Annabel Soutar is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Porte Parole, whose reputation and work has helped introduce documentary theatre to Quebec audiences. Her plays and dramaturgical collaborations include Novembre, Sexy béton, Fredy, J’aime Hydro, The Assembly, Tout Inclus et Rose et la Machine.
In 2015 Annabel was named one of Canada’s Artists of the Year by The Globe and Mail, and in 2022 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from McGill University for her exceptional contribution to both her field, and to society.
Favourite play – Rwanda 94
Causes she is passionate about – Polarization, civic engagement, and democracy.
To contact Annabel Soutar, please write to Laurent Forget at the following address [email protected]
Adèle Benoit
Adèle Benoit has been an arts administrator for 20 years. Before joining Porte Parole in September of 2025, she was the Managing Director of Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) since 2005. Originally from Ottawa, she holds an MBA with a specialization in Marketing and Nonprofit organizations from Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business. Her work has allowed her to participate in dozens of new theater productions and collaborate with nearly a hundred emerging artists. She has also volunteered for numerous local arts organizations including the METAs, Conseil québécois du théâtre and the Black Studies Centre. She is a current a member of the committee for the HEC Chair de gestion des arts Carmelle et Rémi-Marcoux.
Alex Ivanovici
In 1997 Alex met playwright Annabel Soutar and together they founded Porte Parole. For the past 25 years they have been developing and producing documentary theatre projects that attempt to stimulate a nuanced public discourse on complex contemporary issues. Alex also works as a bilingual actor in film, television, video games and theatre. He also has 30 years of experience as a director and documentary playwright in Montreal.
His favourite play – Bettroffenheit by Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young
A cause he is passionate about – Civic engagement
Merissa Tordjman
Maxime Bertrand
Currently unavailable – please contact Gabriel Girard for any question.
From backstage of the men’s ready-to-wear industry in Paris and London to the backstage of documentary theatre, Maxime Bertrand was previously a Project Manager and entrepreneur in the luxury industry before a pivot to philanthropy. A graduate of top business schools, he is keen to implement best practices to ensure the sustainable development of the organisation. Giving the Porte Parole team the means with which to achieve its ambitions has been his personal mission since he fell in love with documentary theatre as a vehicle for social impact. Outside work, Maxime has many passions related to culture and adventure.
Favourite play – Rose et la machine by Maude Laurendeau
Causes he is passionate about – The conservation of land and the protection of watersheds, particularly in Lake Memphremagog and Castle Creek.
![Portrait - Pascale Chassé - Directrice du développement philanthropique par intérim [Porte Parole]](https://porteparole.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/PHO_Pascale-CHASSE_siteweb.jpeg)
Pascale Chassé
With over 30 years of experience in the cultural, philanthropic, and commercial sectors, Pascale Chassé is an expert in integrated communications. In 2021, she founded Altérité communications-marketing, where she supports brands and institutions in expanding their visibility, deepening their strategic development, and advancing private fundraising initiatives. Among her current mandates, she leads philanthropic development for the Théâtre de Lac-Brome, including the design and execution of its 2024–2028 major fundraising campaign.
Previously, she spent more than two decades at Cossette (1993–2014), serving as Vice President and advising major brands on strategic positioning. She also directed Fusion, the agency’s specialized alliance marketing unit.
From 2014 to 2021, she served as Director of Communications at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, where she oversaw the communications, marketing, digital, social media, events, and print production teams.
Béatrice Flynn
Béatrice joined the Porte-Parole team in June 2024. After studying fine arts at Concordia University, she first worked as a freelance photographer before landing at 1700 La Poste, where she spends many years working to expand the reach of local artists to a wider audience as Communications Coordinator. She draws on her skills in graphic design, photography and video to explore new ways of promoting the various projects she undertakes. In her spare time, she enjoys cinema, literature and digital creation.
