Topics to be covered:

• Come learn about how the province of Quebec is working to ensure the provincial biopharmaceutical industry remains a strong, growing, and innovative part of the future of the provincial economy.
• Come and participate in a discussion on the ways in which the biopharmaceutical industry and the province can work together.
• Make your voice heard on the long-term policy issues that matter to you!

With a background in economics, and a career spanning experiences in federal and international economic policy, Marc Leduc is currently a Director General in Quebec’s Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation, and Export Trade. He began his career as an economist at the University of Montreal, before moving on to Washington DC for a position with the World Bank. From there, he moved on to advise the federal Finance Ministry in Ottawa for a number of years before beginning a long and varied career in the provincial government of Quebec. With postings in the Ministry of Finance, Industry & Commerce, and Tourism, Mr Leduc has now returned to the MDEIE, and will be speaking to the PMCQ about the Future of Quebec’s Biopharmaceutical Strategy.

Claude graduated from Université de Montréal with a BSc in Biochemistry in 1982. In 1983, he started in the Pharmaceutical Industry for Burroughs Wellcome as a representative, before gaining increasing responsibility in the following areas; Hospital Tendering; District Sales Manager; and finally Product Manager responsible for the antiviral therapeutic area. Claude moved on to the HIV Therapeutic Area as Senior Product Manager responsible for the launch of 3TC^® in Canada, before becoming Group Business Manager in 2001.

Claude moved to Shire as Vice-President of Sales & Marketing, where he built a new commercial team, and then became Vice-President and General Manager for the Canadian Operations in early 2004.

Claude is a Board Member of Rx&D and Chair of the Quebec Regional Committee. He also sits on the Board of the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation and acts as a volunteer for the annual Montreal United Way Campaign for the Pharma Division.

Walter Robinson, re-joined Rx&D as Vice President of Government Affairs in August 2011 and is responsible for leading Rx&D's integrated (federal and provincial) government affairs team.

Prior to re-joining Rx&D, he was a Principal with Tactix Government Relations and Public Affairs in Ottawa from 2008 until 2011. He has also been self-employed as a writer, part-time broadcaster and business consultant. Over the last 20 years Walter has also worked for: the federal public service; an international facilities management contractor; as the federal director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) from 1997 to 2003 and as the Vice-President of Provincial Affairs for Rx&D in 2005 and 2006. He served as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Ottawa until mid-2007.

In his various roles, Walter has conducted over 10,000 media activities in the past decade. He has testified before federal, provincial and municipal legislative committees and has written over300 published OPEDs which have appeared in the National Post, Globe and Mail and other regional daily papers across Canada. He also authored a 140-page critically acclaimed paper on healthcare which earned him a coveted first-day appearance (April 2002, Regina) before the Romanow Royal Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada.