Barack Obama's talk in Montréal: A message of optimism for all Montrealers

MONTRÉAL, Nov. 14, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal is delighted with the success of the talk by the 44^th President of the United States, Barack Obama, at its Bell International Leaders series. For his second visit to the city, the President met with Jean-François Gagné, CEO and co-founder of Element AI. For one hour, they discussed issues that Montrealers care about, such as the fight against climate change and the impact of social media on debates in democratic societies. This talk brought together 12,300 people from all walks of life at the Bell Centre.

"We are honoured that President Obama has chosen to speak again at the Chamber. He expressed his trust in today's youth and made a strong case for the importance of dialogue and openness. It has been a great privilege for the Montréal community to hear an exceptional man and an outstanding speaker talk with optimism about the challenges facing our society. Everyone appreciated his reading of the essential issues of our time, whether it was the need to ensure the ethical development of artificial intelligence to everyone's benefit or the urgent need to make a successful transition to a low-carbon economy," said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.

"Barack Obama's memorable visit to Montréal, like his first visit in 2017, was a great success. The thousands of audience members were tangibly excited at the prospect of hearing the President's vision on the state of the world. We are pleased to have been able to hold this conversation at the Bell Centre, which allowed a greater number of Montrealers ? including 2,500 youth who attended for free ? to hear what this great leader of the modern world has to say. I would like to thank Jean-François Gagné, who brilliantly facilitated this special conversation with President Obama," concluded Mr. Leblanc.

A Conversation with President Barack Obama is part of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal's Bell International Leaders series. The event was presented in association with evenko conferences and in collaboration with Le Devoir, The Montreal Gazette, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Saputo and the Société de développement Angus.

About the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM)
With a network of over 7,500 members, the CCMM is active on two fronts: being the voice of the Montréal business community and delivering specialized services to businesses and their representatives. With its finger on the pulse of current events, it acts on issues that are decisive for the prosperity of the city's businesses. With the support of the Acclr experts, the CCMM's goal is to accelerate the creation and growth of businesses of all sizes, at home and around the world.

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SOURCE Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal