BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Our cooperative business model is intended to work as a tool for promoting democratic management,  involvement and empowerment of different actors. All categories of membership, that is, workers, users and community support members, benefit of decision-making power via the respective seats allocated to them in the Board of Directors:

7 members on the Board of Directors:

3 worker members

2 user members

2 community support members

Pierre Batellier – President – was been the Coordinator for Sustainable Development (2008-2013) and lecturer in corporate social responsibility at the HEC Montreal. M Batellier holds a DESS in Management (HEC Montreal), a master’s degree in international trade and development (IEP Paris) and an DEA in environmental economics (Sorbonne). He worked as a consultant for sustainable development of different organizations. He is the author of several articles and many teaching cases on issues of social responsibility of organizations.

Marica Vazquez Tagliero – Vice-president –  is a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil and has worked for more than fifteen years in environmental and community development in Quebec and abroad. She has a double degree in Sociology and Political Science from Concordia University and a graduate degree in Community Economic Development from the same institution. Since her adolescence she was intrigued and fascinated by the work of the Catadores (informal recyclers or Brazilian binners) in her natal city. After arriving in Canada for her studies in the early 90s, Marica could not help but notice that the same activity was happening in the streets of Montréal:  People picking up beverage containers from the public domain in order to ameliorate their quality of life.  Since 2004, she has been observing and actively working with these informal recyclers of Montreal.  As the Recycling Project Manager of the Éco-quartier Peter-McGill, she created along with Marina (a binner) Projet Consigne, a free collection of refundable beverage containers in businesses.  In 2012, Marica became one of the five co-founders of the Coop Les Valoristes, a social enterprise with the goal of providing a voice as well as services to Québec binners

Armandine Siess – Treasurer – Has worked for more than 20 years in the social and cultural fields. She has held several positions in organizations working to empower citizens (particularly the poorest) but also to make arts accessible to a wide audience. Convinced that education and culture are major vectors of social change, she explored various sectors and professions. A recognized manager, she has piloted large-scale community projects in Paris and Montreal in partnership with various organizations, institutions, levels of government and businesses.

Alexis-Michel Schmitt-Cadet – Secratary –He has been working with Les Valoristes since the summer of 2019. He fell in love with the mission of the coop and for all the valoristes who work hard to continue to create social ties in a world that really needs it. A criminologist by training, he has already had the opportunity to lead workshops in penitentiaries or in community resources that offer services for inmates and their loved ones or in the field of addictions. He cares deeply about human connection, creativity and meaningful social projects. He loves to bike.

Julien Pednault – Administrator – PhD student at the École Polytechnique of Montréal at the International Reference Center on the Life Cycle of Products, Processes and Services (CIRAIG). His research interests focus on the circular economy, recycling, life cycle analysis and the aluminum industry. His involvement in the Coop les Valoristes is an opportunity to apply his knowledge of circular economy while having a positive impact on his community.

Bernard Dallaire -Administrator – Bernard is from the beautiful region of Lac St-Jean. He obtained his undergraduate degree in recreation from the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières. Many work experiences will follow: Manager of the Agricotours federation in Lac-Saint-Jean, manager of a sports center, leisure animator as well as manager of the facilities for the advertising campaigns of Loblaw, Provigo and Maxi across the province, among others. Suddenly, he had to face an unprecedented tragedy which made him lose his bearings and lead him into a free fall towards a major depression. The misdeeds of this “tsunami of life” led him to the loss of his job, the inability to see the light at the “end of the tunnel”. Consequently, torn by this drama, Bernard ends up in a mission in downtown Montreal. During this period of reconstruction, he gradually found the strength to tame this new environment, this unusual lifestyle. Parallel to this reality, he began to collect refundable containers. This gesture allowed him to remain active and above all to seek a little income for his survival. This new activity was a lever for him to regain some control over his life. Today, Bernard has a taste for valuing his reason “to be in the world” by giving back to others. This motive contributed to his involvement as a volunteer as well as as an administrator of the Cooperative Les Valoristes.

Jacques L’Ecuyer – An engineer by training and holdsa doctorate in Materials Science. Jacques founded the company 5N Plus, a world leader in the field of electronic materials, headquartered in Montreal. In recent years, he has been involved in several community causes, including a commitment to social pediatrics, support for a neighborhood newspaper leading in particular to a series of citizen meetings, and the establishment of a voluntary deposit for non-refundable glass in the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville. As a philanthropist, he is also behind the Chair in materials at Polytechnique Montréal, which one of the two main areas of development is recycling, as well as the musical accompaniment program in mental health at the Albert Prevost Institute.