Isabelle Hudon
President and Chief Executive Officer, BDCIsabelle Hudon is serving a second term as President and Chief Executive Officer of BDC, where she became the first woman appointed to this role in August 2021.
Under her leadership, BDC has played its role as Canada’s development bank with renewed intensity, enabling its 2,900 colleagues across every region of the country to increase their impact and helping the bank grow its client base to more than 100,000 SMEs. Isabelle Hudon’s leadership has also been reflected in the effective deployment of major initiatives in response to significant challenges facing Canada’s economy and sovereignty, including support for the defence sector.
Previously, Isabelle served as Canada’s Ambassador to France and Monaco from 2017 to 2021, and held the roles of President and Chief Executive Officer for Quebec and Senior Vice President at Sun Life Financial Canada.
In addition to her role at the head of BDC, Isabelle served as Canada’s Chief Negotiator during the process to establish the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank, whose head office will be located in Canada. She is also Co-Chair of the Advisory Council of the Ordre de Montréal and co-founder of The A Effect. Previously, she acted as the Canadian Prime Minister’s Personal Representative for La Francophonie and served on the boards of directors of Hydro-Québec, Groupe Marcelle, Turquoise Hill Resources, Holt Renfrew and the Canada Council for the Arts.
Isabelle Hudon has received several notable distinctions, including honorary doctorates from Concordia University and the Université du Québec à Montréal. She is also a recipient of the insignia of Commander of the Legion of Honour from the Government of France, along with numerous distinctions recognizing her contribution to culture (for which she received, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal), to the advancement of women’s ambition, and to the vitality of La Francophonie. She was also inducted into the Women’s Executive Network Top 100 Hall of Fame after being named several times among Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women.