Awards for 3 outstanding female students in finance

Jeanne Bourgault is, simply put, a wizard at math. Most of her undergraduate studies were devoted to mathematics at the Université de Montréal. She soon realized that she was even more intrigued by the applications of this subject, so she focused her interest on finance. Currently pursuing a master’s degree in financial engineering at HEC Montréal, she has found a way to bring even more relevance to her expertise.

“Finance adds a more practical dimension to mathematics, in addition to paving the way for a wider range of job options, and helping me meet more people from different disciplines.”

She has been involved in related activities both on and off campus, throughout her academic journey. Last year, she shared her skills and passion for this subject with others by volunteering her services at the HEC Montréal Mathematics Help Centre. She was also a scientific educator with Les Scientifines, an organization that provides extracurricular activities to primary and secondary school girls to stimulate their interest in science.

After her internship at the Caisse, Jeanne Bourgault will complete her master’s degree at HEC Montréal. She has chosen the supervised project stream, and she intends to subsequently enter the job market.

When Charlène Hébert joined HEC Montréal to do her Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), she didn’t know which specialization to choose … until she took Marie-Hélène Allard’s introduction to finance course.

“Throughout the term, I sensed how passionate she was about promoting the role of women in finance. This lit a flame in me, and I wanted to carve a place for myself there.”

Taking up intellectual challenges and acquiring new skills are constant sources of motivation for Charlène. It is no wonder then that she took online courses to learn and get acquainted with Python, the computer programming language. She will complete her BBA in Fall 2023. She then wishes to pursue an MSc in financial engineering at HEC Montréal.

In that respect, her internship at Desjardins will have helped her narrow down her choices for the future:

“This confirmed my interest in quantitative finance, which is a very influential and innovative field. And it will sit very well with my passion for programming!”

Meriem Mehri wanted to pursue university studies in an area that would combine her interest in mathematics with the surrounding global context. So she dove into a BBA with a double major in quantitative finance and business analytics. She aspires to a career in the fields of quantitative finance, operations research, and data science.

As an undergraduate, she was involved in various committees and groups, and chaired the Association des Technologies de l’Information. She has participated in numerous student case-solving competitions and university competitions.

She attributes her strong drive to a desire to leave her mark and inspire others:

“Being the eldest in my family, my current academic pursuits are partly dedicated to my little sisters. I would like them to be proud of their big sister and be inspired to do the same, if not better! I sense that my journey and the privilege of studying are the keys to both personal and collective success.”

Meriem is also the producer and host of her own podcast, Tours d’Horizons, where she discusses “the quest for meaning and self-discovery while navigating the choppy waters of the twenties, a period of life fraught with questions and indecision, and nourished by personal growth.”