Les Cheffes de file in Paris: A mission of collaboration
From June 2 to June 5, 2025, five Québec women entrepreneurs from the Les Cheffes de file initiative, spearheaded by La Caisse, crossed the Atlantic to take part in a trade mission to Paris. Marie-Josée Gagnon, Virginie Boivin, Marie-Noëlle Hamelin, Isabelle Marquis and Caroline Ménard shared their impressions following a week studded with strategic meetings and the development of new partnerships.
The Cheffes de file mission strengthened business ties between Québec and France, and promoted Québec expertise. To make sure discussions were focused and relevant, a cohort from the B2B sector was selected with care. La Caisse’s team in the Paris office played a key role in organizing meetings with renowned French companies and supply chain managers for major groups. The groups of participating entrepreneurs were also mobilized to put together a large networking event.
Building bridges and adapting to the market
For Marie-Josée Gagnon, Founder and President of Casacom, the mission’s main objective was to optimize discussion in order to build ties between Québec and France. The experience also allowed her to explore new strategies to pinpoint essential levers for expanding her communications consulting business into the French market.
Among other things, the market has a number of specific cultural and administrative features. The entrepreneurs also found major differences between their approach to business, and Québec’s. For example, relational power and networking are central in France, and business success is often dependent on the calibre of the local network. Participants also stressed the challenge of selling services there with no established contacts, and the need to tailor their market offering.
Virginie Boivin, Vice President of Delivery at Videns powered by Cofomo, a leader in applied artificial intelligence (AI), explained how she had to transform her services into products that targeted specific sectors. In her opinion, French companies, which prefer turnkey AI solutions, take a better view of this approach.
For her part, Marie-Noëlle Hamelin, President and Cofounder of bicom, a communications agency with an outpost in France, raised various obstacles that influenced her market penetration strategy. These include administrative complexity, the employer cost burden and legal issues. For her, the mission was an opportunity to confirm her business model and revisit some priorities: she is now focusing on helping French clients set up in Canada, where demand is booming.
La Caisse’s key role
The entrepreneurs were unanimous in highlighting La Caisse’s importance in setting up the mission. According to Caroline Ménard, President of Brio Management Boutique, having La Caisse bring together ambitious, motivated entrepreneurs creates a group dynamic that amplifies ambition and fosters collaboration. For Isabelle Marquis, Partner and General Manager at L’effet A, it was a huge source of pride to feel supported by an institution that is so important to Québec’s economic development. La Caisse’s contribution went above and beyond: it offered preferred access to strategic contacts, decision-makers and influential people while respecting each participant’s needs.
Tangible spinoffs and a showcase effect
Les Cheffes de file’s mission in Paris wasn’t just an enriching experience. It generated tangible results. The entrepreneurs were able to sign contracts and hire staff thanks to contacts they made on site. Virginie Boivin entered into a major partnership and strengthened her ties with potential clients, while Caroline Ménard was awarded a large mandate. This is the immediate impact of networking.
Certainly, such international success helps increase the credibility of Québec businesses, making them more attractive to new clients. The mission also spotlighted their complementarity and value added for the French market, in addition to showcasing Québec expertise.
Following this successful experience, the Les Cheffes de file initiative is already preparing for its next mission, this time to Toronto. Although the CN Tower will be the backdrop rather than the Eiffel Tower, the mission promises to generate numerous networking opportunities and burgeoning development opportunities.