François Côté, François Gratton and Paul Lepage are recognized for their
substantial contributions to TELUS' success within Québec and across
Canada
MONTREAL, Nov. 27, 2012 /CNW/ - TELUS is pleased to announce that
François Côté, Executive Vice President of TELUS has expanded his
portfolio to include executive oversight of TELUS Ventures, François
Gratton has been appointed President of TELUS Québec and Atlantic
Canada, and Paul Lepage has been appointed the President of TELUS
Health and Payment Solutions. The three Montreal-based executives are
being recognized for their contributions to TELUS' overall success and
the increasing importance and level of contribution the TELUS Québec
team has on the organization's national strategy.
"Elevating the executive responsibilities of these three accomplished
TELUS leaders demonstrates our commitment to, and the importance of,
the Québec market in our organisation. As a major employer and industry
leader, TELUS is dedicated to building on the hard work and skill of
our more than 5,500 current Québec team members and our alumni who have
demonstrated the courage to innovate within the communications industry
over the past 85 years," said Darren Entwistle, President and CEO of
TELUS. "I am confident that François Côté, François Gratton and Paul
Lepage will continue to strengthen TELUS' position as a communications
leader, not only within Québec, but also on a global basis."
François Côté, Executive Vice President TELUS and Vice-Chair, TELUS
Québec, TELUS Health and TELUS Ventures
Since joining TELUS in 2008, Mr. Côté has played a prominent role both
in Québec, as President, TELUS Québec, and nationally, as President of
TELUS Health and Executive Vice President, TELUS Corporation. In
addition to his current executive responsibilities, Mr. Côté will now
assume the management of investments for TELUS Ventures on a global
basis.
"Since François joined TELUS in 2008, he has played a crucial role in
the success of our organisation," said Mr. Entwistle. "His
entrepreneurial spirit has helped us tackle many challenges and will be
a major asset in his new responsibilities. By bringing his proven
leadership and well-honed skills to the TELUS Ventures team, I am
confident that he will manage our company's venture investments
strategically and effectively."
TELUS Ventures has built an outstanding investment portfolio by working
with high-potential, privately-held companies that offer unique
technologies and innovative products that exploit the convergence of
voice, enhanced data, digital media and wireless. Since 2001, TELUS
Ventures has invested $95 million in 34 companies and has a current
portfolio of 14 active companies valued at more than $50 million. In
2012, four TELUS Ventures portfolio companies have had successful
liquidity events, the most recent being Ruckus Wireless, the Wi-Fi
technology pioneer, which listed on the NYSE and generated a more than
eight-fold return for TELUS.
Mr. Côté will continue to advance our venture investments in the
communications sector while increasing our investment in the health
sector, leveraging our best-in-class expertise and reputation as a
technology leader focused on preventative healthcare. By strategically
and thoughtfully targeting our future venture investments toward the
healthcare industry, Mr. Côté will further advance our TELUS Health
strategic pursuits while ensuring we consistently realize a strong
economic return on our ventures portfolio.
In addition to being active in various causes, Mr. Côté sits on the
Boards of the Montreal Heart Institute and Acti-Menu. He is also a
member of the Board of Governors for the Fondation de la tolérance and
the Executive Committee of the Centre d'exposition de l'Université de
Montréal, as well as the Chair of the Board of FitSpirit.
Under Mr. Côté's leadership, TELUS was recently the first organization
to be named Philanthropic Company of the Year by the Association of
Fundraising Professionals - Quebec Chapter.
François Gratton, President, TELUS Québec and Atlantic Canada
Mr. Gratton's appointment as President, TELUS Québec and Atlantic
Canada, demonstrates the significance TELUS places on the Québec market
and the growth opportunities that the company is realizing in the
Atlantic Canada market.
"Since joining TELUS in 2008, François Gratton has handled every
challenge with aplomb," said Mr. Côté. "François' excellent leadership
and strong management skills will ensure the company's growth
throughout Québec and Atlantic Canada. He is the perfect executive to
carry on the work of our 5,500 team members who have been leaving their
mark on the Québec communications industry, building on our proud
history of the past 85 years. François will now have the chance to be
the face of TELUS in his home province, and I am sure he will do an
amazing job."
