In brief
In April 2026, Bilan, through its thematic supplement Focus Femmes Inspirantes (Smart Media), dedicated a portrait to Isabelle Gagnon, founder and managing director of ITalent SA. The article, titled "L'art de choisir celles et ceux qui décident" (The art of choosing those who decide), traces her career path and her vision of governance.
A leader at the intersection of technical and business
Isabelle Gagnon is a Swiss-Canadian leader. Originally trained as a chemical engineer and biotechnologist, she expanded her career with a degree in administration focused on organisational change, finance and leadership, followed by board director training programmes and an Executive certificate from École Polytechnique de Paris on leading with data and artificial intelligence.
This dual culture allows her to engage equally with researchers, engineers and clinical teams, and with executive committees and boards of directors.
Her early career, between Canada and Europe, took her from organisational development to international technology transfer, then into Executive Search where she leads strategic recruitment mandates for senior managers and executives. She founded ITalent SA in 2012.
A signature focused on governance
At the head of ITalent SA, Isabelle Gagnon supports leading multinationals and innovative SMEs in the recruitment of their executives and board members. Her preferred terrain: high technology, pharmaceuticals and medical, sectors where sector expertise is decisive.
Beyond the work of executive search itself, the article highlights a simple conviction she carries with force:
"Recruiting an executive or a board member is shaping the governance of tomorrow. It is about identifying those who will carry a vision, make courageous decisions and build teams that last."
Isabelle Gagnon, Managing Director, ITalent SA
A voice for more diverse governance
Isabelle Gagnon does not limit herself to executive search. She also serves as an Executive Advisor in Business Transformation & Growth at the European level and invests as a Business Angel in health start-ups. At a time when women are taking an increasing place on boards of directors, her trajectory reminds us that inspiration is not decreed: it is built day after day and opens the way for other women.
More than a leader
The article also reflects the human dimension behind the leader: Isabelle Gagnon is a mother of five children, two of whom already practise as physicians and a third pursues medical studies, in direct echo to the sectors she accompanies professionally. A reality she claims openly because it deeply nourishes the way she leads.
"You don't lead a company the way you raise a family, but both demand the same thing: a clear vision, courage and a true presence."
Read the full article
The original article "L'art de choisir celles et ceux qui décident" is published in the Focus Femmes Inspirantes supplement by Smart Media (Bilan), April 2026.
View the full supplement on Issuu →
Going further
Source
Discuss a mandate with ITalent →
Frequently asked
Questions on this topic.
- Where has Isabelle Gagnon been featured in the press?
- Isabelle Gagnon, founder of ITalent SA, was featured in a portrait by Bilan in its Focus Femmes Inspirantes supplement, published by Smart Media in April 2026. This portrait followed an article and televised interview in Le Figaro Économie in May 2022.
- Who is Isabelle Gagnon, founder of ITalent SA?
- Isabelle Gagnon is a Swiss-Canadian leader, originally trained as a chemical engineer and biotechnologist, complemented by a degree in administration (organisational change, finance, leadership) and an Executive certificate from École Polytechnique de Paris on leading with data and artificial intelligence. She has worked as International Headhunter, Board Member and Business Angel Investor for more than 25 years across Europe, the Americas and Asia. She founded ITalent SA in 2012.
- What sectors does ITalent SA specialise in?
- ITalent SA supports both leading multinationals and innovative SMEs in the recruitment of their executives and board members. Sectors of expertise include high technology, pharmaceuticals and medical, where sector expertise is decisive.
