During the previous government, he was critic for the second opposition party responsible for the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region from 2015 to 2018, as well as for the economy, innovation, and export issues.
He has a master’s degree in educational psychology with a major in human relations from Mount Saint-Vincent University in Halifax (2002) and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Laval University (1982). He was also an investor in and director of several technology companies in the manufacturing, e-commerce, and industrial sectors between 1993-2010.
The new minister succeeded Laurent Lessard, outgoing minister from the previous administration. Lessard had announced his retirement from politics in May of this year. He had served as minister of agriculture three times during the administrations of Jean Charest and Philippe Couillard (2007-2009, 2010-2011, and 2017-2018). In all, eight ministers have held the position since 2000.
