Alumni in the lead: François Vaqué

Strategic leader, developer and builder, François Vaqué is an accomplished business pioneer whose career path was enriched by his MBA from Telfer.

With a Bachelor in International Commerce from Rouen and in Economics from the Université du Québec à Montréal, François chose to pursue his studies at Telfer because of the diversity of its students as well as its faculty expertise.

The MBA program gave François the opportunity to meet potential employers, which allowed him to work at Newbridge Networks and participate in the development of its marketing function. Later on, François worked as product manager at Future Electronics, before launching his own company named Marketingisland.com. His work experiences provided him with the knowledge necessary to become Vice-President of marketing and communications for KPMG and Davies Ward Philips & Vineberg. These prestigious positions strengthened his reputation as a business professional with a vast expertise in communications and marketing, and led him to become Vice-President of public relations and corporate affairs at Citoyen.

Even though François has a successful career, he strongly believes in the importance of achieving a healthy work-life balance. He explained that what matters most to him is working hard, having a good career and finding a balance between his personal and professional life. He developed this perspective during his studies at Telfer, because his cohort taught him that you could work hard while still having fun. François is inspired by social implication, which is why he gives back to his community through art foundations. Furthermore, he is engaged with his alma mater by organizing alumni events and being a speaker at Telfer conferences to show his recognition to the faculty that shaped him.

He encourages students to engage themselves, whether that be in nonprofit organizations, with family or at work in order to have a balanced and rewarding life.