Real Estate Management Certification

Founded in 1987, the UDI is an independent, non-profit organization. It is the largest representative of the commercial real estate industry in Quebec. It brings together major institutional owners, the most important real estate developers, and managers, as well as industry professionals and companies working in related sectors.

Michel Deslauriers
Director, Jonathan Wener Centre for Real Estate
Lecturer, Finance

Michel Deslauriers is Director of the Jonathan Wener Centre for Real Estate and a full-time lecturer in the Finance Department of the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University. Mr. Deslauriers also acts as a strategic advisor to several real estate development companies in Montreal. Before joining Concordia in 2019, he spent ten years as Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer at Otéra Capital Inc., a commercial real estate financing subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. Prior to his appointment at Otéra, he successively held the positions of Director of Finance and Treasury and Vice-President of Finance at Ivanhoé Cambridge. Mr. Deslauriers also held various positions at Asea Brown Boveri and KPMG-Peat Marwick Thorne. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Concordia University and a Graduate Diploma in Public Accounting from the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at McGill University. Mr. Deslauriers is a member of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec.

Sylvain Gariépy 

Executive Vice-president & Associate, Urban planner, BC2

Sylvain Gariépy has twenty-five years of professional experience during which he worked on a wide variety of complex urban projects both as a project manager and as a consultant in multidisciplinary groups on behalf of municipalities, governmental organizations, and private clients.

As such, he started his career devoting himself to the revitalization of Montreal's business communities where he successfully worked on the development and implementation of their action plan and the achievement of the objectives they had set for themselves.

He has developed extensive experience in urban planning by working for real estate developers and for several Quebec municipalities. Indeed, he has been involved in several residential, commercial, and mix use projects over the years. The main issues encountered within these projects were the harmonious integration of new functions in the existing urban environment, the promotion and improvement of alternative and active modes of transport, and the development of sustainable communities.

He also worked on large-scale urban infrastructure projects including feasibility studies and the pre-project study of the Rapid Bus Service (SRB) on the Pie-IX Boulevard as well as on the urban integration study of the New Bridge for the St. Lawrence (Samuel-de-Champlain Bridge).

Furthermore, he has developed an expertise on legal issues, whether for the recognition of acquired rights, the urban contextualization of land subject to an expropriation procedure and the evaluation of their real development potential, etc.

Finally, he understands complex urban environments, identify their main issues, and translate them into comprehensive words. Added to this, his ability to facilitate working groups and public consultation sessions.

In summary, here are the fields of expertise that demonstrate its versatility and rigor:

▪ Urban planning and urban planning regulations.

▪ Enhancement of the urban heritage.

▪ Project management.

▪ Real estate development (development concept, regulatory modification, representation and negotiation with municipal authorities).

▪ Urban planning expert (TAQ, Superior Court, etc.).

Anthony Arquin

Partner, Davies

Anthony Arquin is a partner at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg in the Commercial Real Estate practice. He advises on commercial real estate sales and purchases, development projects and joint ventures for public and private corporations in Canada and internationally. Anthony has significant experience working on mixed-use complexes and commercial co-ownership. He acts for developers, managers and pension funds. Anthony was named by Chambers Canada in Québec’s real estate industry, by The Legal 500 Canada as the Next Generation Lawyer in commercial real estate and by Best Lawyers in Canada as Montréal’s Real Estate Lawyer of the Year in 2019. He received the 2017 Young Builder INOVA Award from the Urban Development Institute of Québec (IDU). He is a member of the board of directors of IDU.

Elias Benhamou

Partner, Davies

For more than 30 years, Elias has worked on many of Québec’s largest real transactions, advising private and institutional real estate owners and developers, as well as major retailers. Highly regarded for his problem­solving abilities, Elias works on complex real estate acquisitions, developments and joint ventures. Borrowers and lenders also trust his legal and business acumen to guide their syndicated lending transactions and their construction and mortgage lending.

Elias is chair of the Montréal office’s Opinion Committee for commercial law. He volunteers with several contemporary art organizations in Montréal, including Phi Foundation for Contemporary Art and Phi Centre.

Sylvie Samson,

Partner, Davies

Sylvie is a partner at Davies in the commercial real estate practice in the Montréal office. She assists clients on their commercial real estate matters and mergers and acquisitions. Sylvie is also a member of the board of directors of the Urban Development Institute of Québec (UDI) and President of the Young Ambassadors Committee of the UDI.

