Manuelle Oudar

President and CEO, Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST)

Manuelle Oudar is President and CEO of the Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST), a proactive organization with nearly 5,000 people present throughout Quebec. She is also chair of the board of directors of the Association des femmes in finance. 

A lawyer and mediator accredited by the Barreau du Québec, she also holds a permit from the Ordre des administrateurs agréés du Québec (Adm. A.), the Ordre des CRHA and Certified Corporate Director (ASC). Manuelle Oudar has worked in the Quebec public service for more than 30 years, having evolved in various departments as Director of Legal Affairs, Associate Deputy Minister and Deputy Minister. 

In office since January 2016, she oversaw the merger of the three commissions that today make up the CNESST, the single gateway to work, a success for Quebec society and which received the Prix des Nations in 2022. United for Public Service. This prize rewards the actions of the CNESST in favor of gender equality, economic justice, equity, the empowerment of women, the reduction of inequalities and wage gaps.  

Manuelle Oudar’s exceptional achievements and career have been highlighted by the honors she has earned on more than one occasion: she received the Leadership award from the Association des femmes en finance du Québec (AFFQ), and named one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN). She also received the 2023 Manager of the Year award from the Ordre des CRHA. The Institut d’administration publique du Québec (IAPQ) also awarded the Prix d’excellence de l’administration publique du Québec for the creation of the CNESST, a success for the benefit of the public sector and Québec society.