Luc Bertrand, president and CEO of the Montreal Exchange, has been named Quebec’s financial personality of the year by Finance et Investissement. This puts him at the pinnacle of the business publication’s ranking of the top 25 business and financial newsmakers of 2006.

Bertrand has surpassed all expectations and made the MX one of Canada’s most admired companies. “No one really believed we would succeed,” Bertrand said. “Only a handful of people knew anything about derivatives, others were pushing for specialization, and those who thought we had a chance were few and far between,” he added proudly.

When asked about his greatest satisfaction in 2006, Bertrand points without hesitation to the MX’s record results: trading volume rose by 41% over 2005.

Bertrand and the 24 other financial personalities are honoured in a special feature in FI: “The Top 25 of Quebec’s Financial Industry.” The winners were chosen by the reporters and news editors of Transcontinental Media’s business newspapers and magazines.

For the second year running, FI t is also conferring awards on three financial advisors selected by means of an online survey of their peers across Quebec. The recipients for 2006 are Jacques Laverdure of RBC Dominion Securities in Sherbrooke, an executive consultant esteemed for his professionalism, competence and involvement; Valmond Santerre of Investors Financial Services in Rimouski, voted the industry’s most committed advisor; and Dominic Paquette of Services financiers SFL in Laval, the advisor most respected by his peers.

At the top of the Top 25 in 2005 was François Joly, then president and CEO of Desjardins Financial Security; in 2004, Yvon Charest, president and CEO of Industrial Alliance; in 2003, Réal Raymond, president and CEO of National Bank of Canada; and in 2002, Stephen Jarislowsky, founding president of Jarislowsky Fraser.

Finance et Investissement is a sister publication of Investement Executive.