Former SNC-Lavalin CEO Jacques Lamarre Stripped of Order of Canada

Governor General Mary Simon has removed Jacques Lamarre, the former CEO of SNC-Lavalin (now AtkinsRéalis), from the Order of Canada. The decision was published in the Canada Gazette without specific public reasons, as the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General does not comment on individual termination cases. However, the office stated that revocations are extraordinary measures taken to protect the credibility of the honours system when a member's conduct is inconsistent with expected standards. This action follows a January ruling by the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, which revoked Lamarre’s engineering license and fined him $75,000 for tolerating corrupt practices related to business dealings in Libya under the Gadhafi regime. Although Lamarre, who led the company from 1996 to 2009, denies knowledge of any corruption, a subsidiary previously pleaded guilty to fraud involving millions in bribes. Lamarre was originally appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2005 for his visionary leadership in the engineering sector.