July 29, 2021
Ottawa, Ontario
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that Canada’s new Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, appointed the following individuals as independent Senators to fill vacancies across Canada:
- David Arnot, for Saskatchewan
- Michèle Audette, for Québec
- Amina Gerba, for Québec
- Clément Gignac, for Québec
- Karen Sorensen, for Alberta
All new Senators were recommended by the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, and chosen using the merit-based process open to all Canadians. This process ensures Senators are independent, reflect Canada’s diversity, and are able to tackle the broad range of challenges and opportunities facing the country.
Amina Gerba
Amina Gerba is an entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience. An ambassador for Afro-optimism, she has acted as an economic link between Canada and Africa for many years.
Hailing from Cameroon, Ms. Gerba worked for a number of Canadian companies from 1993 to 1995, with a focus on the development of African markets. In 1995, she started her own consulting firm, Afrique Expansion Inc., in order to build bridges between Canada and Africa, and encourage business opportunities. Since then, she has created and managed other businesses, including Flash Beauté Inc. and Kariliss Laboratories Inc., as well as the non-profit organization Forum Afrique Expansion.
Ms. Gerba is Chair of the Board of Directors of Entreprendre ici, an organization set up as part of Quebec’s 2017-22 Plan d’action gouvernemental en entrepreneuriat to support entrepreneurs from cultural communities. She also sits on the Board of Directors of the Université du Québec à Montréal and its executive committee, and the Board of Directors of the organization ENSEMBLE for the respect of diversity. She is a member of the Canadian Council on Africa and the African Business Roundtable. She is also a member and former president of the Rotary Club of Old Montreal, and a mentor for the Réseau des entrepreneurs et professionnels africains.
Ms. Gerba has received numerous awards and honours, including Knight of the Ordre national du Québec in 2014, Business World Personality of the Year at the Gala Dynastie, and entrepreneur of the year by the Réseau des entrepreneurs et professionnels africains. She was also ranked as one of Quebec’s 25 most influential women by the newspaper Les Affaires.
Ms. Gerba holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a Master of Business Administration from the Université du Québec à Montréal.