Every Friday, a decision-maker is revealed in our section. This week, Emmanuelle Legault, first female CEO of the Palais des congrès de Montréal, answers our questions.
Posted at 1:23 a.m.
Updated at 7:00 a.m.
What do you do when you need to come up with an idea?
First, I listen to myself, because we are not necessarily always in a good position to come up with an idea. If you are upset or in a bad mood, it is very difficult to be creative. Then, a bit like everyone else, I talk to my friends, my colleagues, my mentors, my family. It’s the energy between individuals that allows me to be more inspired and creative.
What word can you no longer stand?
Like many leaders, it is the word “impossible”. Telling a client that it’s not possible is not in my DNA. In my opinion, there are always solutions.
What advice are you glad you ignored?
At the start of my career, I worked for the National Bank, a stable job with good pay and excellent benefits. I was approached for a new opportunity. When I told my mother about it, she told me that it was catastrophic to leave this stable and well-paid position. Now she looks at my progress and is very proud of my career. Me too, by the way! We must know how to take risks in life, because each experience, good or bad, helps to shape our career.
What advice would you give to the younger version of you?
Take full ownership of your leadership style! I have a style that is much more collaborative. I was a manager at a very young age and I didn’t have enough confidence in this style of leadership. I wanted to conform and live up to the standard. Looking back, I see that, thanks to this style, I built much more open relationships with my teams.
Was there a moment when your career changed?
I had the opportunity to go to work in Vancouver for Destination Canada. This allowed me to work in 11 geographic markets, including Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. Both culture and experience have shaped the person I am today. And this experience in international markets undoubtedly played a big role in my appointment to the position of CEO of the Palais des congrès de Montréal.
Do you impose a “dress code” on yourself at work?
I adapt to the context of the day, but I also respect who I am. And I’m more of a relaxed style with a little edgy side, which shows through in my clothing style. I try to instill it in the team. I appreciate the difference in style and personality that makes us exceptional.
At the office or at home?
Definitely in the office. For human contacts, for exchanges. Creativity comes through exchange. And honestly, I’m smarter in a team than when I work alone.
What physical activity do you do?
I play tennis. Currently, I’m relearning the basics. It feels like I’m starting from scratch, but I love it. I took a coach this year, who completely changed my technique to allow me to play better. It’s a bit in keeping with the theme of who I am. I don’t hesitate to question myself and push the limits.
Do you have a mentor?
I have had several mentors throughout my career. My mentors are my network of contacts, former colleagues, bosses and even friends. I make it a goal to contact one of these people once a week and then tell them about a project I’m working on. Often, it allows me to move projects forward or it gives me new ideas.
Do you have a mantra?
It’s actually a mantra that I learned in Vancouver. Know the animal you are hunting. You have to know how to adapt your speech, then how to deliver it to your interlocutor. We have to know our customers and know how to anticipate what they need.
Who is Emmanuelle Legault?
Emmanuelle Legault has been CEO of the Palais des congrès de Montréal since August 2021 and has worked in the tourism industry for 20 years.
She began her career at the National Bank in 1991, where she discovered, while holding various positions for seven years, that she preferred marketing to brokerage.
After working at Metro and Sid Lee, she was recruited in 2011 by Tourisme Montréal to become vice-president of marketing.
In 2016, she took the opportunity to work in Vancouver at Destination Canada as vice-president of international affairs, then returned three years later to Tourisme Montréal as vice-president of marketing.
