Stéphane Létourneau | Board Director
Vice-President, Partnerships and Corporate Affairs of Mila – Quebec Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Stéphane Létourneau has worked for many years on scientific research in the academic world, and before, he was a partner in a pan-Canadian law firm. In addition to the MCAF, he is a member of the board of directors of the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute.
Sharka Hamet | Treasurer
Sharka has close to 30 years of experience in finances, human resources and information technology, working for different organizations, including professional services and multimedia industry leaders. Easily switching between strategy and operations, she has the ability to engage teams and align talents. As an agent of change, her integrity, optimism and ability to listen allow her to develop a climate of trust and collaboration that is necessary for the success and transformation of organizations. Qualified CPA and MBA, Sharka also sits on the board of directors of MOMENTA I Biennale de l’image, and BIXI-Montréal where she is President of the audit committee.
François Lavigne-Massicotte | Secretary
François Lavigne-Massicotte is an attorney, within the Litigation Branch of the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). As such, he represents the AMF in legal or administrative proceedings in order to ensure the enforcement of laws which regulate Quebec’s financial sector. In addition to his involvement in the MCAF, he sits on the board of directors of Amnesty International (French Canadian branch) and the Executive Committee of the Young Directors of the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations.
Louise Guillemette-Labory | Board Member
Former director of the Biblitothèques de Montréal from 2002 to 2015, she has carried out, since the start of her retirement, mandates for the Association des bibliothèques publiques du Québec (ABPQ), the cities of Laval and Brossard as well as for the Bibliothèques et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) in addition to assuming a course load at the School of Library and Information Sciences of the University of Montreal. She also sits on a few boards of directors including the Literacy Foundation, Lire et faire lire and of course the Montreal Comic Arts Festival.
Philippe Lamarre | Board Member
Philippe Lamarre founded and launched his creative studio in 2000. In 2003, he created URBANIA, a quarterly magazine with bold design and tone, which evolved into a multiplatform media brand and resulted in collaborations with Radio-Canada, RDS et La Presse+. Over the years, multiple awards have recognized the quality of his work and his vision. In 2008, Philippe won the Phyllis-Lambert Grant awarded by DesignMontréal, and in 2010, he was named Producer of the Year at the New Media Awards. He currently sits on the boards of directors for the Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM), the École nationale de l’humour (ENH) and the Nouveau Théâtre Expérimental (NTE).
Luc Bossé | Board Member
With a solid background in graphic design, Luc Bossé decided in 2010 to found Éditions Pow Pow. In ten years, the independent house forged itself a special place in the world of Quebec comics. In 2015, the publisher created the English division Pow Pow Press to translate and export its catalog to English Canada, as well as to the United States. Since 2016, the house’s books have been distributed across French-speaking Europe. Luc Bossé is involved in the boards of directors of MCAF and the Association of English-language Publishers of Quebec. He also illustrated Yves, le roi de la cruise and Yves, fidèle à lui-même (scenarios by Alexandre Simard) and he is the author of the comic book Comment faire de l’argent.
Michel Viau | Board Member
Michel Viau is an author, essayist, teacher, lecturer, and researcher specializing in the comic arts. A native of Montréal, Michel has accumulated an encyclopedic knowledge of Quebecois comics. Former editor in chief of Safarir and director of comics at 400 Coups, Michel has also taught writing at the National School of Humor and comic book history at the University of Quebec in Outaouais. He is also the author of multiple comic book titles including L’Affaire Delorme and Blass : Le chat sur un toit brûlant (Glénat Québec) and the series MacGuffin et Alan Smithee with Ghislain Duguay (Tiroir).
Patrice St-Amour | Board Member
Patrice St-Amour is a communication and marketing specialist, who masters the different approaches and strategies related to communication. As a multidisciplinary professional, he brings to the Board relevant expertise acquired throughout his career, such as his participation in the deployment of Radio-Canada’s literary strategy, in addition to his involvement in managing private funding teams with cultural organizations, to name a few. Recognized for being an impact manager, he has a vast network of collaborators who will be invited to support and engage in the festival activities.
Mélanie La Roche | Executive Director
Mélanie has many years of experience in finances, administration and human resource management. She has been doing accounting for SME for almost 10 years, in addition to her involvement in event planning and logistics. After finishing her studies in visual arts, she completes a bachelor degree in business administration hoping to collaborate on managing cultural and creative businesses. After a few pleasant encounters, she finds herself immersed in the Quebec comics universe in 2015 and, in 2022, she enthusiastically accepts the position of Executive Director of the MCAF. Her vision: spread this universe that she holds dear and contribute to organizing her favourite comics festival.
