Founder and Executive Director, École nationale de l’humour (ÉNH)

EMBA, MCGILL-HEC MONTRÉAL

Louise Richer is the founder and executive director of the École nationale de l’humour, the world’s first professional comedy school. Established in 1988, the ÉNH is now an internationally renowned institution as well as a pillar of Quebec’s cultural scene. An revered figure in comedy circles, Louise is passionate about discussing the role of humour in society and has organized a number of conferences on the subject. She also created the Observatoire de l’humour, an organization that produces and disseminates humour-related research.

Louise won a Prix femmes d’affaires du Québec (in the not-for-profit category) in 2014 and was honoured with the Mercure Leadership Germaine-Gibara Award (in the small- and medium-sized business category) at the 2015 Les Mercuriades Gala hosted by the Fédération des chambres de commerces du Québec. In 2010, she was awarded UQAM’s Prix Reconnaissance for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in recognition of her exceptional professional achievements.

In February 2016, Louise completed the McGill-HEC Montréal EMBA program, for which she wrote a thesis on humour in business, a first in Quebec. She also has a degree in psychology and worked as a teacher earlier in her career.

In May 2016, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for her “contributions to the development and dissemination of the performing arts as director of the École nationale de l’humour.” In May 2022, she was named a Distinguished Member of the Ordre de l’excellence en éducation du Québec.