Paul Desmarais

Paul Desmarais III is the Chairman and CEO of Sagard and the Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Portage Ventures, based in Montreal, Canada. Under his leadership since 2016, Sagard has grown into an alternative asset management firm with over $25 billion in assets under management, 250 professionals, and 80 portfolio companies. He also serves as the Chairman and Co-Founder of the venture builder Diagram, and holds board leadership positions at several technology companies, including acting as Chairman for Wealthsimple and Dialogue. Before building his current investment platforms, he gained experience in investment banking and special situations at Goldman Sachs, following his education at Harvard College and INSEAD. His current focus centers on scaling alternative asset strategies across venture capital, private equity, and private credit, emphasizing disruptive financial services and healthcare technologies.