Paul Desmarais III

Paul Desmarais III in the Senior Vice-President of Power Corporation since 2017 as well as the Chairman and CEO of Sagard, an alternative asset management firm active in venture capital, private equity, private credit, real estate, healthcare royalties and private wealth.

Within the Sagard ecosystem, Paul is the Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Portage Ventures and the Chairman and Co-Founder of Diagram. Within the investment portfolios, he is the Chairman of Wealthsimple and Dialogue, and a director of Grayhawk and nesto.

Paul is dedicated to helping build a better business world. He is Co-Founder of the Black Wealth Club, where emerging Black leaders go to learn about creating wealth and reinvesting it in their communities. Under Paul’s leadership, Sagard has committed to a more sustainable financial system by becoming a signatory of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment, enlisting as a CREO participant, and embarking on its journey to carbon neutrality. Paul will also co-chair the Centraide (United Way) campaign in 2022.

Prior to his current role, Paul worked at Goldman Sachs in the Investment Banking Division, Investment Strategy Group and Special Situations Group, Imerys S.A. in supply chain management and strategy and Great-West Lifeco Inc. in risk management. He has earned a B.A. in Economics from Harvard College and holds an MBA from INSEAD. In 2017, Paul was recognized as one of the Top 40 Under 40 in Canada.