Leadership

Mr. Genest has worked in government, academia, business and as a volunteer in the not-for-profit sector. He served in the federal government as director of policy and research for Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. He was also CEO of the Council of Ontario Universities and assistant vice-president of Bell Canada.

Mr. Genest is Chair of the Board of the National Gallery of Canada. He is also past Chair of the Board, Ontario Region of the Nature Conservancy of Canada and a Board Member of Business for the Arts. He serves on the Advisory Council of the Coalition for a Better Future and is board member of the Rideau Hall Foundation. He is a past Member of the Board of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

A champion of diversity, he has been honored for his advocacy for the rights of the LGBTQ community, including serving as the Deputy Minister Champion of OPS Pride. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the King Charles the III Coronation Medal. In June 2022, Mr. Genest was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Ottawa.

He holds a B.A., Honors (cum laude) in English and Philosophy from the University of Guelph, an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Ottawa, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from The Johns Hopkins University. He is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School where he was the Valedictorian. He has also completed the Rotman School of Management, Institute of Corporate Directors - Directors Education Program, where he was also Valedictorian.