It’s official: the HEC Montréal Foundation and the entire HEC Montréal community have reason to celebrate: the target to help fund the new Hélène Desmarais Building has been reached, and then some! A total of $41 million has been raised — a landmark accomplishment for the School — in connection with the “Powering the Heart of Business” campaign kicked off in 2018.
To mark this significant milestone, the HEC Montréal Foundation unveiled a donor recognition wall on October 10, bearing the names of all those who have contributed $25,000 or more to the campaign. A group of over 100 major donors, gathered for an annual donor recognition event, were excited to welcome the news.
“We are deeply grateful and incredibly proud of this achievement — proud to have helped build a new hub for innovation and knowledge transfer that will guide leaders, up-and-coming entrepreneurs and organizations toward the future. The Hélène Desmarais Building will be vital in making connections with the business community and maintaining ties with alumni and friends of HEC Montréal. It’s more than a physical place. It’s a key driver of economic development, executive education and new partnerships. Our heartfelt thanks go out to the donors who have made this ambitious project possible and whose mark can be felt throughout the building.”
“By being closer to our partners and pooling our strengths, we are putting ourselves in a better position to play a leading role in transforming our economy and our entire society. The strategic location of the Hélène Desmarais Building, in the heart of Montreal’s business ecosystem, will encourage organizations and research teams to work together and leverage their knowledge to explore such important issues as sustainable development, digital transformation, health and corporate ethics.”
Being nearer to the business community will unlock more opportunities to foster interaction between leaders and organizations and drive profound change. Since the Hélène Desmarais Building opened in August 2023, it has served as the backdrop for a number of world-class events and multiple announcements shining the spotlight on the work done by the School’s research units and hubs. A state-of-the-art conference centre and several research and transfer units now call the new building home. To date, more than 5,000 MBA, EMBA, DESS, master’s and certificate students have benefited from this enriched learning experience in the downtown core. Some 10,000 people have also attended activities organized by Executive Education HEC Montréal, and numerous partners such as the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, Montréal International and the Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie (for the Dictée P.G.L. de la Francophonie) have chosen the new conference centre for their events.
HEC Montréal obtained government funding to conduct a study on the construction of a new building to address a serious lack of space and put it in closer contact with the broader business community.
The location for the new 24,000 m2 building was chosen, at the corner of De La Gauchetière Street West and Côte du Beaver Hall, in the heart of Montreal’s bustling business ecosystem.
The “Powering the Heart of Business” campaign was kicked off. Over 1,000 donors would eventually join forces with this unique initiative.
Ground was broken on the new building on October 17, 2019, at a ceremony attended by several notable officials
Four years of intensive work would result in a building honoured with multiple awards for its remarkable architecture and design.
The official opening of this modern, sustainably designed and people-friendly building was celebrated on September 15, 2023.
