Catherine Morneau

« I agreed to participate to support the cause, of course, but the Challenge also sounded like a lot of fun. To experience it with fellow women, to be part of team: that called on to me. Not to mention that I’m not one to shy away from a challenge. This project is so inspiring. I can’t wait to live this experience with a group of women! »

Catherine Morneau started working for the family business when she was still a teenager. Today, she is Executive Vice-President and General Manager of the Morneau Group. In 2022, she received the Mercure award in the “Next generation – exceptional woman” category. Resolute, energetic, and committed, Catherine truly sets an example in entrepreneurship thanks to her thoughtful decisions coming from the heart. Prompted by a close collaborator directly affected by Leucan’s cause, she readily agreed to join the Audacieuses—another decision coming from the heart.

“A close collaborator of mine at Morneau talked to me so often of all the good that Leucan brought in her life when her son was diagnosed with cancer. Knowing the beacon of light Leucan becomes for families struck a chord in me; especially as a mom. You can’t help but support such an amazing cause!”

Indeed, Leucan’s cause is the main reason for her decision: all the services provided to families and the support available when they need it. She was also drawn by the personal side of the Challenge and the idea of teaming up with a group of inspiring women.

“I agreed to participate to support the cause, of course, but the Challenge also sounded like a lot of fun. To experience it with fellow women, to be part of team: that called on to me. Not to mention that I’m not one to shy away from a challenge. This project is so inspiring. I can’t wait to live this experience with a group of women!”

Led by Intuition

In Catherine’s life, family and work are intertwined priorities. As a manager in her family’s business, she fosters a welcoming and positive environment.

“Both at work and with my family, I see the value in letting people grow by following their own intuition. I don’t believe a path is ever completely paved in advance. It’s much better to let people find their own way, without any judgement. It’s crucial to create a space where people can blossom.”

Socially conscious, Catherine always finds time to support causes dear to her heart. For the past ten years, she has been advocating for better life balance and preventive health care. “I did not always have the best life balance. Mental and physical health, and youth participation in sports are two values I cherish dearly. Today, I’ve developed good habits and I’m both healthy and safe. This makes it all the more important for me to give back and support others in finding their own balance.”

Striking a Balance Between Knowledge and Intuition

Catherine Morneau works for her family’s business in the more male-dominated trucking industry. In spite of preconceived notions about women’s place in this field, she has found her niche. But in all aspects of her life, she learned to listen, to educate herself, and to follow her intuition.

“I pay a lot of attention to how I feel in certain situations. I listen to people around me. I get inspiration from my children, my family, my colleagues. I like to keep myself informed and continually develop my skills. It’s a mix of knowledge and intuition. This helps me to make informed decisions.”

The Weight of Experience

To motivate a team to tackle big projects, it takes an influential and positive leadership. Catherine Morneau is that kind of leader. She taps into her own impressive experience to identify and bring forward everyone’s strengths.

“It’s very important for me to highlight other people’s qualities. Just because I’m General Manager does not mean I know everything. I will take my place and share my voice when appropriate. That’s the leadership I demonstrate: I can take a step back to let others shine but I always step up to the plate when the team needs me.”

After more than 15 years working for the family business, she is drawing out the best of her past experience to strike a healthy balance, both for herself and her team.

“In my twenties, I would look at guys at work and unconsciously copy their way of doing things so that I could fit in and be accepted. I no longer feel the urge to do all of that. We had a very masculine managerial approach at work. Adding women in strategic positions truly balanced out our organization—that famous yin and yang.”

An Inspiring Message to her Daughter

The Audacieuses project elicits various reactions in society at large and, on a smaller scale, within each woman’s close entourage. Euphoria, fear, joy, tears, and laughter are all potential responses. In Catherine’s universe, her decision was met with shock, surprise, and worry.

“I think my family was more upset than I was. When I announced it to them, my daughter burst into tears, saying: ‘Oh, you’re going to be ugly!’ I found it amusing.”

This reaction made her reflect on the importance of physical appearance for women. “I’m really interested in the concept of appearance that’s tied with the Challenge. In my view, it’s such a significant gesture that it takes over everything else. With this Challenge, I will send out a strong message to my daughter. We’re beautiful regardless of our physical appearance. Hair is very secondary in the end.”

A positive and inspiring woman, Catherine is aware that her new look will catch people’s attention. “It does not take much courage to get your head shaved. What it takes is a little bit of daring, really. Being audacious means getting off the beaten path and daring to do things differently. And I’m a true Audacieuse!” And by daring to pick an unexpected path, Catherine will make a difference.