Concordia mourns passing of Luc Beauregard

Luc Beauregard, founding chairman of RES PUBLICA, was a pioneer in the field of strategic communications and a committed volunteer. He died on July 26 in Montreal, at the age of 71. 

Concordia’s Luc Beauregard Centre of Excellence in Communications Research at the John Molson School of Business (JMSB) is named in his honour. 

"Luc lived a great life, and made significant and enduring contributions to Montreal, to Quebec, to Canada, and to his profession," says Alan Shepard, president of the university.

Steve Harvey, dean of JMSB, also responded to the news: “We are saddened by the loss of a man who gave so generously of his time and love of the discipline. Luc was very well respected by the Montreal business community.”

Initially a newspaper man, Beauregard saw many advances in communications and public relations over the course of his 35-year career. Embracing innovation, he welcomed the move from print reporting to online and social media platforms. 

Born in Montreal in 1941, Beauregard attended Collège Stanislas locally, and started his journalistic career as Ottawa parliamentary correspondent and city editor of the Montreal newspaper La Presse. He spent three years as president and publisher of the daily tabloid Montréal-Matin before founding NATIONAL Public Relations in 1976. Under his leadership, NATIONAL became the largest public relations firm in Canada; it is now part of the even larger RES PUBLICA.

In April 2012, Concordia founded the Luc Beauregard Centre of Excellence in Communications Research to strengthen exchanges between scholars in industry and marketing and strategic communications, with the aim of creating a better understanding of the role of communications in business. NATIONAL spearheaded a campaign that raised $605,000 to establish the research hub, the first of its kind at a Canadian business school.

Jordan LeBel, director of the centre, expressed his sadness at the news of Beauregard’s passing. “My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.” 

LeBel also conveyed his admiration for Beauregard. “Advancing the cause of public relations, and helping public relations professionals assert their position at the head decision-making table were constant preoccupations of his. He has been a great source of inspiration and helped us get the centre on track. I personally learned a great deal from him.”

Beauregard was a tireless volunteer as well. A long-standing member of the advisory board of the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, he was also the founding chairman of Public Relations Without Borders. He was named a member of the Order of Canada for his major contributions to communications and society, and was honoured by his peers when he received the Award of Attainment, the highest recognition of the Canadian Public Relations Society.

“He was a role model for generations to come,” says Harvey. “He will be missed.”

To listen a podcast featuring words from the late Beauregard, please consult “Blazing new trail for research in strategic communications” — Accent, October 23, 2012.