National Bank of Canada
Founders
Francophone Business Community of Quebec, Sir George-Etienne Cartier, Louis-Joseph Forget · Founded 1859 · HQ today: Place Banque Nationale, 800 Saint-Jacques Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
National Bank of Canada was founded by Francophone Business Community of Quebec, Sir George-Etienne Cartier, Louis-Joseph Forget in 1859 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It is now led by Laurent Ferreira.
In the late 1850s, French-Canadian merchants in Quebec City faced chronic credit shortages, as existing financial institutions were dominated by English-speaking commercial interests centered in Montreal. Determined to create an institution dedicated to fostering local Francophone commerce, industry, and civic development, a syndicate of civic leaders led by lawyer and future senator Ulric-Joseph Tessier, prominent financier François Vézina, and leading merchant Jean-Baptiste Renaud established Banque Nationale on May 4, 1859. The bank commenced operations issuing its own banknotes and discounting commercial paper for local timber merchants, shipbuilders, and agricultural traders. Weathering economic panics and industrial transformations, Banque Nationale merged with Montreal's Banque d'Hochelaga in 1924 to form Banque Canadienne Nationale (BCN), which in 1979 merged with The Provincial Bank of Canada to establish the modern National Bank of Canada.
| Founder | Role at founding | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Francophone Business Community of Quebec | Founding Coalition of Banque Nationale | — |
| Sir George-Etienne Cartier | Political Patron & Banking Advocate | — |
| Louis-Joseph Forget | Financier & Stock Exchange Leader | — |
In 1859, a group of visionary Francophone business leaders in Quebec City chartered Banque Nationale to establish an independent financial institution providing capital to French-Canadian commercial ventures and industrial enterprises.
Sir George-Etienne Cartier, a Father of Confederation and influential statesman, championed the chartering of French-Canadian banking institutions, establishing legal foundations for Banque d'Hochelaga and Banque Jacques-Cartier.
Pioneering Canadian financier and President of the Montreal Stock Exchange who structured early capital syndications for Banque Provinciale and predecessor merchant institutions.
Laurent Ferreira
President and Chief Executive Officer
Marie Chantal Gingras
Executive VP & Chief Financial Officer
Denis Girouard
Executive VP, Financial Markets
Lucie Blanchet
Executive VP, Personal Banking and Client Experience
Stephane Achard
Executive VP, Commercial Banking
National Bank of Canada was founded in 1859 by a coalition of prominent Francophone business leaders and merchants in Quebec City led by prominent civic figures.
It was established to provide French-Canadian industrialists, farmers, and merchants with access to commercial credit, which was previously dominated by British institutions.
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