Eight people have presented their candidacy for the Desjardins Group presidency. The nomination period closed January 28.

Desjardins Group is the largest integrated cooperative financial group in Canada, with overall assets of $147 billion, as at Sept. 30, 2007.

The eight candidates are:

> Bertrand Laferrière, president and COO, Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec;

> Andrée Lafortune, Professor at HEC Montréal, President, Council of Representatives, Ouest de Montréal, sits on the board of directors of the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec;

> Jean-Guy Langelier, president and COO, Caisse centrale Desjardins and chief of the Treasury of Desjardins Group;

> Monique Leroux, senior exec. vp and CFO of Desjardins Group;

> Jude Martineau, president and COO, Desjardins General Insurance Group;

> Louis Roquet, president and COO, Desjardins Venture Capital;

Clément Samson, lawyer, president, Council of Representatives – Québec-Ouest – Rive-Sud, sits on the board of directors of the Fédération des
caisses Desjardins du Québec;

> Sylvie St-Pierre Babin, lawyer, vp, Council of Representatives – Abitibi-Témiscamingue – Nord et Ouest du Québec, sits on the board of directors of the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec.


The next steps leading to the election are as follows: the election period runs from January 29 to March 8, during which the candidates can meet and exchange with the members of the electoral college.

On Saturday, March 15, the 256 members of the electoral college, made up of Desjardins caisses delegates who are members of councils of representatives from the 15 Quebec regions, from the group caisses and from Ontario, as well as the president and CEO of Desjardins Group, will gather together to elect the new president. The person elected will officially take office on March 29, after the Desjardins Group annual general meetings.

A person can hold the position of president and CEO of Desjardins Group for eight years that is for two consecutive four-year mandates.

An election committee ensures that the electoral process is carried out according to regulations. Its president reminds media representatives that, in accordance with these regulations, candidates cannot grant interviews for the duration of this process.