Mission and mandates
The Québec Government Office in London (DGQL) was opened in 1962. We represent the Québec government in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Nordic Countries.
We are working to promote the interests of Québec towards Governments and institutions in the territories covered by DGQL. We support Québec businesses and culture to thrive and develop their activities.
Myriam Clément, Receptionist and Administrative Officer
Administration
The Administration Department fulfil its mandate by:
- Working closely with both the executive management of the Administration department of the ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie, as well as the different departments of the Québec Government Office in London (DGQL).
- Playing an essential role in coordinating the functioning of the Office.
- Coordinating all the activities linked to the management of human, financial, material and IT resources, as well as property management, technical services and the security of the DGQL.
- Working closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) regarding our diplomatic status.
Bhavna Seesarun, Director
Lori Simsek, Administration Officer
Léa Barro, Administration Officer
Political and Public Affairs
The Department for Political and Public Affairs has two objectives:
- To establish links and partnerships and facilitate exchanges between governments, elected bodies and institutions from Québec and the seven countries covered by the Québec Government Office in London (QGOL) and so to contribute to the prosperity of Québec.
- To promote Québec, its priorities, its fields of excellence and its assets to influential players in the countries under our jurisdiction.
Our services are aimed in particular at:
- Government departments, and representatives, administrative bodies, institutions and media from Québec and the seven countries covered by the QGOL.
We fulfil our mandate by:
- Organising governmental and administrative missions;
- Monitoring and analysing current events and public policies implemented in the countries under our jurisdiction;
- Promoting links between universities, funds and research institutes from Québec and from the countries under our jurisdiction;
- Organising public affairs and networking events;
- Promoting Québec and the activities of our representation, particularly through social media.
Martin Dionne, Director
Yamina Nina Seddiki, Executive assistant to the Agent-General and Political and Public Affairs
Marie-Pierre Olivier, Political Affairs Attaché
Barbara Daniel, Public Affairs and Special Events Attaché
Raphaël Harfaux, Communications and Public Affairs Attaché
Areas of expertise:
- Promotion of Québec and the activities of the Québec Government Office on digital platforms
- Social media strategy
- Website
Economic Affairs
The objective of the Department for Economic Affairs is to increase the number of Québec exporters and the volume of exports towards the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden). It also supports the development of collaborations in the fields of research and innovation.
Our services are for:
- Québec companies that want to develop their business or explore market opportunities.
- Québec companies and research institutions (universities and research centres) that want to develop partnerships in science and innovation
Here are some of the ways our services can support your business in the UK, Ireland and the Nordic countries:
- Provide sector advice and personalised market intelligence
- Access to major events within the jurisdiction of our core territories
- Assist companies and research institutions in building partnerships, strategic alliances, scientific collaborations or technology transfer agreements
- Participation in trade missions and access to the Québec booth at select trade shows and events
Dominic Toupin, Director
Isabelle Botfield, Project Manager and Assistant to the Director
Patrick Philip, Economic Affairs Attaché
Areas of expertise:
- Aerospace, Defense and Security
- Land and Marine Transport
- New Materials and Plastics
- Chemistry (petrochemicals and industrial bioproducts)
- Nanotechnology and their applications
- Life Sciences (Natural Health Products - Medical Technologies - Biotechnologies)
- Optics - Photonics
Onur Devrim, Economic Affairs Attaché
Areas of expertise:
- Metallurgy, Mines and Forestry
- Technologies (software and services - telecommunications, fintech and artificial intelligence)
- Video Games (multimedia) and Creatives Industries
- Professional Services
- Industrial design
Jean-Christian Lemay, Research and innovation Attaché
Cultural Affairs
The principal mandate of the Department for Culture is market development for Québec’s artists and cultural industries across all artistic sectors in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Nordic countries.
Our services are for:
- Professional artists and cultural organisations in Québec interested in developing their market, establishing partnerships or collaborating with partners from the territory we cover.
- Local cultural professionals programming internationally or wishing to collaborate with Québec partners.
- Cultural organisations (venues, galleries, festivals, para-governmental organisations, etc.) working internationally
We fulfil our mandate by:
- Offering personalised advice and strategic support
- Planning and financially supporting work trips for local buyers, programmers, presenters or journalists to discover Québec’s cultural offer
- Organising market development activities (round table and networking events, launches, etc.)
- Developing and maintaining cooperation agreements and artistic residencies
- Collaborating on cultural showcases in growth markets
- Promoting Québec’s cultural offer and expertise
Ingried Boussaroque, Director
Marie Morin, Cultural Attaché
Andrew Bailey, Cultural Attaché
Gaia Martinelli-Bunzl, Project Manager and Assistant to the Director
Investissement Québec
Invest Quebec International combines the strengths of a financial institution with an economic development agency.
We promote Québec as an investment destination for companies wishing to set up operations and prosper in North America. We can help you assess the competitive advantages of locating to Québec and offer extensive support in finding a location, partners as well as financing.
Our team of specialists can help you:
- Access to some 500 million customers in particular thanks to the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)
- Gain insight into challenges and opportunities for businesses today;
- Development of productive strategic alliances with local and international partners;
- Find a location that suits your exact needs;
Eric Kucharsky, Director, Foreign Direct Investment
Arianne Goulet, Attaché, Foreign Direct Investment
Last update: September 25, 2023