MONTREAL, February 20st, 2015 – Technology CEOs attending the prestigious CEO Vision event at Mont-Tremblant elected Chantal Trépanier, CEO of SIM Inc., as the “2015 Investissement Québec CEO of the Year”. The CEOs in attendance selected the winner by a secret ballot following presentations by the three finalists highlighting their entrepreneurial achievements for 2014.

Organized by the Quebec Technology Association in conjunction with Investissement Québec, this honor is awarded to a CEO of a technology company in recognition of exemplary leadership and contributions to the visibility of the Quebec Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) industry.

Chantal professional journey began in an unorthodox manner – as an educator. In 1999, when SIM teetered on the brink of failure, she made the leap to entrepreneur and took over the reins of the company. A true visionary, she created Cognibox, an online subcontractor management system, today used by 200 international buyers, including ArcelorMittal, Pratt & Whitney, Kruger, Rolls Royce, Alcoa and Rio Tinto, along with their 6,000 subcontractors. Since she took the helm at SIM, the number of employees has increased by a factor of 25, to nearly 140 employees, and sales revenue has risen by a factor of 20. Globalization, the development of foreign partnerships, and Cognibox’s corporate sale to its current customers have enabled SIM to achieve a growth rate of over 40% for the current year.

“Investissement Québec is proud to be associated with the CEO of the Year Award, which honours the ingenuity of Québec entrepreneurs and their contributions to the visibility of their industry and to Québec’s prosperity,” said Pierre Gabriel Côté, Chief Executive Officer of Investissement Québec.

The CEOs and industry representatives in attendance heartily congratulated the two runners-up for the 2015 Award on their success. They are: Dr Sylvain Boucher, CEO of Ergoresearch Ltée, and Paul Hamelin, President of GIRO inc.

« Congratulations to the winner, whose leadership contributes to the development of the Quebec ICT industry and inspire other entrepreneurs », stated Nicole Martel, Chief Executive Officer of the Quebec Technology Association.

The secret ballot for the selection of the 2015 Investissement Québec CEO of the Year was supervised by the firm Richter.

The 2015 Investissement Québec CEO of the Year Award relies on the support of its media partner Les Affaires.

ABOUT THE QUEBEC TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION (AQT)

The Quebec Technology Association (AQT) promotes the visibility of innovative SMEs in the ICT industry at a provincial scale, while acting as a sector representative. The AQT supports CEOs and their executive teams in their business growth and development, by providing them a real toolbox .Now the largest ICT business network in Quebec, the AQT is a non-profit and self-funded organization representing more than 500 corporate members and members by affiliation. The association provides local and international networking opportunities, improvement tools and benchmarking. The building blocks of success!

ABOUT INVESTISSEMENT QUÉBEC

Investissement Québec’s mission is to foster the growth of investment in Québec, thereby contributing to economic development and job creation in every region. The Corporation offers businesses a full range of financial solutions, including loans, loan guarantees and equity investments, to support them at all stages of their development. It is also responsible for administering tax measures and prospecting for foreign investment.

ABOUT THE WINNER

• Chantal Trépanier, CEO, SIM inc.: http://www.simexperts.com/

ABOUT THE RUNNERS-UP

• Dr Sylvain Boucher, CEO of Ergoresearch Ltée : http://www.ergoresearch.com/
• Paul Hamelin, President of GIRO inc.: http://www.giro.ca/fr/

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SOURCE: Quebec Technology Association (AQT)