Vice Chair, Québec and former Chief Legal Officer leaves a
lasting legacy
MONTRÉAL, Oct. 24, 2019 /CNW
Telbec/ - BCE Inc. (TSX: BCE) (NYSE: BCE) today announced that
Martine Turcotte, Vice Chair,
Québec, has decided to retire in January
2020 after 31 years with the company. A respected voice in
the Québec business and cultural community and a key leader in
Bell's strategic transformation, Ms. Turcotte has worked closely
with 5 Bell chief executives and been named one of Canada's Top 100
Most Powerful Women multiple times.
Ms. Turcotte joined Bell as Legal Counsel in 1988 and moved
quickly into progressively more senior roles over the next decade
at both Bell Canada and Bell Canada
International. She was named Chief Legal Officer in 1999, the first
woman appointed to the role in the company's history and the
youngest person ever to be promoted to Bell's executive team. In
2011, Ms. Turcotte became Vice Chair, Québec, leading Bell's
business and community presence throughout the company's home
province.
"Martine Turcotte is a
distinguished business leader, steadfast community advocate and
outstanding legal mind whose passion and insight played a central
role in the success of a re-energized Bell," said George Cope, President and Chief Executive
Officer of BCE and Bell Canada. "On
behalf of our entire national team, I thank Martine for her
tireless dedication to delivering for Bell's customers, communities
and shareholders."
"Martine's countless contributions to Bell's progress are
significant and long-lasting," said Mirko
Bibic, Chief Operating Officer and the next President and
CEO of Bell following George Cope's
retirement in January 2020. "Martine
has been a valued mentor to me in my time on Bell's legal and
executive teams, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to
work so closely with her in such a transformational time in our
company's history."
"My heartfelt thanks go out to George, Mirko, the Board of
Directors and to all my talented colleagues at Bell here in Québec
and throughout the country who have been part of my journey at a
truly iconic company," said Ms. Turcotte. "The Bell team is second
to none and well positioned to continue leading the way in digital
communications innovation for the benefit of all our
communities."
As Vice Chair, Québec, Ms. Turcotte has represented Bell in the
business community and with all levels of government, and
spearheaded Bell's unparalleled support for community and cultural
institutions throughout the province. In addition to her leadership
of Bell Let's Talk in Québec, Martine has helped build Bell into a
major cultural force with investments in such renowned institutions
as the Montreal Canadiens, Just for Laughs, the Montreal Museum of
Fine Arts, le Festival d'été de Québec, Le
Diamant, les Francos de Montréal and other festivals across
Québec.
Educated at McGill University
(Bachelors of Civil Law and Common Law) and the London Business School (Master of Business
Administration), Ms. Turcotte serves as a director on the boards of
CIBC and Empire Company Limited / Sobeys Inc. She is also Chair of
Théâtre Espace GO and a member of the Board of Governors of
McGill, and previously served as Chair
of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.
Ms. Turcotte was the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement
Award from the Canadian General Counsel Awards in 2005, inducted
into the WXN Hall of Fame in 2008 after being named one of Canada's
Top 100 Most Powerful women multiple times, and honoured with the
title Advocatus Emeritus by the Québec Bar Association in 2009 for
her professional excellence and career success. She was awarded
both the Queen's Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals in recognition
of her contributions to Canada.
Ms. Turcotte retires effective January 1,
2020. Bell will announce the appointment of a new Vice
Chair, Québec in the near future.
About Bell
Bell is Canada's largest communications
company, providing advanced broadband wireless, TV, Internet and
business communication services throughout the country. Bell Media
is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in
television, radio, out of home and digital media. Founded in
Montréal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. To learn more,
please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.
The Bell Let's Talk initiative promotes Canadian mental health
with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's
Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access,
research and workplace leadership initiatives throughout the
country. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Media inquiries:
Vanessa Damha
514-870-6663
vanessa.damha@bell.ca
@Bell_News
Investor inquiries:
Thane Fotopoulos
514-870-4619
thane.fotopoulos@bell.ca
SOURCE Bell Canada