The cleaning continues at the SAAQ, while the vice-president of the digital experience and one of the architects of the SAAQCLIC fiasco was dismissed from its functions. The employees of the Quebec Automobile Insurance Company (SAAQ) were informed by email on Tuesday morning.
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According to our information, the departure of vice-president Caroline Fold-Busque has been desired for several weeks by the government. “Ms. Fold-Busque has been dismissed from her duties,” confirms the organization.
The SAAQ and the Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault, are trying somehow to turn the page on the Saaqclic episode.
“In the current context in which the vice-president is faced with certain difficulties and opportunities, there is reason to resort to a manager that can face the challenges we are and will be confronted,” said the SAAQ spokesperson Simon-Pierre Poulin.
It is the current vice-president of IT affairs of Retraite Québec, Luc Leblanc, who will be appointed. He will have the challenge of taking up the bar of this IT fiasco from August 25.
“It is an opportunity to renew our approach. This change is part of a desire to strengthen our ability to deliver reliable, modern and safe services, “said the spokesperson.
Without waiting for the end of the work and the report of the Gallant Commission, which must shed light on the fiasco, the Minister of Transport decided to intervene. The latter is embarrassed by the declarations and revelations made since the start of the commission’s hearings.
At the beginning of July, Geneviève Guilbault also dismissed CEO Éric Ducharme, replacing him by Annie Lafond.
Important actress
For many years, the manager Caroline Fold-Busque has been the right arm of Karl Malenfant, ex-vice-president of the Digital Experience of SAAQ and manager of the Saaqclic project. When she was retired, Ms. Fold-Busque had taken over the torch.
Their collaboration had started at Hydro-Québec, while the two companions led there a digital transformation also qualified as “fiasco”.
They imported their methods into the SAAQ, which ended in the Saaqclic disaster.
The auditor general of Quebec denounced last February that project managers cheated on the senior management of the SAAQ, its board of directors and the government.
They would have hidden delays, computer problems and an explosion in costs of $ 500 million, bringing the bill to at least $ 1.1 billion by 2027.
“Ms. Fold-Busque was appointed by the Board of Directors following a rigorous recruitment and selection process, objective and coordinated by an external firm, had mentioned last February the Coordinator of Media Relations, Gino Desrosiers.
Ms. Fold-Busque should testify in the coming weeks before Commissioner Denis Gallant. The hearings resume next week in Montreal.
