We are continuing our series of profiles of the Finance Montréal team members by introducing you to Sylvie Desjardins, our Director of Human Ressources. With her warm approach, Sylvie has confided to us what drives her at work and in everyday life.

What attracted you to Finance Montréal?

It is the opportunity to implement HR projects internally and to participate in projects that affect the Talents Project component of the financial sector in Quebec. On the one hand, to implement projects that establish benchmarks for all members of the organization, to accompany team members to develop and to learn to know each other better and on the other hand, to participate in projects that address current and future issues for organizations in the financial sector.

What do you like most about Finance Montréal?

To accompany my colleagues in the different facets of their work, to listen to them and to equip them as needed. It is also the opportunity to participate in projects that affect the entire financial sector ecosystem. Having the chance to connect and interact with people who are passionate about what they do. It is a crossroads where people have the chance to meet and set up projects that will move organizations forward so they can adapt to the new realities that are shaping our world.

What is your biggest professional dream?

Oh my greatest professional dream is a big one! I hope that no matter the organization in which we choose to be, each and every one of us has the chance to evolve, to grow and to learn to know each other always a little more. As a team, to achieve goals that we thought were impossible at first!

What drives you in your everyday life?

The fact that I can enjoy life simply and healthily and make myself happy; taking time to interact with people around me, learning new things, enjoying a good coffee, listening to music, walking, cooking, etc.

What would you say to a young person to encourage them to take an interest in finance?

Finance is a future-oriented environment that is constantly changing and worth looking at. It is central to our daily lives, influencing both our personal life and the development of society.

At the individual level, financial management allows us to manage our resources (e.g. our budget, our insurance), plan for our future (home, retirement!) and thus, realize our dreams!  At the societal level, the financial sector supports economic growth, facilitates innovation and meets the financing needs of businesses (jobs) and various government projects  (schools, hospitals, public spaces, libraries, cultural institutions, housing, etc.).

More than ever, the rise of sustainable development is transforming the financial ecosystem by integrating environmental, social and governance criteria, which are pushing financial actors to support a more responsible and resilient economy. And with all these changes, there is more and more room for profiles that are different, out of the norm.