The Honourable Clément Gignac is an economist with over 35 years of experience in the public and private sectors. He was appointed as a Senator on July 29, 2021.

From 2012 until he became a Senator, Mr. Gignac held the position of Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist at iA Financial Group. He was the Group’s spokesperson on economic matters and chaired the Asset Allocation Committee. He was also responsible for managing diversified funds with assets in excess of $5 billion.

Prior to joining iA Financial Group, Mr. Gignac worked as an economist and strategist for major financial institutions, including as Vice-President and Chief Economist for National Bank Financial from 2000 to 2008.

In 2009, Mr. Gignac was elected as a member of the National Assembly of Québec. He was named Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade in the Quebec government, and went on to serve as Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife from 2011 to 2012.

On the international scene, he chaired the World Economic Forum’s council on competitiveness in 2012. He is also a standing member of the Conference of Business Economists, a group of distinguished global economists based in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Gignac was awarded the Gloire de l’Escolle medal from Université Laval and is an honorary member of the Association des économistes québécois, a prestigious distinction that has only been bestowed upon 10 people since its inception in 1992.

Senator Gignac holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in economics from Université Laval. He is a married father of three and the proud grandfather of five.