5 June 2024
As the 50th anniversary festivities of ÉTS shift into high gear and the institution continues to grow, the university community welcomes with great enthusiasm the historic appointment of Kathy Baig as the first woman CEO of ÉTS, following her nomination by the Conseil des ministres of the Government of Quebec.
For more information, consult the Université du Québec press release.
Kathy Baig, CEO of the ÉTS. Photo Credit : Joëlle Simard-Lapointe
“I am delighted by the appointment of Ms. Baig as the first woman CEO of ÉTS. She is a seasoned and inspiring manager, and I am convinced that she will be able to put her considerable expertise to good use at the École de technologie supérieure. Her in-depth knowledge of the engineering world, her leadership and her strategic vision are definite assets that will contribute to the development of ÉTS and enhance the influence of the Université du Québec as a whole,”
- Alexandre Cloutier, President of the Université du Québec.
“It is with enthusiasm and admiration that I join a line of leaders who have promoted excellence and ensured the essential mission of ÉTS for the economic and technological development of Québec. For many years, I have devoted my efforts to promoting the engineering profession. My commitment to engineering and to society is stronger than ever and will continue to flourish at ÉTS in order to encourage the training of exceptional talent, propel research and innovation as vectors for solutions to society's many challenges, and take ÉTS to new heights,”
- Kathy Baig, the new CEO of the École de technologie supérieure
A member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ), a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, a graduate of Polytechnique Montréal, and holder of an MBA from HEC Montréal, Ms. Baig was president of the OIQ from 2016 to 2022, in addition to holding various positions as President of Engineers Canada from 2021 to 2024.
More recently, she was with the international consulting engineering firm STANTEC, serving as Vice-President of Development and Positioning and Senior Director of Operations in Transportation — Metropolitan Montreal. She has also held engineering and management positions at IBM Bromont, PyroGenesis Canada Inc., Aéroports de Montréal, and Johnson & Johnson, where she worked in research and development.
Recognized as a strategist and leader, Ms. Baig has received several awards and distinctions and has served on numerous boards of directors, including those of VIA Rail Canada, Fondaction, Nav Canada, the Institute on Governance of Private and Public Organizations, and INO, the largest optics-photonics expertise centre in Canada.
Highly involved in the engineering field, she was awarded an honourary doctorate by ÉTS in 2021 in recognition of her exceptional leadership, her commitment to promoting the role of women in engineering, notably through the G-CHANGE program at ÉTS, and her positive impact on the engineering profession.
Kathy Baig succeeds François Gagnon, who served as CEO of ÉTS from June 2019 to June 2024.
Special thanks to François Gagnon
ÉTS wishes to recognize the work and career of François Gagnon as a professor, researcher, and CEO. We sincerely thank him for all that he has accomplished, and for his commitment and vision, as well as for his significant contribution to research within our university. His term as CEO of ÉTS was marked by entrepreneurship, innovation, and a desire to establish projects and institutes encouraging synergy and collaboration in fields promoting well-being, health, adaptation to climate change, and sustainable development.
