Actuality¹⁴⁸

Portrait of Viviane Sauvé De Guise

HIRING, TRAINING AND RETENTION OF TALENTS

Par

Jeune Chambre de commerce de Montréal

As part of International Women's Rights Day, the Junior Chamber of commerce of Montreal is highlighting inspiring stories in a series of 8 portraits of women (or self-identified women) who volunteer on our various committees.

Portrait 1 - Meet the charismatic Viviane Sauvé De Guise, volunteer co-director of the Member Experience Committee.

Viviane Sauvé De Guise transforms communities with passion and conviction. An architect of human connections, she fights isolation by weaving inclusive professional networks and orchestrating tailor-made events that bring people together.

Founder of Books & Booze (making literacy fun again), a book club combining culture and conviviality, and Atelier Oratio, a language exchange program promoting learning by doing and intercultural encounters, she creates spaces where knowledge sharing and authentic exchange take on their full meaning.

At the Junior Chamber of commerce of Montreal, she energizes the member experience committee as volunteer co-director, lending her expertise in project management, facilitation and community involvement to social innovation and inclusion.

“The strength of a community lies in the depth of its ties, not the number of them.” Par

Viviane

Frequently asked questions

What do you see as the greatest challenge for women in 2025?

Making their mark in environments still predominantly dominated by and for men, while redefining leadership standards. Women must constantly juggle traditional expectations and assert their own style, often being more collaborative and inclusive. The real challenge is to have vulnerability, authenticity and emotional intelligence recognized not as weaknesses, but as powerful assets that transform the business world.

A woman who inspires you enormously and why?

My mentor, Jessica Wismer, inspires me enormously. She has always shown me the way without ever judging, guiding me with kindness and believing in my potential even when I doubted it myself. Without her, I wouldn't be where I am today. Her genuine leadership and ability to uplift others are qualities I aspire to embody in my turn.

If you could change one thing in tomorrow's business world, what would it be?

That success would no longer be measured solely by individual performance, but by the ability to create collective value. Hyper-individualistic models stifle innovation and collaboration, whereas the most successful companies are those that encourage mutual support and diversity of ideas.

Your best failure that turned into an opportunity?

For a long time, I tried to follow a “logical” and structured path, looking for the career path that ticked all the boxes. In the end, it was by accepting that my path was non-linear and letting myself be guided by what really drives me: the creation of communities and experiences, that I found my place and my impact.

What myth about your field of expertise would you like to debunk?

That you have to be super extroverted to connect with people and lead communities. In reality, listening, curiosity and the ability to understand other people's needs are far more important than being the loudest person in the room.

Do you have any advice for young women in Montreal?

Find a female community that will not only inspire you, but also accompany you on your career path. To be successful, it's important to have a community that can not only inspire you, but also guide you.

Recommendations

Your favourite Montreal woman-owned business?

L'intervalle! All my shoes come from them.

A book or podcast to recommend?

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe. My favorite novel ever!

Your favorite place in Montreal to work/think?

Le p'tit Dep in Griffintown.