She advises both public and private companies in Canada on matters involving the purchase and sale of commercial real estate, project development and joint ventures. She has solid experience with commercial condominiums. Promoters, managers and investment funds all rely on Sylvie's expertise in this constantly evolving field for support and assistance in negotiating and drafting agreements, an area where her skills have been recognized by her peers as well as her clients. Many real estate companies find that she proposes innovative and practical solutions to solve complex issues.

She graduated from the University of Ottawa where she received both the University Gold Medal for the highest cumulative grade point average in the entire Civil Law program. Sylvie also received her Common Law degree from the University of Ottawa and was called to both the Québec Bar and Ontario Bar in 2014.

Agnès Pignoly

Lawyer, Davies

Agnès Pignoli is a lawyer at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg. Her practice focuses on urban planning, public tenders, expropriation and municipal taxation. She regularly advises clients on compliance and regulatory matters, particularly on issues involving zoning, land-use planning and urban planning. Prior to joining our team, Agnès practised at a mid-sized law firm in Montréal, at a boutique firm specializing in municipal law and in the City of Montréal’s legal department.

Annie Gagnon-Larocque

Partner, McCarthy Tétrault

Annie Gagnon-Larocque is a partner in the Real Property and Planning Group of McCarthy in Montréal. Ms. Gagnon-Larocque represents and advises clients on a variety of transactions notably real estate acquisitions, real estate financings, property development, commercial leasing, and joint venture transactions. She represents financial institutions and public and private companies in the senior housing, retail and hotel industries. Ms. Gagnon-Larocque was President of CREW Montréal (Commercial Real Estate Women) from 2012 to 2014 and sat on the board of directors as Financing and Sponsorship Director. She was a finalist in the Rising Star category at the 2009 and 2010 Evening of Excellence. She is also a member of CREW Montreal, ICSC, the Urban Development Institute and the Canadian Bar Association.

Marie-Josée Marcoux

Partner, McCarthy Tétrault

Marie-Josée Marcoux is partner in the Real Property and Planning Group in Montréal. Her practice deals with financing matters as well as real estate acquisitions and dispositions, including cross-border financings for multinationals, syndicated financings, acquisition financings, taking of security interests on a nation-wide scale and the purchase and sale of commercial and residential real estate portfolios.

Ms. Marcoux holds a Bachelor of Civil Law (LL.B.) from the University of Sherbrooke, Co-op Program.

Ms. Marcoux is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Young Bar Association of Montréal. She was called to the Québec bar in 2009.

James Papadimitriou

Senior Partner, McCarthy Tétrault

James Papadimitriou is a senior partner in McCarthy Tétrault’s Montréal office, with a practice focused on real estate.

Mr. Papadimitriou advises clients on a variety of real estate acquisitions, dispositions ,developments, joint ventures, real estate and project financings, and commercial leasing transactions. He regularly represents institutional investors ,banks and other senior lenders , as well as leading investors and developers on numerous landmark transactions and projects, including the largest real estate transaction in Quebec history ( privatisation of Cominar REIT ).

He is recognized internationally for his expertise, including in Chambers Global earning a Band 1 ranking (as a "very efficient lawyer" and a "solid choice for acquisitions, developments and project financing", lauded as "a real problem solver, he looks to get the deal done" and someone who "bring a high level of maturity and strategic expertise to negotiations").

Mr. Papadimitriou is also a board member and chair of the governance committee of the Urban Development Institute and provincial chair, regent / board member of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys , a trustee of the Jewish General Hospital Foundation and part of the CREW mentoring program. He is also the proud father of three daughters.

Mary Pagonis

Partner, McCarthy Tétrault

Mary’s practice focuses on commercial real estate and financial services. She regularly represents Canadian and international financial institutions as well as other lending entities, retail operators, pensions funds, private and public investors, and developers.

Ms. Pagonis experience has included real estate financing transactions on behalf of lending institutions and borrowers, real estate acquisitions and dispositions, construction and developments projects, retail and commercial leasing matters on behalf of both landlords and tenants, major lease and title due diligence projects, sale and leaseback transactions and public-private partnerships.

Ms. Pagonis received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Law from Carleton University in 2006 and her Bachelor of Laws degree from the Université de Montréal in 2008. Ms. Pagonis is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and of the Young Bar Association of Montréal.

