Cracking the Quebec Code: The 7 Keys to Understanding Quebecers

The key to opening the hearts, minds and wallets of Quebecers

Most Quebecers come from a French culture, live in an English society and have an American lifestyle.  Who are Quebecers exactly? What do they want? What are their aspirations?
This book paints a surprising, sometimes unsettling, and consistently uncompromising portrait of the Quebec personality. During the last 30 years, the Leger survey firm has collected the most intimate secrets, deepest fears and greatest hopes of Quebecers and Canadians, in order to redefine what constitutes the Quebec difference.  Using a scientific approach, this book unveils the seven character traits that make Quebecers unique – not better or worse, but different.

Born in 1961, Jean-Marc Léger is an economist and president of Leger, the largest Canadian-owned polling, research and strategic marketing firm. He founded the company with his father, Marcel Léger, in 1986, under the name Léger & Léger. Under his management, Leger made five acquisitions in Canada and the U.S. Today, Leger has more than 500 employees in Canada (Montréal, Québec, Toronto, Edmonton and Calgary) and the U.S. (Philadelphia). Jean-Marc Léger was president of the board of directors at the Université du Québec à Montréal from 1999 to 2003 and the Publicité Club de Montréal from 2002 to 2003. He is president of the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research, which includes the biggest independent research firms in the world. He is also member of the board of directors for the newspaper Le Devoir and Groupe TVA. He makes regular television appearances, particularly during Quebec and Canadian elections, as a specialist of opinion research. He is also a columnist for Le Journal de Montréal and the Toronto Sun.

Jacques Nantel has taught at HEC Montréal since 1981. At HEC Montréal, he successively held the positions of Director of the Marketing Department, holder of the Omer DeSerres Chair of Retailing and Director of Academic Programs. In 2002, he became the first holder and founder of the Omer DeSerres Chair of Retailing. From 2007 to 2012 he was Secretary General of HEC Montréal. Jacques Nantel is or has been a member of different boards of directors for companies and organizations including Groupe Vidéotron, PLB international, Groupe Renaud-Bray, Groupe Pierre Belvédère, Groupe Germain Hôtels, the BMO Advisory Board on Retirement, the Organisme d’autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (OACIQ) and Centraide of Greater Montreal.

A journalist for more than 30 years, Pierre Duhamel has observed and commented on economic news since 1986. He has been editor or editor in chief of a number of publications, including magazines (Commerce, Affaires Plus, Montréal Centre-Ville) and specialized newspapers (Finance & Investissement, Investment Executive). A highly sought-after speaker, Pierre Duhamel has also commented on economic news on Canal Argent, LCN and TVA.