MARIE-JOSÉE
GAGNON
CEO AND FOUNDER, CASACOM

“Making a difference, having an impact, is the only option.”
Marie-Josée Gagnon is recognized across Canada for her ambitious and forward-thinking vision of public relations and strategic communications. Over the past 30 years, she has advised nearly 1,000 leaders of local, national, and international companies.
Her purpose is to elevate organizations and individuals so they can live the journey they are destined for. In her public speaking, she advocates for authenticity as an anchor, courage as a driver of change, and positive impact as a guiding principle, both for individuals and companies.
An entrepreneur at heart, Marie-Josée launched Casacom in 2001. With offices in Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, and Vancouver, the renowned public relations and integrated communications firm (Agency of the Year in 2025 by CPRS) has advised more than 1,000 clients over the years, including Toyota, Agropur, the Federation of Medical Specialists, Kiewit, and Intact.
In 2017, to further involve herself in the cause of women's success, Marie-Josée founded Brave, a podcast series featuring intimate and engaging interviews with women who have courage.
A graduate in Political Science from the University of Montreal, an alumna of Harvard Business School (Owners President Management Program), and IAS.A certified (Institute of Corporate Directors), Marie-Josée had an impressive early career. After practicing journalism, she spent six years as a press attaché in the office of the leader of the opposition, then of the Premier of Quebec. She subsequently held management positions in major organizations (Quebec General Delegation in Paris, Laurentian Bank, then AXOR).
Throughout her career, she has received several awards, including the title of Fellow of the Canadian Public Relations Society, the Mercuriades Leadership Award, Exceptional Women, SME category, in 2023, the WXN Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100™ in 2024, and the highest distinction from the Quebec Society of Public Relations Professionals, the Yves St-Amand award, in 2025.
Marie-Josée is also very involved in the community; she is co-chair of the major campaign L'Heure est brave at the University of Montreal, board member of the Montreal Chamber of Commerce, the Institute of Corporate Directors, Capsana, and is involved with Garde-Manger pour tous, an organization that serves hot meals to 3,000 Montreal schoolchildren in great need.
Marie-Josée is married to corporate litigation lawyer Louis-Martin O'Neill and is the mother of two boys, Philippe and Henri.
TOPICS:
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BRAVE IN BUSINESS | SHOWCASING STORIES OF COURAGE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION
In an intimate format, before a large audience or in studio, Marie-Josée Gagnon interviews a key personality from your organization – leader, manager, or inspiring employee – to reveal the pivotal moments of their life, their transformative failures and their discreet victories that have shaped their journey. In just one hour, we see their life unfold, and suddenly affinities, until then improbable, are created. This leads to greater interpersonal connection, an enhanced corporate culture, and authentic conversations that free up people's voices and potential.
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INTEGRATING THE ADVISORY ROLE TO GENERATE MORE VALUE
Your service team can generate much more value for your organization. But how to achieve this? Casacom has the solution with its training-workshop offering that transforms posture: moving from a support role to that of strategic direction. Communicators, HR, finance, legal – all can become influential advisors who guide decisions rather than simply implementing them. This immersive training combines enlightening theory, role-playing, and concrete tools to learn how to ask questions that move things forward, say no with elegance, and position yourself as an expert even when facing the most experienced managers. Adapted to your reality, this training-workshop offered by the Casacom team is 3 hours long, facilitated and delivered by experienced experts. A resource kit allows for continued learning.
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MEDIA TRAINING | AMPLIFYING THE IMPACT OF YOUR MESSAGES
Speaking on behalf of your organization means juggling with the company's reputation in real-time. This training forges spokespersons who transform each interview into a strategic opportunity. By combining theory, case studies, filmed simulation, and real-time feedback, we prepare leaders to excel in interviews. The goal? To help leaders deliver clear, consistent, and credible messages, even in demanding contexts. This is an opportunity to strengthen their role as spokespersons, increase their thought leadership, and showcase their organization with accuracy and confidence.
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PUBLIC SPEAKING TRAINING | EXPRESSING YOURSELF WITH IMPACT AND CONFIDENCE
Being heard is no longer enough. You need to make an impression. This comprehensive training transforms your leaders into magnetic communicators, capable of captivating as well as convincing. By combining storytelling techniques, best communication practices, and mindfulness approaches, participants learn, during theoretical and especially practical sessions, to build messages that resonate for a long time. Whether in front of employees, a board of directors, or a large audience, this immersive training allows you to firmly anchor yourself in your voice, your message, and your leadership.
LANGUAGES :

LOCATION : MTL, TORONTO - CAN
VIDEO:
PUBLICATIONS:
Article ''les affaires'':
''Let's talk about courage: the one of youth and the one of entreprises.''
Marie-Josée Gagnon reconnue parmi les 100 femmes les plus influentes du Canada
INTERVIEW:
COURAGE, COMMUNICATION, ANIMATION
TESTIMONIAL:






