Hélène Desmarais CM OQ (born in 1955[2]) is a Canadian businesswoman and is a member of a number of boards and committees in the public and private sectors,[3] including president of the board of directors of HEC Montréal.

[6] Desmarais has contributed to developing technology companies since 1996 as the founder, chair of the board and chief executive officer of the Montréal Centre for Enterprise and Innovation (CEIM), the first technology incubator and consulting service of its kind.

[1][6] Desmarais also chairs the Université de Montréal's Faculty of Medicine Advisory Committee (from 2006), and sits on the boards of Christian Dior SA (from 2012), Garda World Security (2006), and Génome Québec (2002)[4] and was governor of the International Economic Forum of the Americas.

[7] In 2010 she was awarded the Order of Canada and was named to the Académie des Grands Montréalais [fr].

[1] In June 2013 she received the title of Officer of the Ordre national du Québec.