Valiquette Foundation - Board of Governors
Our board of governors
Board of Governors
The Board of Governors provides strategic oversight, governance, and long-term direction for the Valiquette Foundation. Composed of experienced leaders from diverse professional backgrounds, the Board ensures accountability, supports organisational growth, and upholds the Foundation’s mission to deliver high-impact programmes for children and youth.
Jay Valiquette
Founder & Director
Jay Valiquette is a veteran educator, strategist, and community builder with over 30 years of experience dedicated to the development of children and young adults. He is the founder of the Valiquette Foundation, an organisation he built from the ground up into one of Montréal’s most impactful youth initiatives.
For over a decade, Jay has built and scaled a comprehensive ecosystem of programmes integrating academics, life skills, emotional intelligence, leadership development, and financial literacy. His work spans academic initiatives, camps, youth success programming, employment pathways, and large-scale community outreach – collectively supporting thousands of children and families.
Through the Foundation, Jay has supported over 1,500 students academically and contributed to the development of more than 9,000 campers. The organisation has also engaged over 300 volunteers and raised more than $250,000 in support of youth-focused programming.
Earlier in his career, Jay worked extensively with both private and public schools, coaching and mentoring youth across diverse educational and community environments – experience that continues to inform the Foundation’s practical, disciplined, and results-driven approach.
He received the “Decade of Extraordinary Community Service and Educational Leadership” award from the Montreal Community Cares Foundation.
Jay’s work is defined by a highly personalised and outcomes-driven methodology focused on building confidence, discipline, and long-term success trajectories for youth who often lack access to such opportunities. His strength lies not only in his ability to teach, but in his capacity to build systems, mobilise people, and create environments in which young individuals can consistently perform and thrive.
His leadership combines vision, execution, and resilience, positioning the Foundation as a serious and enduring force in shaping the next generation of youth.
George Kiorpelidis Jr
Chair
George brings his passion for helping business and organizations reach their full potential. By leveraging the best professionals and the latest information we connect businesses large and small to the financial and consulting services they need to empower their growth.
Training and developing tomorrow’s leaders today ensures your organization’s culture will thrive attracting and retaining top employees. Having worked with and learned about business from some of the best names in the corporate tech sector like: Nortel, NEC and Future Electronics, George’s experience working in the tech sector and as an entrepreneur have proven invaluable to his career as a business coach.
David Bounic
Sworn into the Quebec Bar Association in December 1997, David works in both litigation and negotiation. He emphasizes clear communication (especially in difficult situations) as well as practical and reasonable solutions.
Ilan Sarid
Passionate about charities and have structured programs using Life Insurance as a tool allowing you to donate, to set up family foundations or endowment funds without being out-of-pocket.
I will gladly meet with your family accountants and lawyers to provide details and answer to any questions.
Specialties: Charitable giving in a tax efficient manner using life insurance tools.
Geneviéve Siko
Geneviève Siko is deeply passionate about people and leadership development. Certified in the NOVA Profile, she supports leaders and their teams in gaining deeper self-awareness, strengthening collaboration, and reaching their full potential.
With over 30 years of experience in the business world, she has guided leaders and entrepreneurs across a wide range of sectors, including real estate, education, legal, pharmaceutical and municipal environments. Her career path – spanning from administrative roles to executive leadership – gives her a grounded and practical understanding of the realities and challenges faced by today’s managers.
Geneviève is distinguished by her attentive listening, authenticity, and ability to quickly establish trust. She helps leaders recognise their strengths, navigate their challenges, and mobilise their teams around shared objectives.
She firmly believes that every individual possesses unique potential, and that the role of a leader is to uncover and cultivate it. Through her human, authentic, and engaging approach, Geneviève contributes to building stronger, more committed, and more fulfilled teams.