Born in Montreal, Bertrand holds a sociology degree from the Université de Montréal and a master's in Environmental Studies from Toronto's York University.
[2] From 1980 to 1988, she held many positions at the Université du Québec à Montréal, including dean of resource management.
[3] Her leadership received praise for "redirecting its educational and cultural programming to reflect the realities of Quebec society".
[1] In June 2013, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for "her contributions to corporate governance as an administrator and role model for women".
This prize “pays tribute to a Quebecoise (woman from Quebec) whose exceptional career, compelling achievements, drive and influence both locally and internationally have set her apart in business world”.