17 young Desjardins caisse officers off to Europe

Quebec City, March 29, 2008 – Seventeen young intern officers from Desjardins caisses in Quebec and Ontario will soon be heading off on a field trip to France and the Netherlands to study different types of financial cooperatives and learn about the main challenges they face.

At the Desjardins Group Annual General Meetings, President and CEO Mr. Alban D'Amours took the opportunity to announce the names of the winners of the Young Intern Officer – Discover Cooperatives in France contest. Jointly organized with the Offices jeunesse internationaux du Québec, the trip is part of the Desjardins Youth Focus program and is aimed specifically at young intern officers sitting on the Board of Directors or Board of Supervision of a Desjardins Caisse.

The lucky winners, selected by a random draw, are as follows:

• Brian Bélanger, of the Lower Saint Lawrence and Gaspésie-Îles-de-la Madeleine region
• Karine Veilleux, Kamouraska-Chaudière-Appalaches
• Sébastien Boivin, Quebec City East
• Jean-Pierre Marcoux, Quebec City West-South Shore
• Guillaum Dubreuil, Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean-Charlevoix-North Shore
• Julie Pépin, Central Quebec
• Jean-Frédéric Bourassa, Mauricie
• Audrey Huot, Eastern Townships
• Andréanne Joly, Richelieu-Yamaska
• François Richard, Lanaudière
• Priscillia Saint-Germain, Montreal South Shore
• Jean-François Corriveau, Laval-Laurentians
• Geneviève Filion, Montreal West
• Samuelle Couture, Montreal East
• Samuel Thauvette, Abitibi-Témiscamingue-Northern and Western Quebec
• Carl Belisle, Group caisses
• Mélanie Viau, Ontario caisses

The 10-day field trip (from June 5 to 15, 2008) will enable interns to visit 2 cooperative financial groups of Europe: the Crédit Agricole de France and Rabobank of the Netherlands. At the end of their stay, participants will have to submit a report of the trip in line with the 4 major axes of the Desjardins Youth Focus program, which are: commercial practices, democratic practices, knowledge and information, and employability.

"This is the fourth edition of the contest and by the end of this trip, a total of 65 young people will have had the privilege of participating in this experience. The exchange of knowledge and culture will undoubtedly open their eyes to new horizons. Our intern officers will also share their impressions and what they have learned with their colleagues at the caisse, so that the cooperative can also benefit from their experience," declared Desjardins Group President and CEO, Mr. Alban D'Amours.

About Desjardins Group

The largest integrated cooperative financial group in Canada, with global assets of over $144 billion as at December 31, 2007, Desjardins Group consists of a network of caisses/branches, credit unions and financial centres for Quebec– and Ontario-based companies, as well as about 20 subsidiaries in life and general insurance, securities, venture capital, and asset management, many of which are active nationwide. With the skills of its 40,000 employees and the commitment of more than 6,500 elected officers, Desjardins offers its 5.8 million members and clients–individuals and businesses alike–a full range of financial products and services. Its physical distribution network is rounded out by virtual access methods supported by leading-edge technology. For more information, visit www.desjardins.com.

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Source (for journalists only):
Nathalie Genest, Advisor
Information and Media Relations Department
514-281-7275
1-866-866-7000, ext. 7275

March 29
Press room at the Quebec City Convention Centre
418-649-5218