Pierre Marc Johnson appointed Adjunct Professor
February 6, 2025
Former Quebec Premier Pierre Marc Johnson has become an Adjunct Professor in the Department of International Business at HEC Montréal. His appointment was confirmed by the School’s board of directors on January 30, 2025.
Although Mr. Johnson’s career has been marked by his years in politics and his rise to the post of Premier of Quebec, he is more widely recognized for his outstanding contribution to public service. As a chief negotiator and advisor to governments and UN Secretariats, he has been extensively involved in international trade, sustainable development and public policy.
Until June 2024, he was Counsel at the firm of Lavery in Montréal and chaired the board of directors of the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations (MCFR) for eight years. To date, he remains a member of the boards of directors of companies and non-profit organizations and a member of advisory or strategic committees.
As an Adjunct Professor, he can speak at seminars, conferences and symposiums organized within the institution. This will enable him to reach out to a diverse audience, including the student community, the School’s partners from the business world and decision-makers.
At a time when major debates revolve around the economic, social and environmental transformations currently occurring in the world, the integration of Mr. Johnson as Adjunct Professor is a key asset for HEC Montréal. His insightful thoughts on several critical issues such as government decision-making processes, international environmental governance, geopolitical tensions and economic change will be an invaluable resource for members of the student and research communities.
Highlights of Pierre Marc Johnson’s career
A graduate in law and medicine, Pierre Marc Johnson was a Member of the National Assembly and then a Minister of the Government of Quebec, from 1976 to 1985, before becoming the 24th Premier of Quebec. After leaving politics, he became a professor and senior researcher at McGill University’s Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law and published articles and books on various aspects of globalization and sustainable development. Next, he served as Counsel at the firms of Guy et Gilbert, Heenan Blaikie, and then Lavery in Montréal. Mr. Johnson has been a member of the boards of directors and strategic committees of around thirty limited or listed companies in Quebec, Canada, the United States, Mexico and France.
On more than one occasion, Pierre Marc Johnson has played the key role of chief negotiator and advisor for the Government of Quebec, notably in the Softwood Lumber dispute with the US government, and in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) negotiations between Canada and the European Union. He has also served as committee chair and advisor to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
In addition to receiving many honours in the course of his career, he is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Grand Cross of the Order of La Pléiade and Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec. He has also received the title of Advocatus Emeritus from the Barreau du Québec and has been awarded an honorary doctorate from Université de Montréal and two universities in Lyon.