Managing Partner – Retired – BDC Growth Equity Partners
Active in SME financing for over thirty years, Claude has witnessed firsthand the evolution of the investment industry. He transitioned from traditional banking to venture capital and then into private equity, offering mezzanine debt financing as well as taking both minority and control equity positions. He has held various leadership roles within institutional investors such as the Caisse de dépôt (Sofinov), BDC Venture Capital, BMO Capital Corporation, and Desjardins Capital. Throughout his career, he has invested in early-stage tech companies as well as more traditional businesses such as manufacturers, service providers, and distributors.
Claude has also invested in investment funds (indirect investments), completed numerous co-investments alongside VC and PE fund managers, and contributed as a member of fund advisory committees and the boards of private companies.
As Managing Partner of BDC Capital’s Growth Equity Partners, he established the practice and led the pan-Canadian team of investment professionals that provides minority equity investments to small and medium-sized businesses aiming to become leaders in their sector.
An active member of Réseau Capital since its founding in the late 1980s, Claude was elected President of the organization for 2002 and 2003.