Alain Paris (HEC Montréal 1969) has donated $2 million in support of the project to bring HEC Montréal’s new downtown building to life. The former vice-president of Duchesnay Inc., Mr. Paris has been a member of HEC Montréal’s Conseil des gouverneurs since 2013 and Société Héritage since June 2021. His generous contributions to his alma mater date back many years.
For Mr. Paris, giving back to the school he loves is second nature. “HEC Montréal was a wonderful springboard for me. So I feel compelled to pave the way for those who may not have the financial means to advance their education, but who have the potential to have a major impact on society.”
In 2011, he set up the Fonds Famille Rachelle et Alain Paris, which every year grants entrepreneurship bursaries to HEC Montréal students who want to start their own business.
But he also wanted to find another way to support the School, this time through the new downtown building. “This new building is symbolic of the spirit of growth and vitality at HEC Montréal, and the fact that they are always ready to take on new challenges. I am delighted to contribute in my own way, and I encourage the rest of the community to do the same. I don’t think there’s any one magic formula for getting people on board in, but if you start early and keep at it, bit by bit, a steady flow of people will join in.”
In recognition of this substantial donation, the amphitheatre in the new building will be named in honour of Rachelle and Alain Paris.
“We are extremely lucky to have donors like Alain Paris backing this new centre of management excellence that will shape the next generation of business professionals,” said Michel Patry, President and CEO of the HEC Montréal Foundation.
For the first 30 years of his career, Mr. Paris divided his time between KPMG, where he served as a tax partner, and HEC Montréal, where he was a course lecturer. He also contributed to creating the specialized graduate diploma (DESS) in taxation at the School and was the program’s first director.
In 2000, he joined pharmaceutical companies Pro Doc and Duchesnay, part of Groupe Pierre Boivin. He remained at Duchesnay until it was sold in June 2021 and has since stayed on as an advisor to the Boivin family.
