Irrefutable figure and jewel of Quebec entrepreneurship, visionary, Danièle Henkel is endowed with an incomparable, limitless determination and perseverance. As a citizen of the world, and because of her pluralistic nature, she is, as illustrated by mayor of Paris Anne Hildalgo who in 2017 bestowed her with the medal of the knight of the National Order of merit of France, “the uniqueness in the universal.” Her passion, creativity and leadership are heartedly devoted to the development of communities, and to the respect and celebration of diversity.
Born in Oujda, Morocco, to a Moroccan Jewish mother and a German catholic father, Danièle Henkel grows up in north Africa. After studying international relations at the University of Oran Es-Sénia in Algeria, she served ten years as the political and economic advisor to the U.S Embassy in Algeria. In 1989, Danièle was awarded FSN (Foreign Service National) employee of the year by the U.S State Department in Washington, the department’s most prestigious award.
In January 1990, her intuition, and perhaps her survival instincts urged her to immigrate to Quebec with her mother, husband and four children. Six years later, while trying to make ends meet by accumulating jobs, Danièle Henkel creates the Gant Renaissance™, starting point of the Danièle Henkel Enterprises inc. The company, which puts on the market cutting-edge and non-invasive technologies, develops franchises, and offers a wide range of cosmetic products, grows to become one of the top 100 in the country.
Danièle Henkel’s innovative mind, resilience, determination, and authenticity are behind why she is never afraid of challenges, even those that many consider insurmountable. Her motto: everything is possible because we have the courage to try.
Moreover, a good example of Danièle Henkel’s unique way of doing business is her company. Today recognized as the Canadian leader in the medico-aesthetic world, Les Entreprises Danièle Henkel™, was created in 1986 from a simple exfoliating glove: le Gant Renaissance™. An initiative that many condemned to failure. Today, it is the best-selling product of its category in Canada and around the world.
Her sense of duty, her humanity, her creativity, and her love for education are driving forces in everything she does. These are the values that led to the success of her Academy™. The mission of the Academy™ is to improve the skills of thousands of professionals working in the medico-aesthetic world, therefore enabling them to better contribute to the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
In 2015, she conceived a unique partnership in the world! A high-caliber healthcare concept franchises with the Uniprix pharmacy chain. In 18 months, 80 franchises were installed. Once again, the visionary transcends, and was able to prove wrong to everyone who doomed this project to failure. For the retail world, it’s the start of a new era.
Danièle Henkel is a woman of unshakable values. In business as in life, education remains at the center of her actions, projects, and interventions. Successful author and speaker, Danièle fulfills her roles as mentor, strategic advisor and professional coach with the utmost respect and dedication. Her two autobiographical works, Quand l’intuition trace la route (2013) and Au cœur de mes valeurs (2015), as well as the essay Ces différence qui nous rassemblent (2019) are all ranked best sellers. Furthermore, her accomplishments resonate and echoes overseas, as she is called upon to speak about her experiences and her vision in various countries such as France, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and the Maghreb.
Her sharp and colorful intelligence, her profound and sincere attentiveness and her courage make her a remarkable and invested businesswoman who, during five seasons of Dans l’oeil du Dragon aired on ICI Radio-Canada Télé, quite instantly charmed the audience. Now, considered an essential media personality, Danièle is highly sought-after for various commitments, sponsorships, and events.
Among the most notable, she lends her voice to various causes in commitment to organizations such as Dress for Success (honorary president), the Québec Lung Association (honorary president), Sclérodermie Québec (honorary president), Care Canada (ambassador), Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal (campaign president), Leucan (honorary sponsor), la Société canadienne de sclérose en plaques (event spokesperson), la Fondation Émergence (co-chair of a fundraising) and la Maison Bleue (honorary president of a fundraiser).
As an exemplary administrator, Danièle Henkel sits on several private, public, parapublic and paramunicipal administrative and advisory boards. She has been a member of the boards of directors of the fondation de l’entrepreneurship and Réseau Mentorat, the Armand-Frappier Foundation, the Centre québécois d’innovation en commerce, the Conseil québécois d’innovation en commerce, and the Québec Breast Cancer Foundation. From 2015 to 2018, one of her proudest accomplishments has been her presidency at the board of directors of the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau. She brilliantly fulfilled her mandates, including bringing together partners, improving governance, reinventing Parc Jean-Drapeau, as well as carrying out important work while balancing the financial health of the society of Parc Jean-Drapeau.
Danièle Henkel is a real advocate. Aware of people’s challenges and realities, she rallies both business and political worlds. In 2013, she had the great honor of replacing the Governor General for the graduation ceremony of the Royal Military College St-Jean. In 2018, she is named the Government of Canada’s Champion of the #WeFi initiative, a World Bank program that aims to promote the financial independence of women entrepreneurs in developing countries. She also named a member of the advisory board of FinDev Canada, a finance institute of Canada’s development. In 2019, the honorable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade and Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion, entrusts her with the co-chair of a committee of national experts to find ideas to increase the number of women entrepreneurs in Canada. Additionally, since 2018 Danièle Henkel has also been a member of the advisory Board of Investissement Québec.
In November 2018, as she continues to find solutions and is eager to bring about change, she launches Henkel media a digital media platform whose mission is the empowerment of entrepreneurs, especially those under-represented, while bringing together the business world and the public. DanièleHenkel.tv applauds courage, dedication, perseverance, and passion; and will continuously put the spotlight on those who are all too often in the shadows.
Danièle Henkel’s influence is such that in March 2020 she was named among the most trusted personalities of the decade of the business field by L’Institut de la confiance dans les organisations. In June 2021, according to the most credible scientific survey, the Institut de crédibilité ranked her second among the most credible CEOs in Quebec. Establishing herself amongst the Top 100 of the most influential women in Canada according to WXNetwork, she becomes in 2021 the spokesperson for Femmessor, an organization dedicated to the development of under-represented entrepreneurs to be an agent of change and promote inclusion and diversity.
As an integral part of diversity, Daniele Henkel has made inequalities her spearhead. Her mission: a democratization and recognition of the positive and socio-economic impact of entrepreneurship. In 2020, Danièle Henkel co-creates “le Programme de certification en leadership inclusif et participatif” in partnership with Infopresse. Her objective is to counter conscious or unconscious biases by recognizing skills and highlighting meritocracy.
It is because Danièle Henkel has previously delt with sensible subjects touching upon freedom, inclusion, the gathering of several cultures, that Mélanie Paul, an indigenous entrepreneur, wished to make Danièle her godmother.
Distinctions and recognitions
Dare with confidence. Challenges and opportunities. Financing, development and support.
Inclusive entrepreneurship. Human resources management. Transformation of the labour market. Hiring a diverse workforce. Recognition of skills.
Impact entrepreneurship. Values & balance. Social mission. Governance & management. Empathetic leadership. Emotional intelligence.
Entrepreneurial skills. Measures of success. Know how to surround yourself & adapt. Creation & innovation.
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