Normand Vincent
Normand Vincent has worn many hats throughout his 40-year career, working in both the French and English-speaking worlds across Canada. The versatility he acquired both on stage and behind the scenes, both artistically and technically, has led him to collaborate in the creation and national and international tours for productions of prestigious companies including: 4dart lemieux.pilon (Ceci est une sphère, Anima, La Tempête, Norman), PPS Danse (Bagne, Pôles, Strata), Montanaro Danse (Ned angl sed angeli). In 2014, he joined Porte Parole, contributing his expertise to the development and dissemination of many shows by this innovative company.
Favourite play – The 1987 production of Les Feluettes, directed by André Brassard
Causes he is passionate about- Social justice in all its forms
Sara Karel Chiasson
Sara Karel is a graduate of the ÉTP program at Collège Lionel-Groulx. In addition to acting and writing, she has a passion for sewing and creates her own costumes for theatrical and television productions. A multidisciplinary artist from Ville-Marie in Témiscamingue, Sara Karel has more than one string to her bow, and pursues artistic project creation in all forms, from writing, scriptwriting and playwriting to stand up comedy.
Favourite play – Des arbres à abattre by Thomas Bernhard, directed by Krystian Lupa
Causes she is passionate about – Feminism and social injustice
Laurent Forget
Laurent Forget holds degrees in both theatre (UOttawa – 2017) and dance (UQAM – 2023). First and foremost a director, he has worked on texts by renowned playwrights (Normand Chaurette, Agota Kristof, Sarah Berthiaume, Steve Gagnon, Dennis Kelly, Fernando Arrabal). A versatile artist, he has also worked as stage manager and production manager on a number of projects. His experiences with cultural organizations (LA SERRE – Arts vivants, OFFTA, DLD – Daniel Léveillé danse) have strengthened his coordination skills and his efficient, thoughtful working approach.
Favourite play – Tom na Fazenda, Michel Marc Bouchard + Rodrigo Portella
Causes he is passionate about – Environmental and pediatric issues
Gabriel Girard
Gabriel is pursuing a master’s degree in art history at the Université de Montréal. He joined Porte Parole in August 2024, first as a Philanthropic Development Officer before stepping into his current role. His career in the cultural sector began with an internship at Les Impatients, where he discovered the joy of contributing positively to his community. A few years later, he joined the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), honing his skills in fundraising and individual donor relations. Known for his professionalism and attentive listening, Gabriel is a valued member of Porte Parole’s philanthropic network. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking and exploring Montreal’s many exhibitions.
Favourite play – Macbeth (Angela Konrad adaptation at Usine C in 2015)
Causes he is passionate about – The environment and social justice
Sandy Caron
A graduate of the École de théâtre in St-Hyacinthe in 2012 with a degree in production, Sandy Caron has primarily worked in the field of theater as a stage manager, assistant director and production manager. She has worked on many productions with Théâtre du Rideau Vert, Théâtre Prospero, Les Deux Mondes, Encore Spectacle, PÀP, La Fondation Evenko, L’Escadron Création and on tour as stage manager and tour manager. She has also worked in event coordination for C2 Montréal and the Montréal Complètement Cirque Festival, among others. Since 2015, Sandy has also worked as production assistant and stage manager for the Festival international de la littérature. In December 2019, Sandy joins the La Messe Basse team as general coordinator. Outside of work, she participates in several running sports events and travels extensively.
Her favourite play: Les filles du Saint-Laurent by Rébecca Déraspe in collaboration with Annick Lefebvre
A cause she is passionate about: Cancer research
Board
Mathieu Johnson
President
Senior Vice President – Partnerships and Development
Hydro-Québec
Mathieu Johnson was appointed Senior Vice President – Partnerships and Development in July 2025. In this role, he oversees the deployment of the new wind power development program, which represents investments of $30 billion. He leads the economic reconciliation initiative with First Nations and Inuit, a cornerstone of Hydro-Québec’s Action Plan 2035, as well as the negotiation of partnership agreements with Indigenous communities in Québec and Labrador. He is also responsible for innovation and research, as well as the energy trading floor, which is in charge of wholesale market operations.
