Benjamin has been involved in the financing, management and development of companies in the technology sector for the past 15 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance and IT management from HEC Montréal, Quebec; he studied computer engineering at Polytechnique Montréal, Quebec.
Prior to joining Novacap, Mr. Desmarais was CEO of Fibrenoire, an Internet Service Provider (“ISP”) that he co-founded in 2007 and which quickly became the largest independent provider of business communications in Canada. Under his leadership, Fibrenoire has grown exponentially and successfully partnered with Novacap in 2013 to build a unique organization in Eastern Canada. Fibrenoire was finally acquired by Videotron in 2016, offering substantial value to all stakeholders. Following his tenure at Fibrenoire, Benjamin served as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ni2, a software company that developed a modern OSS solution designed to meet the needs of telecommunications companies and Internet service providers.
Mr. Desmarais is an angel investor and advisor to numerous start-ups and entrepreneurs, with a particular interest in ESG and HR technologies. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Gestion Férique, a fund manager serving Canadian engineers and their families.
Mr. Desmarais was recognized as CEO of the Year in 2013 by Investissement Québec in recognition of his exemplary leadership at Fibrenoire.
Benjamin currently serves on the boards of INdigital Holdings, Inc. and Stratus.