Matthew Pekofsky

Partner, McCarthy Tétrault

Matthew is often tasked with negotiating an array of business transactions and drafting the legal documentation necessary to reflect said negotiated agreements and which meet and protect clients’ needs. Through his background in business, Matthew has developed the ability to quickly and efficiently pinpoint clients’ needs, concerns and vulnerabilities, allowing him to provide value-added legal services. Matthew’s experience includes working at another Montreal law firm where he advised and assisted mid-market clients on transactional matters, including but not limited to, real property transactions. He also worked at an international law firm’s Shanghai office where he advised and assisted multinational corporations on doing business in China.

Matthew obtained a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Juris Doctor in Common Law from Université de Montréal in 2012. During his studies at Université de Montréal, he attended a summer program at the China University of Politics and Law to study introductory Chinese law. Prior to commencing his law studies, Matthew obtained a Bachelor of Commerce (Management Medal recipient) from Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business in 2008. During his studies at the John Molson School of Business, he furthered his International Business studies with a year-long exchange at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Matthew was called to the Québec bar in 2013. He is an active member and director of the Lord Reading Law Society and of the MADA Community Centre. 

Jonathan Wener

Jonathan is a sixth-generation Montrealer whose energy, curiosity and vision took him from working on construction sites as a teenager to founding Montreal-based Canderel Group at the age of 25. Today, after 44 years as an innovator in real estate investment, development and management, Canderel has a history of over $15 billion in property transactions and regional offices in Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Dallas, Texas. The company has owned, developed and managed properties representing over 60 million square feet.

Community service is at the heart of Jonathans view of a successful life well lived. He is an activist with a passionate engagement in the arts, education and healthcare. He has helped fund and personally supported – as president, co-chair or member – numerous hospital boards, community organizations, foundations and research centres, including the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Foundation, the Festival des arts de Saint-Sauveur, the Segal Centre for Performing Arts, the Goodman Cancer Research Centre of McGill University, and the Fraser Institute, where he is a trustee and member of the Executive Committee.

In January 2015 Jonathan was appointed chancellor of Concordia University, his alma mater. This followed 20 years of acting in various capacities, including deputy chancellor, vice-chair of the Board of Governors, and chair of the Real Estate Planning Committee. He is currently the honorary chair of Concordia's Comprehensive Fundraising Campaign.

Improving healthcare is a priority for Jonathan. During his tenure as president of the Montreal Jewish General Hospital, he initiated an unprecedented $200-million capital campaign, spearheaded the acquisition of the neighbouring Soeurs de Sainte-Croix site, and helped create the renowned Segal Cancer Centre. Today he is a trustee of the Jewish General Hospital Corporation. Last but not least, with characteristic ingenuity and resolve, in 1989 he launched the Défi Canderel, which has raised over $17 million for the cancer research centres at McGill University and the Université de Montréal since its inception.

Michel Leonard

President, BTB Real Estate Investment Trust

Mr. Léonard is one of the founders of the BTB Real Estate Investment Trust. Mr. Léonard has more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate.

Mr. Léonard has often played a fundamental role in assisting numerous organizations at the regional and national levels with strategic planning, analysis and renegotiation mandates and the implementation of complex transactions. He joined Colliers International (Québec) Inc. as Senior Vice-President in November 2004 and served until 2009. Mr. Léonard was co-founder of Staubach Canada Inc. where he was President from 1989 to November 2004.

Mr. Léonard is Chairman of the Board of the Organisme d'autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (OACIQ) and former Chairman of the Board of the Fonds d'assurance professionnelle du courtage immobilier du Québec (FARCIQ). In 2015, Mr. Léonard was a finalist for the “Grand Prix de l'Entrepreneur” awarded by Ernst & Young. In September 2016, he obtained the ASC (Certified Corporate Director) designation from the College of Corporate Directors. Mr. Léonard has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1982.

Mr. Léonard holds a Bachelor of Commerce (1978) and a Bachelor of Civil Law (1981) from McGill University.

