John Parisella, speaker, is a well-known, beloved and respected figure in the Quebec world, having held a number of public positions over the course of his career, including chief of staff to prime ministers, author, business manager, political analyst and Quebec delegate general in New York.

He was the executive director of the major fundraising campaigns for HEC Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal and the Université de Montréal (Campus Montréal). Currently, Mr. Parisella sits on several boards of directors such as the Port of Montreal, Montreal International and the Old Brewery Mission.

Mr. Parisella was named a member of the Order of Canada in 2017 and an Officer of the National Order of Quebec in 2016. He was named TOP 20 Diversity Person of the Year at the Grands Prix Mosaïque – Lys de la Diversité du Québec in 2014.