Elected officers and young intern officers

Contribute to the socio-economic development of your community while being involved in the largest financial cooperative in Canada.

Young intern officers (open to 18 to 30 year-olds)

Would you like to do a practical year-long internship on a caisse Board of Directors or Board of Supervision? Working with elected officers will help you learn about the role of officers and allow you to develop a valuable network of contacts. Find out more about the Young Intern Officer program

Elected officers

You can express your desire to become an elected officer at any time. Speak to the general manager or an employee who will tell you what you need to do.

Then, during the appropriate period, you'll need to apply for one of the available positions. The application period generally ends about four days before the caisse's Annual General Meeting. Officers are not appointed by the general management or Desjardins Group; they are elected by fellow-members during the Annual General Meeting.

The number of elected officers varies from caisse to caisse. However, there are always two boards that require member contribution: the Board of Directors and the Board of Supervision.

The democratic structure of the caisse:

• The Board of Directors
• The Board of Supervision
• The Board of Representatives

The Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is made up of 5 to 15 members elected by members during the Annual General Meeting. In addition to attending board meetings, the board members also work in committees to address certain specific issues.

There is no shortage of work! The board's main responsibilities include:

• Encouraging community life and ensures the integration of cooperative values in caisse procedures.
• Establishing caisse orientations and policies, business plan and operating budget.
• Hiring and supervising the person overseeing caisse management.
• Overseeing the financial and risk management of the caisse.
• Ensuring member satisfaction.
• Representing the caisse in its community and within the Group.

The Board of Supervision

The caisse's Board of Supervision ensures that:

• The caisse upholds the values, principles and rules of the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
• Democratic rights and responsibilities are exercised within the caisse.
• The caisse assumes its responsibilities regarding cooperative, economic and financial education.
• The caisse maintains good working relationships with other caisses, the Desjardins network and other cooperatives in the community.
• The caisse's commitment is carried out effectively and in keeping with its values.
• Permanent, cooperative values are integrated into the caisse's commercial and management practices.

Council of Representatives

The Council of Representatives acts as the community and Fédération mouthpiece for the caisses of a region. The Council of Representatives is composed of 10 elected officers and 5 general managers. All members of the board are elected by their local caisse officers.

Among other things, the Council of Representatives:

• Adopts the regional caisse business plan in keeping with Desjardins Group objectives and helps identify regional issues.
• Influences the Fédération in its decisions pertaining to the major orientations of the Group.
• Ensures that the concerns of the caisse in the region are taken into account by the Fédération.

For more information, contact your caisse.