Patrick Turcotte

Director of Business Development, Englobe

Mr. Turcotte has worked in the environmental field for more than 25 years, and holds a Bachelor's degree in applied sciences, which includes three certificates (Environment, Water Sciences and Techniques and Applied Geology). He started his career as a site technician and then, as a project manager, he managed numerous projects such as characterizations, evaluations, environmental follow-ups, background studies, treatment and rehabilitation of soils and groundwater as well as the management of contaminated soils and residual materials. His private and public clients are involved in the following fields of activity: petroleum, real estate, legal, commercial, industrial and governmental. The numerous projects he has carried out to date have allowed him to acquire an in-depth knowledge of environmental regulations as well as the management of contaminated soil and residual materials. He participates in the drafting of financial proposals, reports and technical specifications as well as in the staff training at Englobe Corp.

Martine Sirois

Senior Director (Office, Commercial and Light Industrial Division), Altus Group, Research, Evaluation and Consulting Services.

Martine Sirois is Senior Director (Office, Commercial and Light Industrial Division) at Altus Group. With over 20 years of experience, Martine works in the field of real estate valuation and has developed an expertise in the valuation of income properties, more specifically office buildings, light industrial and multi-use projects, for financing, due diligence, feasibility studies and other purposes. She is involved in the valuation of numerous national real estate portfolios for major pension funds, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and several private real estate companies.

Caroline Bernard

Vice-president, Property Taxation for Quebec, Altus Group

With 24 years of experience to her credit, Caroline works in the field of real estate appraisal for property tax purposes and has developed an expertise in the valuation of income properties, more specifically shopping centers, office towers, industrial income properties and also multi-use projects for property tax management and due diligence purposes.  She is involved in the valuation of numerous national real estate portfolios for major pension funds, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and several private real estate management companies and developers.

Piero Biasini

Partner, Degrandpré Chait

Piero practices real estate law and financing. He acts on behalf of real estate developers, investors, landlords and tenants with respect to the acquisition and disposition of real properties in and outside Quebec, and assists them with leasing matters and other real estate transactions. As such, he is involved in all aspects of a transaction, including the negotiation, review and drafting of agreements. Piero also advises lending institutions, banks and borrowers on various secured and unsecured financing arrangements. His expertise extends to matters involving the establishment of security on personal and real property, syndicated and cross-border loans, project financing, construction loans and asset-based lending.

Andréanne Lavallée
Senior Managing Director, Valuation and Advisory Services, CBRE

Andréanne Lavallée has over 24 years of commercial real estate experience in property management, brokerage and real estate consulting. She has evaluated large real estate portfolios and smaller properties from all asset classes throughout Quebec.

Her clients include local and international investors, developers and institutional owners. In addition to her valuation work, she is a columnist for the Real Estate Bulletin and a guest panellist at various real estate conferences and competitions. She is a member of the review committee for the Ecological Gifts Program for the Department of the Environment and Climate Change Canada. Finally, she is a member of the advisory committee of the Jonathan Wener Centre for Real Estate.

Ms. Lavallée is a member of the Ordre des évaluateurs agréés du Québec, the Institut canadien des évaluateurs and the Organisme d'autorégulation du courtage immobilier du Québec.

Michel Deslauriers
Director, Jonathan Wener Centre for Real Estate
Lecturer, Finance

Michel Deslauriers is Director of the Jonathan Wener Centre for Real Estate and a full-time lecturer in the Finance Department of the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University. Mr. Deslauriers also acts as a strategic advisor to several real estate development companies in Montreal. Before joining Concordia in 2019, he spent ten years as Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer at Otéra Capital Inc., a commercial real estate financing subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. Prior to his appointment at Otéra, he successively held the positions of Director of Finance and Treasury and Vice-President of Finance at Ivanhoé Cambridge. Mr. Deslauriers also held various positions at Asea Brown Boveri and KPMG-Peat Marwick Thorne. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Concordia University and a Graduate Diploma in Public Accounting from the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at McGill University. Mr. Deslauriers is a member of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec.

Andrée Roy
Regional Director & Team head - Real Estate financing – Otéra Capital | Caisse de placement et dépôt du Québec

Andrée Roy started her career with Sun Life's Mortgage Investment Group before joining the mezzanine financing team at Cadim, a Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec’s subsidiary. After a four-year stint with Royal Bank’s CMBS and commercial mortgage teams, she returned to the Caisse in late 2006.

Her expertise covers a variety of financings including conventional mortgages, CMBS loans, interim/construction, structured and mezzanine loans as well as the purchase of subordinated CMBS tranches, both in Canada and the United States.

Valuing the importance of giving back, Andrée volunteered for IDU Quebec and CREWM for several years.

