2002 Recipient—Laurent Beaudoin

MONTREAL, October 17, 2002 – Laurent Beaudoin, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee of Bombardier Inc., will receive The Conference Board of Canada’s highest honour, The Honorary Associate Award, at the Board’s Annual General Meeting and Honorary Associate Award Dinner today.

The Award will be presented to him after dinner this evening at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal.

"Through his leadership, vision, and strategic decisions, Laurent Beaudoin has influenced the shape of the transportation industry on five continents," said Anne Golden, President and CEO of The Conference Board of Canada. "Mr. Beaudoin is known in the business community for his innovative and entrepreneurial spirit and his remarkable intuitive powers. We are very proud to honour him with our 2002 Honorary Associate Award."

The Honorary Associate Award is the highest award presented by the Conference Board, and is conferred annually upon individuals who have served both their organization and their country with distinction during their working careers. It is a lifetime appointment and Honorary Associates become voting members of the corporation.

Mr. Beaudoin has been Chairman of the Board and of the Executive Committee at Bombardier since 1999. He served as CEO of Bombardier for 20 years from 1979 to 1999, and was president of the Montréal-based company from 1966 to 1979.

During this 36-year period, he has worked tirelessly to make Bombardier into what it is today. From its modest beginnings as a snowmobile maker, Bombardier is now a world-leading manufacturer of business and regional jets, rail transportation equipment, and motorized recreational products.

Mr. Beaudoin served one term on the Board of the Directors of the Conference Board, from 1980 to 1983.

Mr. Beaudoin’s business acumen has been recognized by many organizations. Among the most prestigious awards he has received are CEO of the Year by The Financial Post and The Caldwell Partners; Canada’s International Executive of the Year by the International Chamber of Commerce; and the Prix de Carrière by the Conseil du Patronat du Québec. He has also been inducted into the World Trade Hall of Fame by the World Trade Institute and the Greater Los Angeles World Trade Center Association, and recognized by Ernst & Young of Québec with the Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the Entrepreneur of the Year 2000 program.

Mr. Beaudoin sits on the Board of Directors of the International Foundation of the Canadian Centre for Architecture, on the Advisory Board of Lazard Canada, and on the Canadian Advisory Board of The Carlyle Group. He is a Companion of the Order of Canada and an Officer of l’Ordre National du Québec.