Montréal, September 15, 2021 – After more than 25 years as the Chief Executive Officer of Bâtirente, Daniel Simard has confirmed to its Board of Directors his intention to retire. Éric Filion, Chief Operating Officer for the organization, has been appointed to take over as CEO. His appointment will be effective October 6. To ensure a smooth and orderly transition, Mr. Simard will remain with Bâtirente as a special management advisor until June 30, 2022.
“As Bâtirente’s first chief executive officer, after serving as a union advisor at the CSN for over 15 years, Daniel Simard was able to create a pension system that is unique in Quebec,” says Yvan Duceppe, CSN’s treasurer and chair of Bâtirente’s Board of Directors. “Thanks to his work and visionary qualities, thousands of workers can look forward to a better retirement.”
Bâtirente’s Board of Directors would like to acknowledge Daniel Simard’s outstanding contribution to Bâtirente’s success since its founding nearly 35 years ago. Mr. Simard has served on the Board since the first election of directors in 1989. Today, under his leadership, Bâtirente has more than 24,000 members, including more than 1,000 retired members. It also distinguishes itself by its leadership in responsible investing and its ambitious climate commitment.
“I would like to thank all of the current and past Board members and Bâtirente’s member unions for their support, as well as successive team members,” says Daniel Simard. “It is the sum of these contributions that has made Bâtirente what it is today: a strong, solid and responsible organization.”
Appointed by the Board of Directors to take over, Éric Filion is a trained actuary and has already been with Bâtirente for five years as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to that, he held various positions in a major Quebec financial institution for nearly 20 years. “Éric Filion’s knowledge of Bâtirente’s mission and values, as well as his expertise, made him an ideal successor for our organization,” says Mr. Duceppe. “After a rigorous process, the selection committee was convinced of his ability to lead Bâtirente into this new phase for the benefit of unions and their members.
“Bâtirente is a unique organization that has always put the unions that trust it and their members at the heart of its work,” says Éric Filion. “I am honoured and very pleased to be appointed as Chief Executive Officer. I am excited to continue the work and operation of Bâtirente.”
About Bâtirente
Bâtirente is a group retirement system created in 1987 at the initiative of the CSN. It allows 24,000 workers, grouped in 300 labour unions, to benefit from pension plans tailored to their needs by pooling their savings.
A pioneer in responsible investing in Quebec, Bâtirente believes that actively managing its investee companies’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks helps ensure long-term economic and social development, as well as sound capitalization of the pension plan, which are both required for sustainable financial performance.
For more information
Katya Vanbeselaere
Communications and Marketing Manager
514 525-5740, ext. 2425
kv@batirente.com