On behalf of everyone at the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), I extend my best wishes for a successful and fulfilling 2025 to each of you.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) like yours are the heartbeat of the Canadian economy. You create jobs, provide goods and services, and drive growth in our communities. This year, your entrepreneurial spirit, determination, and commitment will be crucial as we overcome economic challenges together and capture opportunities.
We are all familiar with the headlines—declining productivity, slowing GDP growth, and fewer new entrepreneurs. But there are also bright spots, initiatives to bring you new financing and support options as you build and grow your businesses.
As Canada’s only bank devoted exclusively to entrepreneurs, we can help in multiple ways by listening, advising and providing flexible, committed and patient financing, just as we have been doing for the past 80 years.
We also recently launched an innovative Community Banking initiative. By partnering with 80 community organizations across the country, we aim to reach 100,000 more entrepreneurs and contribute to increasing the number of active small businesses by 10% over the next decade.
We can accelerate the pace in securing financing for more entrepreneurs to foster their growth. We cannot afford to let any potential go untapped—having more productive businesses is one of the best answers to Canada’s economic challenges.
Speaking of untapped potential, across the many entrepreneurs I met throughout the past year, I see more business owners recognizing the importance of technology. Adopting technologies is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s mandatory. That’s why we launched our new Data to AI Program. Think of it as a roadmap to integrating AI in your business and enhancing productivity. I believe that all small businesses should benefit from the power of AI.
I am excited to see what all of you—Canada’s entrepreneurial dreamers and doers—will achieve in 2025. And I am confident that, together, we will make a significant impact on our communities and our economy.
Happy New Year!
Véronique Dorval
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, BDC
Véronique Dorval brings an impressive 24-year career as a strategic business leader with a track record for driving growth, delivering ambitious transformations and creating client-focused digitally enabled operating models.
As Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at BDC, Véronique oversees the Financing, Growth & Transition Capital, and Advisory Services business lines, ensuring BDC’s solutions are integrated, effective and efficient for maximum impact on Canadian business owners.
Véronique is strongly involved in the development of women in the workplace and in her community. She actively contributes to the FitSpirit non-profit organization. Previously, she was a member of the Board of Directors of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens (2013-2023) and a member of the Advisory Board of Heads & Hands (2013-2016). Since June 2022, she has been a member of the Board of Directors of Eugeria. She also joined the Conference Board of Canada’s board of directors in November 2024.
