Leadership Team

After earning a Computer Engineering degree from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1987, Paul Raymond embarked on a career path forged by acute business sense and a propensity to lead. For more than a decade, his business acumen and visionary leadership skills have propelled Alithya’s growth and reputation as a trusted advisor in strategy and digital transformation, while fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that permeates all levels of the organization.  

After serving as a Communication Electronics Engineering Officer with Canada’s Department of National Defence, Paul entered the private sector in 1993, combining skillsets in IT strategy and business analysis in a variety of leadership positions. He spent 17 years at a global technology firm, where he held the position of Senior Vice President, Business Engineering. In April 2011, he joined Alithya as President and Chief Operating Officer of a young company employing 200 professionals. The following year, Paul was appointed President and CEO, marking the onset of continuous growth that led to Alithya becoming a publicly traded company on both the NASDAQ and Toronto Stock Exchanges, and today employing a global workforce.  

In 2016, Paul’s leadership and entrepreneurial skills were recognized by Ernst & Young, earning him the distinction of EY Entrepreneur of the Year, Quebec Information Technology. Later that same year, Alithya became the first technology services company to gain membership in the 30% Club, an organization comprised of more than 1,000 CEOs and Board Chairs in 20+ countries whose mission is to increase female representation on Boards and in executive leadership positions. Also on behalf of Alithya, Paul received the 2017 Grand Prix National for Job Creation and Prosperity, presented by the Conseil du Patronat du Québec, as well as the 2020 technology industry CEO of the Year Award presented by Investissement Québec.  

Since earning ICD.D certification as part of the Directors Education Program delivered by the McGill University, Executive Institute / University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management, Paul has served on the Boards of multiple organizations who have leveraged his experience to help guide their decision-making processes. For six years, he served on the Board of Directors of the Association québécoise des technologies (AQT), including three years as Chair. He also served on the board of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal for 3 years, and he currently sits on the Boards of WSP Global and the Institute of Corporate Directors.  

With more than 30 years of experience in the business world, Paul is also a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, and he has served for 10 years as President of the Maple Leaf Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of understanding between Canada and the United States. Additionally, Paul has devoted his time and leadership skills to the service of multiple philanthropic endeavors, including serving as Chair of the Quebec Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation for 7 years, helping guide the organization’s critical mission to grant the wishes of sick children. He also actively supports organizations such as Cybercap, preparing younger generations for a digital future. 

Bernard Dockrill joined Alithya in January 2023, leveraging more than 25 years of experience and a proven track record in managed services, systems integration, and consulting in the IT industry to assume the role of Chief Operating Officer. He oversees all Alithya operations and sales initiatives in Canada, the United States, and internationally.

Prior to joining Alithya, Bernard served as a Senior Executive for a major technology and consulting firm, where he implemented strong governance models and ensured the effective use of technology, automation and global delivery. His operational experience lays the foundations for his leadership of Alithya’s Operations group, backed by a human, results-driven approach that aligns with Alithya’s culture of growth and innovation. His years of executive-level collaborations as a trusted technical advisor to organizations in the financial services, insurance, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and distribution sectors provide him with a deep understanding of the operations behind the processes.

Bernard holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering (Honors) from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and he currently sits on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Greater Boston.  

Claude Thibault has more than twenty years of experience serving as CFO for a variety of companies, both private and publicly-traded. Before joining Alithya in August 2018, he served as CFO for a national engineering and industrial construction firm. He has previously worked in a variety of sectors, including high-tech and multimedia, manufacturing, distribution, and the services industry, serving companies operating in both Canada and the United States.

He has also worked in the investment banking sector, as well as in corporate financing and Mergers & Acquisitions. He has further applied his expertise and extensive knowledge of the financial markets to the service of numerous boards, and is both a Chartered Professional Accountant, with the Corporate Finance qualification (CPA, CA-CF), and a Chartered Business Valuator (CBV). Claude holds a Bachelor’s degree in commerce from HEC Montréal, as well as a Master of Business Administration from McGill University. 

Giulia was appointed Chief Human Capital Officer at Alithya in April 2023 and oversees the Human Capital activities in all geographies where Alithya operates, including benefits, compensation, training, diversity & inclusion, and the Company’s succession programs. Giulia is a strategic human resources executive with extensive global experience, recognized for her transformational leadership and astute business acumen in the manufacturing, consumer products, commodities, and finance sectors. Throughout her extensive career, she has excelled in managing a diversity of transversal enterprise-wide initiatives that have significantly impacted the people and cultures of the organizations that she has served, while creating value through the leveraging of collaborative teamwork.

Giulia serves on the Board of Directors of Women in Capital Markets, and her continued support for numerous causes, as well as her mentorship of women and emerging leaders, contribute to Alithya’s culture of giving back. She holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and Industrial Relations from McGill University, and an MBA from the joint Executive program of HEC Montréal/McGill University. Also, Giulia obtained a Graduate Diploma in Human Resources Management from McGill University, and the International Directors Program Certificate from INSEAD Business School. She is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors. 

Dany Paradis has more than 20 years of experience in the implementation of integrated management and accounting systems. As Senior Vice President, Dany leads Alithya's operations and sales activities in Quebec, Canada. Dany is highly respected by her industry peers and colleagues. She is a trail blazer, having established herself as a successful female entrepreneur in an IT landscape dominated by men in leadership positions. Having opened many doors behind her, she continues to champion the path of women in the IT sector by serving as a mentor to female candidates of the Quebec Association of IT’s Women in IT initiative.

