Guy Cormier, President and CEO of Desjardins Group, MBA - Biography

Montreal, Quebec

President and CEO of Desjardins Group since 2016

Key areas of expertise

  • Organizational culture, cooperative business models and communications
  • Finance and accounting
  • Governance
  • Strategic vision
  • Financial services market (banking and insurance)

Professional experience

Guy Cormier is a graduate of HEC Montréal, where he earned both an undergraduate degree in business administration and an MBA. He also taught finance there for almost 8 years. He started at Desjardins Group in 1992, assuming a number of roles in the caisse network before becoming a general manager in 2002. He joined Desjardins Group's senior management team in 2012 as Executive Vice-President of the Caisse Network before being appointed Executive Vice-President of the Caisse Network and Personal Services. Throughout his career, he's encouraged bold, innovative actions aimed at improving the member/client experience.

Since being elected President of Desjardins Group in the spring of 2016, Guy Cormier has worked hard to instill a strong member- and client-focused culture that resonates with all of Desjardins's employees and directors. He also established a Youth Advisory Board, which allows members ages 18 to 34 to provide insights on key projects being led by the board of directors and management committee. He was Chair of the Board until March 23, 2024, when the roles of Chair of the Board and President and CEO were separated.

Under Guy Cormier's direction, Desjardins Group created the $250-million GoodSpark Fund as one of its various initiatives to support projects with a lasting community impact, underscoring Desjardins's socioeconomic leadership. Guy is also a fervent defender of the cooperative model and the principles of shared prosperity, and a greener and more inclusive economy.

In 2020, he became a sponsor of the Academos youth mentoring program in Quebec. He also serves as an Academos mentor.

Guy Cormier also sits on the board of directors of HEC Montréal, the Fondation Forces AVENIR and the Conference Board of Canada. In 2016, he was named a Knight of the French Legion of Honor, and in 2022 he was awarded an honorary doctorate of law by the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University.

Other roles at Desjardins

  • Chair, Desjardins Financial Corporation
  • Chair, Desjardins Foundation
  • Chair, Alphonse Desjardins Historical Society
  • Federation board committees and commissions:
    • Permanent Guest, Executive Committee
    • Permanent Guest, special committee overseeing the transition to split the roles of Chair of the Board and the President and CEO
    • Permanent Guest, Corporate Governance and Responsible Finance Commission
    • Permanent Guest, Risk Management Commission (and US Risk Management)
    • Permanent Guest, Human Resources Commission

Past roles at Desjardins

  • Chair, Federation, Desjardins Trust, Desjardins Financial Security Life Assurance Company and Desjardins General Insurance Group