Nathalie de Marcellis-Warin joined CIRANO in 2000 as a postdoctoral researcher and was appointed President and CEO in 2016, after serving as Vice-President from 2008 to 2016. Since 2011, she has led the CIRANO Barometer project on risk perception in Quebec, which annually collects data on Quebecers’ concerns regarding 47 major societal issues. She is also Head of the CIRANO Research Pole on the Socioeconomic Impacts of Digital Intelligence and Principal Investigator of the Innovation and Digital Transformation research theme.

She is a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Industrial Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal, where she also serves as Academic Director of PolyFinances. In addition, she is a Visiting Scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and an Associate Researcher at the Institute for Data Valorization (IVADO).

She holds a PhD in Management Science (specializing in risk management and insurance) from the École normale supérieure de Cachan. Her research focuses on risk management and decision-making in contexts of risk and uncertainty, as well as the design and evaluation of public policies. Her work combines economic analysis, cost-benefit analysis, survey data analysis, and more recently, large-scale unstructured data analytics.

In 2008, she founded the RISQH network, a knowledge-sharing and awareness network dedicated to risk management, patient safety, and quality of care in healthcare institutions. She contributed to the development of the Montreal Declaration for a Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence.

She serves as Scientific Director of the Measurement Tools, Monitoring and Surveys Division at the International Observatory on the Societal Impacts of AI and Digital Technologies (OBVIA). She is also co-founder of the International Francophone Network on Scientific Advice (RFICS).

At CIRANO, she leads and contributes to several large-scale research initiatives, notably the creation of an economic digital twin of the St. Lawrence–Great Lakes region (GVCdtLab), developed in collaboration with the federal government.

She has published numerous scientific articles, several books, and more than 40 reports for government and other organizations. She has delivered over one hundred conferences and is regularly invited to speak in the media.

A corporate director and international consultant, Louise Roy is currently Chair of the Board and a Visiting Fellow at CIRANO.

Louise Roy has held́ senior management positions in the urban transportation, air transportation and communications industries. She waś CEO of the Société de transport de Montréal (1985-1992), Executive Vice President for the Americas of Air France at its Paris headquarters (1994-1997), CEO of Telemedia Communications Inc. (1997-2000) and Executive Vice President of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) (2000-2003).

Since September 2003, Ms. Roy has been a Visiting Fellow at CIRANO and, since 2012, she has chaired the Board of Directors of this Center for Applied Research in Public Policy. She was Chancellor and Chair of the Board of the University of Montreal from 2008 to 2018 and was named Chancellor Emeritus.

During her career, she has also served as a director of Power Financial Corporation and Intact Financial Corporation, the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD), Montreal International, Provigo Inc, Laurentian Bank of Canada, Videotron Ltd. and Domtar Corporation. She has chaired the Board of the Conseil des arts de Montréal, a cultural granting organization. Ms. Roy is currently a director of the Opéra de Montréal, the Montreal International Music Competition Foundation (MIMC) and the Montreal Airport.

A graduate in Administration from the Université de Sherbrooke, Sylvie Vachon has held the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) since July 2009. Sylvie Vachon joined the MPA as Chief Human Resources Officer in 1990 and held various positions, including Vice-President, Administration and Human Resources, before being appointed President and Chief Executive Officer.

Sylvie Vachon is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Montreal Metropolitan Logistics and Transportation Cluster (CargoM), Chair of the local committee of the Montreal Industrial-Port Zone, a member of the Boards of Directors of the Association of Canadian Port Authorities (AAPC) and Green Alliance, a governor member of the Conseil patronal de l'environnement du Québec and a member of the Board of Governors of the Conseil du patronat du Québec.

She is also a member of the boards of directors of Cascades, Quincaillerie Richelieu and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Cercle des présidents du Québec.

In November 2018, Sylvie Vachon was awarded the Quebec Business Women's Network's "Prix Femmes d'affaires du Québec" - Executive, Manager or Professional, Public or Parapublic Organization category by the Réseau des femmes d'affaires du Québec. In April 2018, she received the Mercure Leadership, Sun Life Financial Woman of Distinction award from the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (Les Mercuriades). In March 2016, she was awarded the medal of the National Assembly. In October 2014, she was the recipient of the Prix Saint-Laurent, awarded by the Société de développement économique du Saint-Laurent (Sodes). In 2012, she was the recipient of the Orchid Award from the Board of Trade of Eastern Montreal (CMEB). In 2011, she was awarded the title of Ambassador of the Faculty of Administration by the Université de Sherbrooke and in 2009, she received the distinction of Fellow by the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés.