HispanicBusiness

GATINEAU, QUEBEC -- (Marketwire) -- 12/11/12 -- Editors' Note: There is a photo associated with this press release.

On Saturday, Alain Gourd passed away prematurely at the age of 66. A lawyer with a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Saint Paul University, Mr. Gourd was a pillar in the communications industry.

After teaching philosophy and law at the University of Ottawa for several years, he began a career in broadcasting in 1973 in Rouyn-Noranda, as President and CEO of Radio-Nord Communications.

In 1981, Mr. Gourd was named President and CEO of Radiodiffusion Mutuelle Canada Ltee and Vice-President of Civitas Ltee. He would go on to hold several influential positions within the federal public service, including Deputy Minister, Communications, Associate Secretary to the Cabinet, and Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council.

From 1994 to 1998, he was President of Cancom, a company specialized in communication and satellite broadcasting services.

He became founder and President and CEO of BCE Media in 1998, and from 2001 to 2004, he held the position of Group Executive Vice-President, Corporate, at Bell Globemedia.

Until very recently, Mr. Gourd was head of his own consulting firm, Alain Gourd Communications.

In addition to his work in communications and broadcasting, he was involved in a long list of associations, corporations and boards of directors.

He was a founding member of the Universite du Quebec en Outaouais, and contributed to the advancement of university research and knowledge transfer as Chair of the Hexagram Centre for Research-Creation in Media Arts and Technologies, affiliated with UQAM and Concordia University. He had also been a dedicated and passionate member of the board of directors of the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada (CCAC) since 2005.

In 2005, he received an honorary doctorate from Universite du Quebec en Outaouais.

Alain was a survivor and a fighter. After successfully battling cancer for nearly a decade, he ultimately succumbed to a bacteria that caused severe pneumonia. He leaves behind his wife Jacinthe Theberge, his son Frederic, his daughters Catherine, Elaine and Ariane, his grandchildren Pierre, Jeanne, Madeleine, Gabrielle, Zachary and Victoria, as well as several brothers and sisters, other relatives, colleagues and friends.

The visitation for Mr. Gourd will be held at the Serge Legault funeral home this Sunday, December 16, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., and Monday, December 17, from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. The funeral will be held Monday, December 17 at 11:00 a.m. at St-Joseph de Hull church.

To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20121211-AlainGourd800.jpg



Contacts:
Ariane Theberge
819-664-2260