Daniel Rigaud
Executive Director, SAJE Montréal Centre

Daniel Rigaud, BAA, has a solid background in entrepreneurship, with more than 15 years experience in management consulting for business start-up. An expert in marketing and organisational culture, Daniel Rigaud has developed and implemented at SAJE Montréal Centre various business models designed to help start-up and develop new businesses. A pedagogue and specialist in adult education, he continually updates the training programs given. He uses a learning model based on a pragmatic approach, featuring the experience and use of basic management tools which can be implemented in daily business practice.

Daniel Rigaud has been at the helm of SAJE Montréal Centre since 1993. Since then, he has endeavoured to instil certain professional qualities, which are now inherent to his team. These qualities include participative management, a respect for the client enterprise, teamwork and partnership, creativity, and innovation.

Daniel Rigaud makes a significant contribution to the professionalism at SAJE Montréal Centre. Confidence and respect are key in relationships with his associates. Furthermore, he is open to individual initiatives undertaken by consultants, especially in developing new ideas and projects.

Mr Rigaud participates regularly in conferences on entrepreneurship (at colleges and universities, ministries and partners, as well as at international seminars).

Abderrahmane Benariba
Coordonnator for the follow-up program and international development
Senior consultant for the Entrepreneurship Explorer project

Mr Benariba holds an MBA (management I.T systems and management accounting) from the University of San Francisco (California, U.S.A). He pursued doctoral studies in International Management at the University of Lille, Villeneuve d'Ascq (France) and at the University of Guelph, (Ontario, Canada). In 2002, he followed a training program at McGill University on methods of teaching management science. He has been involved in business management and the teaching of management sciences for over 20 years.

As the Coordinator of the Business Development and Follow-up Program, Mr. Benariba is involved with the supervision of more than 300 businesses on the Island of Montreal. As well as this, he is the coordinator of a project aimed at implementing a virtual business portal designed to educate entrepreneurs in the start-up and development of businesses. This project was initiated by the Ministère des Affaires municipales, du Sport et du Loisir (Government of Quebec) and undertaken in partnership with the SAJE Montréal Metro. Today, he is still involved in the implementation of a web project targetting small and business companies.

He also participates in seminars specializing in management and the evaluation of commercial and financial risks. Furthermore, he is actively involved with the development of entrepreneurship in Montreal. He conceived and initiated the concept of a 'A Roadmap for Entrepreneurs', which was subsequently used for two major events (Entrepreneurship Objective 1999 and 2001) aimed at promoting small and medium-size business growth in Montreal.

Gamila Saad
Administration

Mrs Saad graduated from the University of Ein-Shams (Cairo, Egypt) and has more than 25 years of experience in office administration and public relations. She has been with SAJE Montréal Centre since 1994 and her role is of vital importance for the efficient planning of its activities.

She is closely involved in the evolution and development of different government programs managed by the SAJE, in particular the Self-Employment Assistance Program.

Her outgoing and kind-hearted character combined with a no-nonsense approach and proficiency in French, English and Arabic make her a real asset to the team. Gamila is much appreciated by all who work with her, clients and SAJE employees alike.

Yvan-J. Ntwari
Coordinator, Youth Initiative
Management consultant

Yvan Ntwari has over 6 years of experience in management consulting with SAJE Montréal Centre. His fields of expertise include individualized counselling, personalized support and group training sessions on businesses start-up.

Before assuming the responsibility for the coordination of the Jeunes Promoters Program, he first joined SAJE as a trainee and then progressed to a management consultant for young entrepreneurs. He obtained a degree in Economics at the Université de Montréal and a Masters degree in management science from the HEC, Montreal. His enthusiasm and professional success are clearly identifiable in his work with young entrepreneurs.

His expertise includes helping to structure business ideas, elaborating and preparing business plans, and assisting entrepreneurs to find sufficient financing for their projects.

Patrice Starace
Coordinator, Self-Employment Initiative

Patrice Starace has extensive international experience in business development and consulting. His experiences have allowed him to develop a solid knowledge of successful entrepreneurship techniques.

An economist by training, and having completed studies in business management, Mr Starace joined SAJE Montréal Centre in 1996. Today, he directs the Self-Employment Assistance Program and coaches self-employed workers in all aspects of the start-up of a company.

Virginie Lupien
Business consultant - follow-up program and technological devlopment

Ms Lupien received a degree in business administration from École des Hautes Études Commerciales in Montreal and joined the team at SAJE Montréal Centre in 2002. A specialist in marketing and operations management, she works as a consultant for the Self-Employment Assistance, Jeunes Promoteurs and the Development and Follow-up Programs. Passionate about new technologies and their impact on the development of businesses, she is currently completing a training program in e-commerce.

She is involved in a number of projects, offering training, counselling and coaching to would-be entrepreneurs. She is also involved with the development and execution of the Entrepreurship Explorer project.

Mariane Huard
Business consultant - Responsible of the Business Immigrant Program

Mariane graduated from l'École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Montréal with a Bachelors degree in business administration with two majors: marketing and international business and with a Graduate certificate in International business from McGill University. She gathered experience in the field of international environment for having studied in Mexico at the Instituto Technologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), and for having participated in the development of the marketing department of an NGO in Chile under a project financed by the CIDA. She also developed her expertise in marketing while working for FCB Direct Montréal, a firm specialized in direct marketing.

At SAJE Montréal Centre, Mariane is in charge of the Business Immigrant Programme aimed to provide proactive coaching to immigrants wishing to establish a business in Quebec. Furthermore, she played a very active role in creating and developing an international trade training programme for young entrepreneurs interested in developing new markets for their products or know-how outside our borders.

Stéphane Champagne
Business consultant

Stéphane holds a degree in Commercial Sciences with a specialization in entrepreneurial management from the University of Ottawa. He improved his knowledge in management within university establishments in Mexico and in Ireland. Thanks to many training courses and entrepreneurial activities, he developed aptitudes in project management and has a good control of the financial aspects related to the starting of companies.

Specialized in finance, Stéphane acts as a counselor for the Self-employment support and the Young entrepreneurs programs offered at SAJE Montréal Centre. Moreover, he took an active part in the creation and development of an international trade training program for young entrepreneurs interested in developing new markets for their products or know-how outside our borders.

Danielle Ste-Marie
Business consultant

Danielle has five years of experience in SMB finance and marketing. She completed a Bachelor of Commerce at HEC with a specialization in finance and has worked for a couple of years in Toronto for a well known asset management firm. More recently, she has worked as an account manager at the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).

J. Berchmans Fraser
B.I.B.C
Management Consultant, finance and banking relationships

Mr. Fraser holds a certificate of the Institute of Canadian Bankers from McGill University. He is also a member of the Association des professionnels en development economique du Quebec.

His career spans more than 35 years with one of Canada's largest banks where he was involved in various management positions at the head office in Montreal. He also managed bank branches and small and medium- size business portfolios. He was the founding director of one of the biggest discount brokerages in Quebec. He was the co-ordinator of a number of projects specializing in the acquisition and restructuring of networks.

Since November 1999, Mr. Fraser has been a consultant in entrepreneurship at SAJE Montréal Centre, West Island Division.

Monique Thérien
Financial Operations