ANIM Team

Mariette Mulaire
President and CEO

As President and CEO of ANIM since its inception in 2007, Ms. Mulaire has been involved in numerous economic development initiatives on behalf of Manitoba including helping to spearhead the creation and hosting of Centrallia, the first international B2B forum of its kind in Western Canada. Her previous economic development experience includes holding the position of Executive Director for the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities for ten years, and employment with both the Department of Western Economic Diversification Canada as well as the Department of Canadian Heritage. In addition to her responsibilities with ANIM, Ms. Mulaire has been a member of several boards and organizations including the Manitoba Premier’s Economic Advisory Committee (PEAC), the International Network for Regional Trade Promotion Organizations (RTPO), the Council for International Trade Steering Committee and the International Science and Technology Partnerships Canada (ISTP). She is also Vice-President of the Centre de la francophonie des Amériques. In 2010, Mariette received the Quebec government’s Ordre des francophones d’Amérique award, aimed at recognizing the contributions of individuals who dedicate themselves to maintaining and developing French in the Americas. In May 2011, she received the YMCA-YWCA Women of Distinction Award under the “Leadership” category. She holds a national designation with the Canadian Institute of Management (CIM) as a Professional Manager and in Management and administration.

Marguerite Simard
Assistant Executive Director

With over 30 years of experience working in the private and public sector, Marguerite Simard brings a vast amount of financial management experience to the ANIM organization. Having worked at Great-West Life, the Collège Universitaire de Saint-Boniface and CDEM (Economic Development Council for Manitoba’s bilingual Municipalities) – her strong accounting and financial skills plus her incredible attention to detail make her a key member of the management team.

Virginie De Visscher
Project Manager

Born in Belgium and educated as an agricultural engineer at Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Virginie De Visscher is known for her entrepreneurial approach to international business development. Her experience includes more than 10 years working in Africa where her positions included Operations Manager at UGACOF, a processing and exporting coffee plant in Kampala, Uganda and Sales and Marketing Manager at TRANSYS, an IT commercial enterprise in Kinshasa, DRC. Ms. De Visscher speaks English, French and Spanish fluently.

Derek Earl
Project Manager

Derek Earl first joined the ANIM team in early 2009 as the Coordinator for Centrallia 2010, the international business-to-business forum. Prior to this, Mr. Earl worked with the Canadian Embassy in Paris, where he played a key role in establishing the Province of Ontario’s trade development and investment attraction office. He also spent several years as a market research professional with the firms Ipsos-Reid and kisquared. His education includes B.A. (Honors) degree in International Relations from the University of Manitoba and Master of Arts in International Politics from the University of Ottawa.

Nathalie Gérard
Communications Officer

Born and educated in France, Nathalie Gérard holds a Master of Science in Management from École supérieure de Reims. Her previous work experience includes six years in professional marketing including 2 years in France for Forces Vives, a promotion company, and 4 years in Canada as a communications coordinator for an economic development agency. She is fluent in three languages: French, English and German and possesses strong writing and project management skills.

Annie Girard
Business Development Manager

Annie Girard has been a member of the ANIM team since the agency’s inception in 2007. She specializes in building strategic partnerships with industry associations and other organizations – both within Manitoba and elsewhere – that work for businesses and share complementarities with ANIM. Her endeavours include attracting investments to Manitoba and supporting Manitoba companies and entrepreneurs seeking new business opportunities in target markets. One of her key markets is Quebec, her home province, where she maintains an extensive partner network. Ms. Girard has an Executive MBA from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and a Bachelor’s degree in writing and communications from the Université de Sherbrooke.

Vivian Gosselin
Assistant Project Manager

Vivian Gosselin comes to ANIM with prior experience in business development having worked for CDEM, Manitoba’s economic development agency for its bilingual communities. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors.) from University of Manitoba, and has demonstrated strengths in planning, organization, research and analysis.

Josette Gosselin
Executive Assistant

Josette Gosselin is an efficient and highly organized professional. She holds a bilingual executive secretary diploma from Collège communautaire de Saint-Boniface and had over two decades of experience in office administration. Fluent in both official languages, she performs a variety of office management and support functions, including being communications contact person between the organization and the ANIM Board of Directors.

Brigitte Léger
Coordinator, Immigration Program

Brigitte Léger brings to ANIM over 20 years experience managing events and community promotional initiatives, including five years leading Corridor touristique francophone de l’Ouest, a francophone tourism initiative for drawing francophones to Western Canada. Her strong people skills and attention to details serve her well in her role as the Coordinator of ANIM’s immigration program.

Michel Simard
Director of International Trade

Currently responsible for helping to coordinate ANIM’s various trade initiatives, Michel Simard was born and raised in Manitoba where he received a diploma in Political Science from Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface. His past work experience as a Journalist and Producer for Radio-Canada/Canadian Broadcasting Corporation includes extensive coverage in the following sectors: business, agriculture and political science. Mr. Simard also operated his own communications and economic development consulting firm where he developed extensive knowledge of Manitoba’s business community as well as trade practices in foreign markets.