Mr. Johnson joined Hydro-Québec in 2020 and became Senior Vice President – Wind Power, R&D and Energy Trading in 2024. As such, he directed the development of Hydro-Québec’s Wind Power Development Strategy and concluded several partnership agreements regarding the development of wind farms. Previously, as Vice President – Strategy, Corporate Evolution and Development, he spearheaded the development of Hydro-Québec’s Strategic Plan 2022–2026 and Action Plan 2035.
Before joining Hydro-Québec, Mr. Johnson worked in business development at Énergir, a diversified company operating in the energy industry, and as a strategy consultant with KPMG and Roland Berger, both in Canada and abroad.
Mr. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance from HEC Montréal. He sits on the boards of Electricity Canada and the documentary theatre company Porte Parole. He is also involved with Centraide of Greater Montreal as a member of its campaign cabinet’s Industry and Transportation sectorial committee.
Fortunat Nadima Nadima
Secretary
Fortunat Nadima has been practising as an intellectual property litigation and dispute resolution lawyer in Montréal since 2019. He represents and advises companies of all sizes and in a variety of fields in matters involving patents, industrial designs, copyrights and trade-marks, as well as advising on regulatory issues. Prior to practicing in this area, he gained experience in regulatory affairs in Ottawa and in international arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands.
Passionate about arts and culture, he is involved in the Governance and Ethics Committee of Porte Parole’s Board of Directors, as well as for other Montreal cultural organisations.
Alex Ivanovici
Administrator
In 1997 Alex met playwright Annabel Soutar and together they founded Porte Parole. For the past 25 years they have been developing and producing documentary theatre projects that attempt to stimulate a nuanced public discourse on complex contemporary issues. Alex also works as a bilingual actor in film, television, video games and theatre. He also has 30 years of experience as a director and documentary playwright in Montreal.
Annabel Soutar
Administrator
Annabel Soutar is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Porte Parole, whose reputation and work has helped introduce documentary theatre to Quebec audiences. Her plays and dramaturgical collaborations include Novembre, Sexy béton, Fredy, J’aime Hydro, The Assembly, Tout Inclus et Rose et la Machine.
In 2015 Annabel was named one of Canada’s Artists of the Year by The Globe and Mail, and in 2022 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from McGill University for her exceptional contribution to both her field, and to society.
François Le Moine
Administrator
François Le Moine is a lawyer, practising art and cultural heritage law with the firm Règles de l’art. He also teaches intellectual property law at the Université de Montréal, is President of the International Literary and Artistic Association for Canada and co-presides over the Commission permanente d’art public de Culture Montréal. He holds degrees in History from the Sorbonne, in Philosophy from the School for Advanced Studies, Paris, and in Law from McGill University.
Mary Dailey Desmarais
Administrator
Chief Curator of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts since 2020, Mary-Dailey Desmarais leads a multidisciplinary team dedicated to enriching, enhancing and preserving a collection of more than 45,000 works and objects dating from Antiquity to the present day.
Since joining the museum in 2014, she has curated the exhibitions À plein volume: Basquiat et la musique (2022), Adam Pendleton: Ce qu’on a fait ensemble (2022), Combien de temps faut-il pour qu’une voix atteigne l’autre (2021) and Il était une fois… le western: une mythologie entre art et cinéma (2017), whose catalogue won two awards.
Her texts on subjects ranging from Impressionism to modern and contemporary international art have been published in a number of scientific journals, exhibition catalogues and art magazines.
Originally from New York, Mary-Dailey holds a PhD in art history from Yale University, an MA from Williams College and a BA from Stanford University.
Lili de Grandpré
Administrator
A seasoned consultant and administrator, Lili specializes in corporate governance, talent management and succession planning. A recipient of several awards for her professional achievements and philanthropic work, she has held executive positions in Canada and the UK.
In 2019, she joined the Intel:Talent team as Senior Associate, Governance and Talent. In 2005, she founded a specialized consulting firm, CenCEO Conseil. Previously, she led the Canadian practise of Mercer Management (now Oliver Wyman) and the Marketing and Product Development (Treasury) group at the Bank of Montreal.
