Biography

Nathalie Drouin holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom), a postdoctoral degree from Polytechnique Montréal, an MBA from HEC Montréal, and a Bachelor of Laws from the Université de Sherbrooke.

From 2016 to 2023, she served as Executive Director of KHEOPS, an international research consortium focused on the governance of major infrastructure projects. She currently holds the INFRA-S Chair and also serves as:

• Full Professor of Project Management in the Department of Management at the École des sciences de la gestion, Université du Québec à Montréal (ESG UQAM)

• Adjunct Professor at the University of Technology Sydney (Australia)

• Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Managing Projects in Business

Her research focuses on the governance of major infrastructure projects, the integration of non-financial benefits, the social impacts of large infrastructure projects, organizational project management, balanced leadership within projects, and megaprojects.

She serves on the board of CARGOM, Montréal’s metropolitan logistics and transportation cluster, and is a member of the Global PM World Academic Advisor Team and the Program Advisory Council of the Project Management Program at Northeastern University in Toronto.

She has also served as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the University of Technology Sydney (Australia), Associate Dean of Research at ESG UQAM, and Director of Graduate Programs in Project Management. Earlier in her career, she practiced law at international law firms and worked as a consultant for companies and government organizations in the areas of strategy and project management.

Nathalie Drouin has received four prestigious research awards:

• IPMA Global Research Award (2019) for her work on balanced leadership in projects

• Walt Lipke Award (Australia) for her work on governance and control of major projects

• PMI Cleland Award (2021) for the book Organizational Project Management: Theory and Implementation

• PMI Research Achievement Award (2022)

These awards were received in collaboration with her colleagues Ralf Müller (BI Norwegian Business School) and Shankar Sankaran (University of Technology Sydney).

 

A seasoned engineer and recognized executive leader, Renée Amilcar has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Mobilité Infra Québec (MIQ) since September 2025. She is leading the establishment of the agency, whose mission is to conduct opportunity analyses, planning, and delivery of complex public transportation projects across Québec, with the objective of ensuring greater efficiency in planning and rigorous execution.

With a strategic vision focused on performance, innovation, and service to citizens, she brings more than 25 years of operational experience in complex and highly regulated environments.

Before joining MIQ, Ms. Amilcar served as General Manager of OC Transpo, the public transit agency of the City of Ottawa, beginning in 2021. Under her leadership, she introduced technical rigor, restored public trust, and mobilized teams around a culture of performance and transparency, at a time when the organization was facing several operational and reputational challenges related to the light rail network.

Prior to that, she spent 19 years at the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), where she rose through the ranks to oversee the entire bus network and its more than 5,300 employees. She notably led one of the largest fleet expansions in Montréal’s history, negotiated major collective agreements, and supported the transition toward more sustainable and electrified operations.

In 2023, she became the first woman to serve as President of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) in its 138-year history. In this role, she represented nearly 2,000 member organizations across more than 100 countries and played a key role in international discussions on sustainable mobility, equity, technological innovation, and public transportation financing.

In April 2024, Renée was invited to the United Nations, as UITP President—another first in the organization’s history—where she delivered a compelling speech on the importance of public transportation and its essential role in sustainable development.

Recognized for her mobilizing leadership, expertise in operations and heavy infrastructure management, and strong ability to build partnerships, Ms. Amilcar is known for her human-centered approach, strategic vision, and ability to transform challenging contexts into opportunities for progress and development. Her career reflects a constant commitment to making mobility more efficient, accessible, resilient, and environmentally responsible.

 

Throughout his career, Philippe Batani has distinguished himself through his unifying leadership and the quality of his strategic counsel. Since 2023, he has served as Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Communications and Strategy at CDPQ Infra, where he is responsible for media relations, external and internal communications, and stakeholder relations.

Before joining CDPQ Infra, Philippe Batani served as Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs at La Caisse beginning in 2017. In that role, he oversaw a team comprising several areas of expertise, including Québec outreach, international communications, and internal communications. He was also responsible for building strong relationships with numerous political, social, and environmental stakeholders in Québec and internationally.

Prior to joining La Caisse, Mr. Batani was Senior Director at the communications firm TACT, where he provided strategic advisory services to organizations in the investment, trade, energy, and infrastructure sectors.

Earlier in his career, he held various leadership roles within Québec companies, including Énergir, and worked as an economist for the Government of Canada.

He holds a Master’s degree in Economics and remains actively engaged with the Department of Political Science at the Université de Montréal, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree.

 

Topics Covered

This panel will explore the major questions surrounding these transformative infrastructure projects:

• Governance of major projects with broad societal impact

• Interorganizational coordination and multi-stakeholder dynamics

• Public financing mechanisms and increasing accountability requirements

• Building social acceptance for major infrastructure projects