Elaine Barsalou is Managing Director and National Head of the Private Company M&A team at National Bank Financial, its M&A advisory group dedicated to serve and support Canadian entrepreneurs and private businesses in realizing their M&A ambitions.
Elaine is a seasoned banker with 25+ years of experience. She started her investment banking career in 2000 at Scotiabank Global Banking and Markets. In 2016, she joined NBF’s investment banking team as Managing Director and had coverage responsibilities for some of the Bank’s most important clients from the Diversified Industries coverage group. Throughout her career, she acted as financial advisor on a broad spectrum of marquee M&A mandates of various sizes and complex nature as well as corporate equity and debt financing. Elaine is known as a passionate, client-focused banker who builds trusting relationships. Her inclusive and engaging leadership inspires multidisciplinary teams to work together to achieve results.
A few of her notable transactions include acting as financial advisor for QSL International on its sale to iCON Infrastructure & CDPQ, for New Look Vision Group on its privatization to a consortium of private equity sponsors (FFL & CDPQ), for Savaria on its acquisition of HandiCare, for Agropur on its divestiture of its yogurt division to Lactalis, for the consortium formed of the Dutil Family/CDPQ/FSTQ on its acquisition of the Canadian operations of Canam Group, for Groupe Jean Coutu on its sale to Metro, and for RONA on its sale to Lowe’s.
In addition to her professional activities and her participation in major fundraisers for charitable organizations, Elaine is currently a member of the Boards of Directors of Festival International de Jazz de Montréal and Francofolies de Montréal. She previously acted as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lemieux-Pilon 4D ART, a multidisciplinary art company (2014-2024). She was also involved with the Quebec chapter of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD-Quebec) where she served on its Board of Directors (2016-2022) and acted as President and CEO (2020-2022).
Elaine holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Major in Finance) from McGill University. She also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute and is a member of the CFA Montreal Association and the Institute of Corporate Directors. She was awarded the WCM’s 2021 Champions of Change honor.