Shortly after joining the TELUS team, Mr. Gratton progressed from the
leadership team of TELUS Health to become the SVP of Business Markets
for TELUS Québec. His ability to realize excellent results and build a
high-performing team, as well as his admirable professional values and
exemplary commitment to giving back to the community, led to the
subsequent expansion of his role to include responsibility for
supporting the consumer wireless market across the province, the
business markets across Atlantic Canada, and the extensive broadband
data network that TELUS has implemented for the Government of Québec.
In his new capacity, Mr. Gratton now also has accountability for TELUS'
broadband wireless and wireline services in Eastern Québec, including
Optik TV and Internet Haute Vitesse.
Mr. Gratton sits on numerous Boards, including the Board of the
Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC), as well as the
Harvard Business School Advisory Board.
Paul Lepage, President, TELUS Health and Payment Solutions
Paul Lepage's appointment as President, TELUS Health and Payment
Solutions, serves to ensure the continued progress and bright future
for TELUS Health products and services. Paul will have increased
responsibilities in support of the company's strategic priority to help
improve the effectiveness and efficiency of Canada's healthcare system
through technology and innovation.
"I am very enthusiastic about the future TELUS Health will shape for
Canadians, thanks to the continued efforts of Paul and his team," said
Mr. Côté. "In this expanded role, Paul will be leading his team to
transform the healthcare continuum, from hospital to home, by
delivering information technology solutions that allow professionals to
deliver better care more cost efficiently and importantly, empower
patients to take a greater role in managing their own health and that
of their families."
Recognized as a leading Canadian Healthcare IT Company by the Branham
Group for five years, TELUS Health has invested more than one billion
dollars to bring healthcare information technology to market. The
organization leverages innovative technologies and applications to
deliver best-in-class solutions including telehomecare, electronic
medical and health records, personal health records, pharmacy
management services and benefits management services.
Mr. Lepage sits on the Board of Directors for BlueStreak Technology and
Montréal InVivo, as well as on the Advisory Board for the Ivey Centre
for Health Innovation. Mr. Lepage is Co-chair of the Mental Health
Working Group for the Sandbox Project and has received ICD.D
certification from the Institute of Corporate Directors. Mr. Lepage
recently received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his
leadership role in the strategic direction that allowed TELUS Health to
make its mark in the areas of mobile health and remote patient
monitoring.
About TELUS in Québec
A vibrant corporate presence in Québec for nearly 85 years, TELUS
currently employs over 5,500 team members in the province. Since 2000,
the company has invested $12.3 billion in Québec's economy and
infrastructure development. A Canadian industry leader, TELUS offers
Québec communities access to state-of-the-art global communication
technologies, at home, on the move and in the workplace. In support of
our philosophy to give where we live, the company has contributed $30
million since 2005 to support local community organizations in Québec,
such as Opération Enfant Soleil, the Dr. Julien Foundation, Les Oeuvres
Jean Lafrance and the Association du cancer de l'Est du Québec.
About TELUS Health
TELUS Health is a leader in telehomecare, electronic medical and health
records, personal health records, pharmacy management and benefits
management. Our solutions give healthcare institutions, regional
agencies, healthcare providers and patients the power to turn
information into better health outcomes. For more information about
TELUS Health, please visit telushealth.com.
About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications
company in Canada, with $10.8 billion of annual revenue and 13.0
million customer connections including 7.6 million wireless
subscribers, 3.4 million wireline network access lines, 1.3 million
Internet subscribers and more than 635,000 TELUS TV customers. Led
since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a
wide range of communications products and services including wireless,
data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and
video.
In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team
members and retirees have contributed more than $260 million to
charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.2 million
hours of service to local communities since 2000. Fourteen TELUS
Community Boards lead TELUS' local philanthropic initiatives. TELUS was
honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation
globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals,
becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious
international recognition.
For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.
SOURCE: TELUS Corporation