MONTRÉAL, Aug. 3, 2022
/CNW/ - The Bell team is mourning the loss of Jean de
Grandpré, former CEO of Bell Canada
and founder of BCE, who passed away last weekend at the age of 100
years old. Mr. de Grandpré was instrumental in transforming the
telecommunications industry in Canada, and an important leader in the
business community.
"I am saddened by the passing of Mr. de Grandpré who was a
great role model and an inspiration for myself and for many of us
in the telecommunications industry," said Mirko Bibic, President and CEO of BCE and Bell.
"On behalf of the entire Bell team, I extend our deepest sympathies
to Mr. de Grandpré's family, friends and everyone who had the great
privilege of knowing him."
Joining Bell in 1966 as General Counsel, Mr. de Grandpré held
progressively senior leadership roles at the company, becoming CEO
and Chair of the Board in 1976, and playing a key role in the
creation of Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) in 1983. He guided Bell
through a transformative period in its history that included the
launch of mobile phone services, the introduction of fibre optics
technology and the rise of personal computers.
Renowned for his mentorship of future Bell leaders, Mr. de
Grandpré often said "It is the people that make the company." He
was a Companion of the Order of Canada, Chancellor Emeritus of
McGill University, a lifetime member of
the Canadian Bar Association and a member of the Bar of Québec. His
biography, L'héritage d'un géant, was published in 2019.
About BCE
BCE is Canada's largest communications company, providing
advanced Bell broadband wireless, Internet, TV, media and business
communications services. To learn more, please
visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca.
Through Bell for Better, we are investing to create a
better today and a better tomorrow by supporting the social and
economic prosperity of our communities. This includes the Bell
Let's Talk initiative, which promotes Canadian mental health with
national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk
Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access,
research and workplace initiatives throughout the country. To learn
more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
Media inquiries
Caroline
Audet, caroline.audet@bell.ca
@Bell_News
Investor inquiries
Richard
Bengian, richard.bengian@bell.ca
SOURCE BCE Inc.