Lili has served on numerous boards including McGill University, the National Circus School, Brain Canada and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. From 1992 to 2001, she was a lecturer at the Executive Development Institute at Queen’s University.
Lili holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Montreal, a Graduate Diploma in Journalism from Western University and an MBA from McGill University. She is also a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Julie Pilon
Administrator
Julie Pilon has been working in the marketing communications agency industry since 2007. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from HEC Montréal, with a specialism in marketing and finance.
She began her career at FCB Montreal, where she assisted brands such as Fido, Loto Québec and Molson Export with their brand and communications. She then joined LG2 in 2013, where she later became a partner. She works with organizations including Hydro-Québec, Bell, Beneva and Boréale, accompanying them in various transformations and brand evolutions.
Julie chose to get involved with the Board of Directors of Porte Parole because she firmly believes in its mission, its raison d’être and its power to advance our society.
Jonathan Carrier, CPA, CMA
Administrator
With a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from HEC Montréal and as a member of the Quebec Order of Chartered Professional Accountants, Jonathan has contributed to the growth of both small and large organizations, such as Rail-Term and Schneider Electric, through numerous integrations and reorganizations over his 15 years of experience in accounting, finance, and management.
Currently serving as CFO at Siemens, he is committed to driving and supporting the organization’s change and growth through his unifying and collaborative leadership. He leverages his expertise in technology, software, and business processes, along with his skills in problem-solving and financial modeling of large-scale projects.
A passionate art enthusiast in all its forms, he defines himself as a change-maker, driven by a desire to optimize organizational processes.
Alexandra Bonnefoy
Chair of the Development Committee
Alexandra Bonnefoy is strategy consultant in the financial sector. Advising clients such as RBC and BDC Capital, she has led multiple major strategic initiatives in venture capital, in private equity and in technology to help entrepreneurs across Canada.
Alexandra has also held several positions at National Bank of Canada where she led mandates ranging from acquisitions to strategic partnerships implementation to financial product management.
Actively involved in the community, she currently sits on the executive board of Quebec Tech leading the governance and HR committee.
Alexandra holds a master’s degree in industrial engineering from École Polytechnique and a bachelor’s degree in applied economics from HEC Montréal. She is also a certified corporate director (ICD.D).
She recently became the chair of the development committee on Porte Parole’s board of directors, actively supporting the organization’s long-term sustainability and growth.
Kevin O’Farrell
Administrator
Kevin O’Farrell, CHRP, is a specialist in organizational culture, restructuring, and efficiency. His career includes senior roles in applied research, practice lead positions in consulting, and executive leadership in human resources for both national and international private companies. He has also served on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the MUHC (where he chaired the Human Resources Committee), and has acted as a strategic advisor to the boards of West Island Community Shares, Dementia Canada, and a palliative care residence. Kevin has also been a mentor to economic immigrants and young entrepreneurs, including through Futurpreneur and the Lac-Mégantic economic recovery group.
Félix Turgeon
Administrator
Félix Turgeon is a lawyer, senior executive, and corporate administrator. He serves as Chief Legal Officer and oversees real estate operations at Alto, the federal Crown corporation developing the high-speed rail project between Québec City and Toronto.
Before joining Alto, Félix was Director General at the Régie de l’énergie du Québec, where he supervised teams responsible for techno-economic analyses, monitoring of the petroleum products market, and compliance with North American electricity transmission standards. Over the course of his career, Félix has held several management positions within Énergir’s Legal Affairs department, where he oversaw the legal direction of numerous transactions. He is proud to have led Énergir’s first action plan on equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Félix has served on several boards of directors, including Intragaz, the Centre des technologies du gaz naturel, the Marguerite-Bourgeoys Historic Site, and the Fondation de la Compagnie de théâtre Jean-Duceppe. He also took part in the fundraising cabinet established for Juripop’s 10th anniversary.
A member of the Quebec Bar since 2002, he holds a bachelor’s degree in law, a master’s degree in international law and international politics, and the corporate governance certification from the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés.
