The team is growing! (June 2023)

Ribana Balan, Strategic and Risk Management Advisor, Contrecœur

Recruited to support risk management for the Contrecœur terminal project, Ribana has had her finger on the pulse of this sector for over five years, notably through her previous mandate for National Bank’s new head office project. At the MPA, she will focus on “the strategic management of the Contrecœur project through every phase over its entire life cycle, from risk management planning, qualitative and quantitative identification and analysis, risk response and control to monitoring.” What does she love about her job? “The teamwork,” she told us. “We need all our colleagues and different areas of expertise to collaborate in the risk management process,” including finance, environment, procurement, legal affairs and more. Turning to her personal interests, Ribana loves to travel. What’s her favourite destination? Europe, which she has criss-crossed from top to bottom. “Every country has its own charm,” she said, mentioning Greece and Turkey for their seaside resorts, and Italy for its museums and history. Since her youth, Ribana has also been a fan of sports, especially swimming and track and field, in which she has competed. “These activities instilled strong discipline in me that’s still in my life!” she said. “The lasting gain for me is a sense of organization and planning, along with attention to detail.”

Philippe Hubert, Director, Digital Transformation

A man of wide experience, Philippe Hubert came to the MPA with over 25 years of expertise in IT and digital transformation. After working at length in the pulp and paper industry, he came to see how this sector underwent a sea change with the advent of digital transformation. It was an industry “that had no choice but to renew itself to survive,” he said. A tech buff and total geek (his words), Philippe shared that while he has always been drawn to the technical side of things, the human aspect has always meant a great deal to him. “When it comes to technology, it’s not about imposing new ways of doing things. The most important thing is that people buy into it, are able to use it and have an interest in doing so.” A challenge he is sure to face in the near future, given the major technological needs set out in the new strategic plan. Aside from his professional life, Philippe is a man of many passions. These include music, he told us, in particular the guitar and musical tastes naturally inherited from the “Pink Floyd generation.” Philippe is also an amateur carpenter, designing and building his own furniture and projects around the house. When it comes to reading, Philippe admits to a love of comics. What’s his favourite? “Goscinny! An underestimated genius!”