Claudine Bouchard

Claudine Bouchard was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating and Infrastructure Officer at Hydro‑Québec in 2023. In this capacity, she oversees the design and development of an increasingly smart and interactive energy system, integrating new technologies and variable renewable energy sources. Ms. Bouchard is also responsible for the operation and maintenance of the energy system as well as ensuring its resiliency in the face of increasingly extreme weather conditions. Also serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of Société d’énergie de la Baie James (SEBJ), she manages Hydro‑Québec’s assets and infrastructure, as well as refurbishment and expansion projects. Her teams provide the expertise and technical support needed to carry out today’s projects and define the requirements for tomorrow’s operations. They develop acquisition strategies that maximize spin‑offs for the company and Québec society as a whole, and also optimize methods and processes with regard to occupational health and safety and environmental management regarding all of the company’s operations.

A seasoned manager known for her human leadership, Ms. Bouchard has over 20 years’ experience at Hydro‑Québec, where she has held positions of increasing responsibility in wide‑ranging fields. In particular, she served as Executive Vice President, Chief Infrastructure and Energy System Officer, Executive Vice President – TransÉnergie and Construction, Chief Transformation Officer and Vice President – Strategic Procurement, Vice President – Corporate Transformation and Vice President – Distribution System.

Ms. Bouchard holds a Bachelor of Science from Université de Montréal and an MBA from Université du Québec à Montréal and Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, as well as a Master’s Certificate in Marketing Communications Leadership from York University. She also completed a business negotiations program at Harvard. Certified by the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés, she sits on the boards of Electricity Canada, the New York–based Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC) and the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ). In addition, she is a member of the FCCQ’s executive committee, chairs the organization’s human resources committee, is a member of the urban forestry leaders committee set up by the Société de verdissement du Montréal métropolitain (Soverdi) and has led Hydro‑Québec’s Centraide Leadership campaign since 2018. Moreover, she volunteers as a leader of The A Effect and as an ambassador in the Women’s Leadership program of the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie Saguenay‑Le Fjord.

In October 2021, Ms. Bouchard received the prestigious Woman of WaterPower Award from Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) and WaterPower Canada (WPC) in recognition of her contribution to the Canadian hydropower industry and the advancement of women in the renewable energy sector.