Philip de Stefano 
Investment Banking Analyst - Real Estate Group, RBC Marché des Capitaux

Philip joined RBC Capital Market’s Real Estate Group in Montréal earlier this year. Prior, Philip spent 6 years as a member of RBC Capital Market’s Global Markets platform in both Toronto and Montréal.

Philip has an undergraduate degree in Finance from the John Molson School of Business and an MBA from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.

Guillaume Jacob
Senior Associate, CBRE National Investment Team

Guillaume Jacob is a Senior Associate with CBRE Montréal’s National Investment Team, specializing on client advisory services for the acquisition and disposition of industrial investment properties and urban land/development assets. Guillaume’s key strengths include asset underwriting, transaction negotiation, and execution. In his industry tenure, Guillaume has completed over $2.5 billion in real estate transactions across the Province of Québec, which includes record-breaking industrial and land dispositions in the province’s history.

Charles-Benoit Parent
Vice President, Real Estate Finance - Capital Markets, CMLS Financial Ltd

Real Estate Investment Banking and Capital Markets professional with a passion for real asset investments, development, and portfolio strategy.

Current member of CMLS Capital Montreal with responsibilities including strategic lending and structuring initiatives for debt and equity capital raises throughout the Province of Quebec, representing institutions, public and private REITs and HNW through $2.0 billion of Real Estate structured finance strategies. Prior to joining CMLS, Charles-Benoit was a member of CBRE's National Apartment Group, with involvement in the underwriting and due diligence of complex multi-residential dispositions of single assets and portfolios of direct real estate in the province of Quebec. Previous responsibilities included Buy-Side in the Oil & Gas and Financial sectors for Fiera Capital’s Large Cap Canadian Equity Value fund (formerly Selexia Asset Management).

Charles-Benoit holds a Bachelor of Commerce, major in Finance from John Molson School of Business (Concordia University), is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA), Exempt Market Dealer (EMD) and is a dually licensed Commercial Real Estate Broker with OACIQ and registered Mortgage Broker with the AMF.

Roger Plamondon

A highly regarded executive with an impressive career, Roger Plamondon joined the Broccolini team in 2006, bringing with him 40 years of experience in real-estate and development. Roger has a strong background in executive roles, notably as Regional VP Operations of a major international retail chain where he led the company’s operations for all of Eastern Canada, overseeing more than 100 big-box retail stores from Windsor, Ontario to Saint John’s, Newfoundland. Prior to that, as Assistant VP of Development and Legal Affairs for another major international retail chain, Roger directed legal services and risk management, represented the company in government relations, and established the real estate development plan.

Throughout his distinguished career, Roger has also served as a member of many Boards of Directors and has held executive positions in a number of prominent organizations, including as Director for the Business Development Bank of Canada and for the Retail Council of Canada, as well as Treasurer and Interim CEO for the Montreal Board of Trade, and Chairman of the Retail Council of Quebec.

A respected conference speaker and the author of multiple articles in industry publications, Roger is also a former lecturer for the CEGEP Montmorency College where he led courses in real estate mathematics and property assessment.

Today, as President—Real Estate Group at Broccolini, Roger skillfully heads the department and plays a crucial role in securing property, negotiating contracts, and developing assets. Roger also volunteers much of his time to several of charitable and social organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, KaBOOM!, and the Fondation Lina Cyr, as well as serving as Chairman of the C.L.S.C. Saint-Henri and as Chairman of the Club Richelieu de Ville-Émard.

Roger holds an MBA in finance from Université de Montréal and a Bachelor of Commerce in Real Estate from Université du Québec à Montréal. He is also a graduate of the Accelerated Leadership program at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Laurence Vincent
Co-president, Prével

Laurence Vincent is co-president of Prével, a family business with more than 100 employees founded more than 40 years ago. Over the past 15 years, she has been actively involved in the construction of several of Prével's 11,000 housing units and in the development of projects that have made their mark on the Montreal landscape. In March 2019, Prével was awarded the APCHQ's Builder of the Year prize.

Recognized for her contribution to urban development, built heritage and home ownership, Laurence Vincent is committed to creating environments that encourage human interaction and family retention in the downtown core.  She sits on the boards of directors of the public interest organization Vivre en Ville and the Institut de développement urbain du Québec, and chairs the housing committee. Laurence also chairs the Metropolitan and Urban Affairs Committee of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.