Candiac, Quebec, Canada
Director since: 2014
Independent Director
Ms. Côté is a Corporate Director. Ms. Côté spent most of her career in the metallurgy industry. She joined Alcan in 1988 and held progressively senior positions in a variety of fields, including human resources, environment, occupational health and safety, business planning and development, and production, both in Québec and in England. Following Rio Tinto’s acquisition of Alcan, she headed Rio Tinto Alcan’s Primary Metal business group for a few years, then went on to serve as the multinational’s President and Chief Executive Officer from 2009 to 2014.
Jacynthe Côté holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Université Laval and was awarded an honorary doctorate by Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and Université de Montréal (HEC Montréal). She was appointed as Board Chair of Royal Bank of Canada in April 2023 and sits on the board of Transcontinental Inc. Ms. Côté has served as board chair of Hydro-Québec from November 2018 to May 2023, and was the first woman to assume this key role. Her mandate includes acting as an intermediary between the Board and corporate management and being accountable for the company’s decisions to the Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy.
Ms. Côté also serves as Board Chair of Allo Prof, an organization that provides free services and tools to students, parents and teachers in order to foster academic engagement and success.
Ms. Côté is a member of the Human Resources Committee and the Safety, Environment & Social Responsibility Committee.
