Proud of its team, the Quebec Regional Development Cooperative aims to showcase the individuals who make it up.
In this article, a meeting with Julie Gonthier-Brazeau, Head of Legal Services and Governance Practice.
What does your professional journey look like?
I was a notary in private practice for 10 years in Tadoussac. I was the village notary, and I absolutely loved it! I chose the profession of notary to be able to live in this absolutely beautiful place. But at some point, I decided to come back to live in Montreal and, little by little, I started working in the cooperative environment. That’s when I really got into collective projects.
Before becoming a notary, I worked for 5 years at the National Film Board (NFB) in the field of copyright, which I also loved. So, my career path isn’t linear because I enjoy change and novelty.
What projects or challenges do you enjoy taking on?
Since I got into it, I’m completely passionate about collective projects. All collective projects present human challenges in group dynamics. It’s not easy to build a project together; it takes longer.
What I enjoy is helping the group find and bring out its collective intelligence, overcoming all the little challenges or conflicts that may arise along the way, and maintaining the direction and balance within the group so that the project materializes.
What would you like to tell a new colleague?
I would tell them to be open. In collective projects, that’s an essential quality. Sometimes, we have a certain vision of things, and we don’t really have a reason to question it. But it’s rare for everyone to share exactly the same vision in a collective, and that’s perfectly normal. So, it’s important to be open to listening to others, whether they are colleagues or clients, who have as much to teach us as we have to teach them.
Your colleagues say about you that you are…
Thorough and even a bit meticulous at times, but not too much (I hope). I also believe that my colleagues appreciate my ability to listen and my honesty in all circumstances.
How would you explain your role in our organization?
As the head of the governance and legal services practice, I support our team on the legal aspects of collective enterprises and social economy.
I’m often called upon when there are more sensitive or complex issues in certain collective business projects, or for compliance-related matters. I also provide training on governance and cooperative law.
Why do you enjoy working at CDRQ?
I feel that I’m contributing to the transformation of society by taking part in the development of new business models that aim for greater equity among all stakeholders.
The world of work and businesses is undergoing significant change currently, as we can see. We are contributing to building the society of tomorrow.
What would be your hidden talent?
I have a great talent for asking unanswered questions and philosophizing about the ideal world for entire nights!