I was born on January 18, 1963, in St-Georges de Beauce to Doris and Gilles Bernier. I am the father of two young daughters, Charlotte et Megan.
An avid sportsman, I played football in my teens and was a member of the Condors, the team of the Séminaire St-Georges, when they won the Bol d’Or at the Olympic Stadium in 1980. I have taken part in several marathons and run daily to keep fit.
In 1985, I obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Université du Québec à Montréal, after which I studied law at the University of Ottawa. I was called to the Quebec Bar in 1990.
I have had a long-standing interest in business. My professional career has taken me from positions in several financial and banking institutions, including the National Bank, Quebec’s securities commission, the Commission des valeurs mobilières du Québec, and Standard Life of Canada, to that of executive vice-president of the Montreal Economic Institute in 2005.
My passion for public policy led me to contribute to the creation of the Montreal Economic Institute, a research and educational organization.
Many people of Beauce began to encourage me to take the plunge into politics. After meeting with Stephen Harper in the summer of 2005, I agreed to take on this challenge and was elected Member of Parliament for Beauce on January 23, 2006, with the largest majority outside of Alberta. I was appointed to Cabinet on February 6, 2006, as minister of Industry and became minister of Foreign Affairs on August 14, 2007.
