His knowledge of the business environment, both locally and internationally, greatly contributes to the development of promising research strategies in order to identify the best talents.

Over the years, start-ups, SMEs, NPOs and large organizations have entrusted him with multiple recruitment mandates in several sectors of economic activity where he has been able to develop complete expertise in all of the major functions of companies namely, human resources, information technology, marketing, operations, sales, etc.

Since the start of his career, he has been exposed to the challenges of an entrepreneur allowing him to develop a keen sense of business development and planning. With great ease in optimizing business processes and technological systems, he began his career by implementing human resources management strategies and SAP-HR on behalf of an international firm.

Mr. Raymond has a keen interest in organizations that contribute to the well-being of their community and charitable associations and is actively involved in these various organizations.

Pierre Caradec

Executive Search Consultant

Before joining the Mandrake team, Pierre graduated from HEC Montreal with a Bachelor of Business Administration, specializing in Marketing and Sustainable Development.

During his studies, Pierre had the opportunity to hold two positions in start-ups working in the ecological transition and energy efficiency. Thanks to these experiences, Pierre discovered a talent and a passion for prospecting, talent acquisition and sales.

He joined Mandrake as an executive search consultant to develop his skills and knowledge of the business world.

Pierre is concerned about his personal impact and the social and environmental issues facing his generation and future generations. He is passionate about energy efficiency and the decarbonization of the economy.

He co-founded an NPO in Montreal whose mission is to promote electronic music in all its facets, in the most inclusive way possible. Within this organization, Pierre is a musician, responsible for communications and marketing.

Naturally cheerful and pro-active, Pierre has the ambition and desire to find the best talents to build the best organizations.

Caroline Leam

Project Coordinator

Caroline Leam is a dedicated and experienced professional who recently joined Mandrake Montréal as a Project Coordinator. With a strong background as an Administrative Assistant, she has developed excellent organizational and communication skills that are essential for supporting the team effectively.

Throughout her career, she has gained valuable experience in supporting and coordinating various administrative tasks in major architecture firms in Montreal. She recently held the position of Office Manager, where she successfully oversaw office operations, implemented efficient systems, and supported a team of professionals.

Her ability to multitask has led her to pursue the role of a Project Coordinator. She thrives in fast-paced environments and enjoy collaborating with diverse teams to achieve project goals. Her attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and strong interpersonal skills allows her to effectively communicate and coordinate with stakeholders at all levels.

Johanne Laramée

Director, Executive Search

Throughout her career, Johanne Laramée has developed extensive expertise in the areas of sales, customer experience and marketing.

For more than 20 years, in roles leading sales teams, business development, and operational management, she has dealt with thousands of Quebec and Canadian companies, from SMEs to very large business. Her range of action has extended to sectors as varied as retail, manufacturing, industrial, service, corporate, media, health, telecommunications, advertising, and import/export.

A person of both strategy and action, Johanne has contributed to business start-ups, negotiated international partnership agreements, recruited resources across Canada, set up sales coaching plans, and acted as a change ambassador during major business transformations.

Her spirit of synthesis, active listening, passion for people and understanding of needs are implemented in her mission to find the best talent for the mandates entrusted to us.