Until 2016, Dany was co-president and responsible for the administration of the largest Oracle solutions integration company in Quebec, before an acquisition led to the integration of that company’s activities with those of Alithya. In addition to being a graduate of Laval University in Business Administration and Organizational Information Systems, Dany is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). 

As President of Alithya US, Russell Smith is responsible for all Alithya operations in the US market. Russell’s experience includes raising venture capital and deploying capital to drive growth and profitability, while increasing shareholder value. He also has experience leading business combinations and successfully managing the resulting integrations. In fact, he played an integral role in architecting and executing the business strategy that led to the company to being recognized as a leading Microsoft Dynamics partner.

Prior to working at Alithya, Russell was co-founder of a company that provided enterprise applications and consulting services to the manufacturing sector, and he also worked for large IT companies. Russell holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Auburn University, as well as a Master of Business Administration from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. 

As Senior Vice President for Ontario and Western Canada, Nigel leads a team focused on empowering clients in the financial and energy industries, helping them to realize successful business outcomes through the implementation of digital and engineering solutions. That process includes the implementation of IT/OT systems, the development of digital strategies, the migration of applications to Azure, and delivering insights and efficiencies enabled by innovative technologies including AR/VR, data, analytics, and AI solutions.

Nigel has served on the Board of the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) for eight years in support of an industry experiencing increased demand for clean energy. He also serves on the Board of TechConnex, an association dedicated to enabling the growth of post startup technology businesses. Nigel also oversees Alithya’s Indigenous Relations Program.

Nigel joined Alithya in 2017 through the acquisition of Systemware Innovation Corporation (SWI), where he served as CEO. He is a Professional Engineer with a Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Toronto.

Amar Bukkasagaram heads Alithya’s business unit responsible for delivering IP-enabled digital transformation services for data-rich clients, particularly in the insurance and government sectors. In July 2022, Amar was named Senior Vice President, Data Solutions following the acquisition of Datum Consulting Group.

After more than two decades of deep core technology transformation and business process reengineering experience across global insurance, healthcare, and financial markets, Amar is an accomplished executive with demonstrated success in building effective teams, resolving complex issues, and managing multiple technical projects in a cost-effective manner.

Leveraging extensive experience that he amassed as a global entrepreneur in both the public and private sectors, Amar assembled Datum's highly skilled team and spearheaded the company’s development of a suite of proprietary products and cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings. 

John Scandar is Senior Vice President and oversees our Microsoft practice. John has more than 20 years of experience in the manufacturing enterprise software market, with an emphasis on leveraging IT investments to improve business success. He has extensive international experience, including sales team management and the establishment of new offices in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Canada.

His experience also includes product management and positioning for enterprise software. In his career, he has been instrumental in the success of many mergers and acquisitions, as well as raising private equity and venture capital financing. Prior to being with Alithya, he held several key senior management positions for a few software and system integration companies. John holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Concordia University in Montreal. 

As Senior Vice President, Oracle Practice at Alithya, Mike Feldman’s leadership skills have been instrumental in assisting Alithya teams in implementing and optimizing ERP, EPM, and HCM solutions for some of Oracle’s most successful cloud transformations. After serving in key leadership positions with consulting firms including Andersen Consulting and Ernst & Young, Mike founded Travercent, a leading US-based Oracle Cloud-focused consulting group, initially focused on the healthcare sector, that was acquired by Alithya in December 2019.

Since obtaining his Bachelor of Business Administration and Master in Professional Accounting degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, Mike has acquired more than 25 years of software consulting and industry experience, helping clients build comprehensive solutions that produce measurable returns on investment. In his current role, Mike continues to extend his expertise to Alithya customers who are seeking to connect, transform, and grow their businesses. 

As Vice President of Alithya France, Franck Benhamou is responsible for Alithya's operations in France in four offices: Paris, Aix-en-Provence, Sophia Antipolis, and Toulouse. A computer science graduate from the University of Nice, he has amassed a lengthy track record in the realm of IT services and development.

After holding key positions in large organizations and heading vast business units, Franck’s entrepreneurial spirit inspired him to establish his own company to provide IT services tailored to his clients’ needs. Franck joined Alithya in November 2003, following the acquisition of his firm by Alithya. 

With a degree in computer engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada, Robert Lamarre has an extensive background in the technology sector, where he has worked since 1987. He specializes in acquisitions integration, managing real estate portfolios, and procurement. He joined Alithya in April 2016 as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer and is responsible for overseeing Alithya’s information technology operations, an area critical to the company’s strategy and growth.

Prior to joining Alithya, Robert spent much of his career working for an international technology company, where he rose through the ranks and held a number of executive positions, including Chief Operating Officer for the Northeastern Region of the United States. 

Lawyer and member of the Quebec Bar, Nathalie Forcier specializes in commercial law, securities law, corporate governance and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining Alithya in 2018 as Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Nathalie worked successively for two cross-border listed multinationals, building a solid reputation for her work on strategic issues related to business law and corporate governance.

Prior to holding executive positions in the legal services departments of major technology companies, Nathalie was a partner at one of Canada's largest law firms. Her business acumen and extensive experience provide invaluable support to the execution of Alithya's organic growth strategy and acquisitions. Nathalie holds a Bachelor's degree in Civil Law from Laval University.