2022-2023 fundraising campaign

Maxime Gagne is a founding partner of St. Lawrence Law Firm, one of Canada's leading entertainment, technology and intellectual property law firms. Prior to founding St. Lawrence, Maxime practiced law at two major firms, Heenan Blaikie and Stikeman Elliott. Outside of his law practice, Maxime has volunteered for a number of organizations and initiatives that reflect his values and interests. It is in this capacity that he joins the GRIS-Montreal 2021-2022 campaign cabinet with great enthusiasm.

President and CEO of Bus.com, Maxie Lafleur has extensive experience in digital, growth, business transformation, mergers and acquisitions and business development, both in Canada and abroad. Ms. Lafleur previously held several management positions within CAE, including Chief Financial Officer of the Civil Aviation Training ab initio division and Manager of Strategic Partnerships for the Civil Aviation Training Solutions division. An accountant by training, she began her career with KPMG. She happily joins the GRIS-Montreal 2021-2022 campaign cabinet as she strongly believes in the importance of demystifying sexual orientations and gender identities.

Gautier is a Senior Manager in the Turnaround and Insolvency Group at RCGT in Montreal. Specialized in the accompaniment of companies in difficulty, he enjoys challenges and knowing that he is making a difference in his community. Member of the Board of Directors of the Joseph-François Perrault Music School Foundation and involved in the United World College movement, he is convinced that education is the key to making our world a better place. As Nelson Mandela said, "None of us, acting alone, can achieve success". With GRIS, we aim to eliminate prejudices one by one, taking one step at a time, one donation at a time.

Nicholas Blach is an attorney at Stikeman Elliott LLP and a member of the Tax Group since 2016. He is involved in his law firm's National Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, where he has been actively involved since 2020. Recently, he helped found the "Pride Alliance," a national affinity group for people at Stikeman Elliott who identify as members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to share issues affecting the community in an informal forum. For the 2022 Montreal Pride Festival, Nicholas helped organize the Stikeman Elliott Spinning for Pride event, with all proceeds going to GRIS-Montreal. In this role, Nicholas seeks to contribute to the development and implementation of various DCI initiatives, including those aimed at promoting greater understanding and acceptance of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in the workplace. Nicholas' commitment to 2SLGBTQIA+ causes is rooted in a deep sense of empathy and a desire to make a difference in the lives of those who have traditionally been marginalized and excluded.

It is with great pride that I join GRIS-Montreal's fundraising campaign so that people of diverse sexual and gender backgrounds can live openly and authentically in all areas of their lives. This process of openness begins in the schools, one GRIS-Montreal intervention at a time, thanks to your donations.

Participating in classroom interventions since 2012, I have been able to see the difference that each encounter can have in the lives of young people, regardless of their orientation or gender identity, by demystifying an often taboo subject and putting a face and experience on our reality. I have also been able to see, over the years, the changes in society's mentality and the work we still have to do. It is a privilege for me to join, for an eleventh year, a team of men and women committed to making a difference in the fight against homophobia, transphobia, intolerance and ignorance that still exist. I invite you to generously support us.