Marie-Françoise Hervieu has been a public relations agency communications advisor since the turn of the century. She started her own agency in 2005 and successfully led it for five years before starting up Zone franche with long-time colleague Matthieu Sauvé in 2010. Over the course of her career Marie-Françoise has worked in corporate communications, marketing communications and government relations in Quebec, Canada and the US. Her professionalism, outstanding strategic consulting abilities and solid public-speaking skills are just a few of the many reasons why clients from her earliest years still retain her services today.
Her ability to provide both internal and external communications advice is another trump card that wins the day. Marie-Françoise has orchestrated hundreds of major corporate events, everything from press conferences, annual meetings and VIP affairs to regional tours, briefings with stakeholders and fundraising galas. She has also taken part in developing and implementing numerous positioning campaigns as well as working as a special consultant to clients, especially to assist them in crisis management situations. In recent years, she also acts as a speaker in business events.
Marie-Françoise is President of the Communication Committee for the fundraising campaign of the Jasmin Roy Foundation, a member of the Executive Committee of the French Chamber of Commerce in Canada, a member of the Communications Committee of the Conseil des arts de Montréal. She also sits on the Observatoire de la géosphère de Charlevoix board of directors as well as on the board of directors of the Bruny Surin Foundation. Marie-Françoise is also a member of the Angel Circle of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
She holds a Master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University and a Bachelor’s degree in sociology from Université de Montréal. She represented Canada in the 1992 Summer Olympic Games as part of the fencing national team.
Marie-Françoise Hervieu is also president and founder of Villemarie, sister agency of Zone franche, in Canada and France.
