Laurentian Bank of Canada today announced that Luc Bernard, executive vp, retail financial services, and François Desjardins, president and CEO, B2B Trust, will be joining the bank’s management committee, effective Jan. 1, 2007.

“I am very happy to welcome Luc and François on the Management Committee,” stated Réjean Robitaille, president & CEO. “Their presence will allow them to contribute in an even more concrete way to the strategies of the bank in order to realize its full potential.”

Bernard joined the bank in 2001 as senior vp, marketing and product management. He was appointed executive vp, RFS, in August 2005. As such, he managed various significant projects to revitalize the branch network and to guide the marketing strategies of the bank.

Desjardins has been with the bank since 1991. He was soon promoted to various positions of increasing responsibilities, namely, vp of Telebanking Centre. He was appointed president and CEO of B2B Trust in June 2004.

The role of the management committee is to advise the CEO on major decisions to be taken in the ongoing management of the bank.