Eighteen months after her departure, Michelle Groulx is returning to the Ottawa Coalition of Business Improvement Areas (OCOBIA) in a new part-time role.
The organization, which represents 18 BIAs across urban, suburban and rural Ottawa, announced on Thursday that Groulx is rejoining the team as chief advocate. The part-time consultancy role will put her at the head of OCOBIA’s advocacy efforts.
“At OCOBIA, we’re proud to champion this uniquely Canadian model of economic and cultural development,” Groulx said in a press release about the announcement. “BIAs aren’t just about business — they’re about community, collaboration, and place-making. Although this is a new consulting role in a part-time capacity, my passion and dedication remain just as strong as before. I look forward to continuing to serve our vibrant BIA community.”
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Groulx spent nearly three years as executive director of OCOBIA, advocating for local BIAs at all levels of governments. She was also a voice for Main Street businesses during the pandemic and provided advocacy during the subsequent economic downturn.
In January 2024, she stepped away to become president of MBC Group, a national engineering and appraisal firm, a position she stayed in for a year. She is now president and general manager of Phoenix Glass and Aluminum, as well as co-founder and CEO of Hans Henderson Holdings, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The decision follows OCOBIA’s fifth anniversary, at which time it decided to undertake an organizational review to restructure and develop a new five-year plan.
Earlier this year, the organization made the decision to eliminate its executive director position in order to reallocate financial resources elsewhere. Chair Darrell Cox told OBJ at the time that funds would go directly to support members through investments in services and programs, with more details about OCOBIA’s future direction to come.
In its release, OCOBIA said the review was led by an external consultant and involved member BIAs, organizational partners and economic development stakeholders. It said the findings indicated a need to make a strategic shift to ensure the organization’s long-term viability.
“A key recommendation from the review was to introduce a part-time lead consultant role dedicated to high-impact priorities — specifically advocacy and partnership development,” the release stated. “(Groulx will) support BIA staff and Boards of Management in fostering a culture of continuous improvement and shared best practices. Michelle brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of Ottawa’s BIA landscape.”
OCOBIA represents Ottawa’s 18 business improvement areas, which collectively include more than 6,400 businesses across the city. The organization has become a key voice on key issues and policies affecting local businesses and the city’s economic development.
Other people on the move
Business advisory firm Founded Partners has added three new partners to its team. Danay Lea brings extensive experience as a CFO and operational strategist, specializing in fiscal operations, financial management and operational scaling. His previous roles include stints as chief operating officer at McMillan LLP, where he helped create the national law firm’s latest five-year strategic growth plan, and chief financial officer at Dubai-based Commercial Bank International. Courtney Anderson has been advising high net-worth individuals and business owners in areas such as ownership structuring, succession planning, family governance and financial frameworks for more than 25 years. Before launching his own consulting firm in 2022, Anderson spent more than two decades in private banking and wealth management at TD Bank and RBC. He will help clients navigate critical periods such as funding rounds, IPOs and exits. Martin Villeneuve comes to the firm with more than two decades of experience in financial management and strategic planning. His past achievements include managing a $65-billion portfolio during his four years as chief operating officer at BMO Trust and serving as director of compliance at GMAC/Residential Capital Corporation. In 2023, he launched Liparus Capital Partners, a boutique advisory firm that advises entrepreneurs in areas such as raising capital and managing growth.
Hats off!
Chris Pierce, general manager of Les Suites Hotel Ottawa, is this year’s recipient of the Don Blakeslee Hotelier of the Year award, which recognizes the city’s best hotel manager. In a post on LinkedIn earlier this week, Pierce thanked his colleagues in the tourism industry for their recognition and support. Pierce began his career at Les Suites as director of sales from 2004 to 2010, returning after a year away as general manager in 2011, a position he’s held since.
Gilles Desjardins, founder and president of Gatineau-based property development firm Brigil, has received an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management. The university said the honorary degree recognizes Desjardins’ “significant impact in the field of management and entrepreneurship.” After beginning his career in the family auto parts and towing business, Desjardins founded Brigil in 1985. The company has since built more than 14,000 housing units in 30 communities on both sides of the Ottawa River and plans to build 44,000 additional units over the next 15 years. Desjardins is also a leading philanthropist whose company has donated millions of dollars to a total of more than 400 organizations in the National Capital Region.
Several Ottawa companies and leaders are among those recognized by MondouxRollins Partner in its awards program Canada’s Best Private Boards. The awards recognize the importance of good governance as the key driver of private company performance. In the advisory board category, Ottawa-founded company Lee Valley Tools won the best family business advisory board. Ottawa-based Minto Group received the award for best family business fiduciary board for a company over 1,000 employees, and Gatineau-based startup Plantaform won best emerging investor-backed fiduciary board. Roger Greenberg, executive chairman of the board for Minto Group, was one of two 2025 Trailblazer award recipients. Ottawa non-profit SheBoot, and its co-founders Julia Elvidge, Jennifer Francis and Sonya Shorey, was recognized as the year’s mission-driven trailblazer; and EDC’s Erik Brien-Wright, who is based in Ottawa, was recognized as emerging trailblazer.
Eastern Ontario brewers were celebrated as some of the best in the country at the Canadian Brewers Choice Awards, which was hosted at Overflow Brewing Co. in Ottawa last month. This year’s recipients included businesses from across the region. The award for new brewery of the year went to Kemptville Brewing Co., while Calabogie Brewing’s Melissa Donaldson was recognized with the award for young brewer of the year. Tooth & Nail Brewery, which is located in Hintonburg, won beer of the year for Valor Classic Saison. Another local, Julio Duque, was a finalist, receiving an honourable mention for brewer of the year for Orleans Brewing Co.
