Michel Bélanger

In the 1960s, Michel Bélanger built a career in the federal public service and later as an advisor and deputy minister in various Quebec government departments. He was an economic advisor to René Lévesque on the nationalization of electricity in Quebec, when Lévesque was Minister of Natural Resources (1961–66). He was an important actor in what is known as Quebec’s Quiet Revolution.

In 1973, he was the first francophone to become president of the Montréal Stock Exchange. From 1976 to 1979, he was president of the Provincial Bank of Canada and would play a decisive role in its merger with the Banque canadienne nationale. From 1979 to 1990, he was president and CEO of the National Bank of Canada, created from the merger of the former two banks.

Michel Bélanger was promoted to Officer of the Order of Canada in 1976.

Michel Bélanger died in 1997. He was inducted into the Academy of Great Montrealers in the Economic category in 1979 and was named a Commander of the Ordre de Montréal in 2016.

Source: Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal

The picture and biographical information appearing on this page were current at the time this person was admitted to the Academy of Great Montrealers.