Développement international Desjardins appoints a new President and Chief Executive Officer

MONTREAL, Dec. 12, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Denis Berthiaume, Senior Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Desjardins Group, is pleased to announce that Gerardo Almaguer has been appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of Développement international Desjardins (DID).  He will replace Anne Gaboury, who, after 16 years at the helm of DID, has expressed an interest in exploring other opportunities.

Mr. Almaguer will oversee all activities at DID, where he will focus on meeting the many challenges of international assistance while helping the organization move into the future. Specifically, he will be tasked with making a wider range of secure financial services more accessible to less affluent populations. DID is a global leader in microfinance. The organization currently operates in 30 countries and has 100 employees.

Mr. Almaguer had been working as the Senior Director for Agricultural Finance and Food Security at DID since 2016.  An engineer by trade, he holds a graduate degree in administration with nearly 20 years of experience on the international scene, 12 of which with DID. Mr. Almaguer has extensive knowledge of how community financing institutions work and is well versed in the issues surrounding both agricultural and small business financing.

Mr. Berthiaume would also like to thank Ms. Gaboury for the quality of her work and the scope of her influence on shaping DID throughout the many changes that have occurred in the development assistance sector.

About Desjardins Group
Desjardins Group is the leading cooperative financial group in Canada and the fifth largest in the world, with assets of $295.3 billion. It has been rated one of Canada's Top 100 Employers by Mediacorp Canada. To meet the diverse needs of its members and clients, Desjardins offers a full range of products and services to individuals and businesses through its extensive distribution network, online platforms and subsidiaries across Canada. Ranked among the World's Strongest Banks according to The Banker magazine, Desjardins has one of the highest capital ratios and credit ratings in the industry.

SOURCE Desjardins Group