Marie-Hélène Gaudreault
Marie-Hélène is Partner of Boyden and part of the Social Impact Practice Group. With more than 15 years of experience in Executive Search, Marie-Hélène specializes in recruiting bilingual leaders at the most senior levels. Her experience in both Quebec and Ontario has allowed her to build a considerable network across the two provinces as well as all across Canada.
The first years of Marie-Hélène’s recruiting career in Montréal were dedicated to serving organizations from the private sector such as the industrial and technology verticals. Since arriving in Ottawa, she has developed a specialization in the evaluation and recruitment of bilingual leaders and decision-makers, for particularly complex roles, in the public, academic, healthcare, and not-for-profit sectors. She has delivered professional Executive Search Services to a range of fast growing, complex and multi-stakeholder organizations. From her broad experience, Marie-Hélène is well attuned to the skills and aptitudes leaders must have to successfully operate in organizations who often host counter-cultures within their front-facing cultures.
In 2022, her expertise earned her the position of Chair of the Advisory Committee of the Université de l’Ontario Français (UOF) for the establishment of a new Bachelor of Management program. Marie-Hélène sat on the Board of Directors of the Regroupement des gens d’affaires de la capitale nationale (RGA). As a member of Boyden’s EDI committee, Marie-Hélène is an advocate for inclusion and diversity in all its forms. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in language and communication from UQTR and a Master’s degree in linguistics from UQAM. Marie-Hélène is fully bilingual in both official languages.
Sessions in which Marie-Hélène Gaudreault attends
الخميس 15 مايو, 2025
Grey Zone Change is defined as “A space between the current state and the emerging future that is undefined and unknowable.” In an era of polycrises, the presenter provides an overview of the Grey Zone Change framework to help participants understand the dynamics of leading in the era we find ourselves in. In particular, the focus of this keynote will be on: What does leadership look like in grey zone change? How do you balanc...
Getting Through - Communicating Value and Purpose in Challenging Times. University communications play an essential role in articulating the value and purpose of higher education. Yet reaching all of our audiences over multiple channels and getting through the noise and clutter - whether about good or challenging news - is tougher than ever. This panel features a range of communications leaders sharing ...
The context of leadership in education in 2025 is set against the backdrop of a post-pandemic, fragmented, and technologically-driven world and raises several important tensions and questions. Specifically, what does leadership mean in these changing times? How is the role of women in leadership evolving, both formally and informally? And how can leadership be defined and redefined for various purposes moving forward? In thi...
As the higher education sector changes, finding the right leader is even more essential than ever. Search firms that assist colleges, CEGEPS and universities are privileged witnesses to the processes and practices used. In this panel, three experienced recruiters share their insights, experiences and best practices for building the right leadership team and ensuring a good match between institution and candidate. <...
الجمعة 16 مايو, 2025
Generative AI is often framed as a time-saver—but for senior leaders in higher education, the real opportunity lies in asking a deeper question: Can AI help us do our work better? This session explores the shift from viewing GenAI as a tool for operational efficiency to engaging with it as a catalyst for strategic thinking, institutional alignment, and thoughtful leadership. Through a series of reflective prompts and grounded examples, we’ll examines how AI adoption intersects with exi...
