Newly appointed chair of the National Gallery of Canada's board of trustees Paul Genest at the National Gallery in Ottawa on May 31, 2024.Dave Chan/The Globe and Mail
Power Corp. senior vice-president Paul Genest has been named chair of the National Gallery of Canada’s board of trustees after five years as a director for its foundation, including as vice-chair.
He replaces Françoise Lyon, the former DGC Capital president who has chaired the board since 2017, and who steered the gallery through turmoil that saw numerous senior staff depart in 2022 over the gallery’s handling of Indigenous representation and inclusion.
Mr. Genest also chairs the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Ontario division and is a director with the Business / Arts trade association. His career has crossed the worlds of academia, industry and politics, including a stint as director of policy and research in Jean Chrétien’s office during the Liberal prime minister’s final three years in the role. He also spent six years as a deputy minister for the Ontario government, overseeing files including intergovernmental affairs and francophone affairs.
Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge announced Mr. Genest’s appointment Wednesday. “His ability to guide strategic projects and his dedication to the arts will enhance the Gallery’s influence and growth,” she said in a statement.
The federal government tapped Quebec curator and gallery director Jean-François Bélisle to become the National Gallery’s director and chief executive officer last June after Sasha Suda left the job after three years to join the Philadelphia Museum of Art.