03 June 2026, Mississauga: Bayer celebrates Jacqueline De Gagné, former Head of Law, Patents and Compliance (LPC) in Canada, on receiving the BLG Stephen Sigurdson Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian General Counsel Awards (CGCA), presented by ZSA Legal Recruitment.
The award recognizes De Gagné’s more than 30-year career at Bayer, where she served as Chief Legal Officer and helped shape the company’s legal, compliance, and governance functions across Canada and internationally. Since joining Bayer in 1995, she aligned legal strategy with business outcomes across pharmaceuticals, radiology, consumer health, and crop science, always with people at the center of decision making.
“There’s no one more passionate or caring about patients and farmers. She is the one person you can always call. No matter if it’s day or night. She is a trusted partner, and I think we all just loved working with her so much. She really cares about the people.” — Viktoria Friedrich, Country President and General Manager, Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Canada.
De Gagné’s leadership was instrumental in guiding high stakes litigation, patent enforcement, class action defense, corporate governance, and compliance. Her global experience, including an international assignment at Bayer’s headquarters in Germany and later leading compliance for Bayer China, brought perspective that strengthened how Bayer serves Canadians and communities worldwide. She is widely recognized for integrating legal insight with commercial strategy and patient access considerations to support long term business outcomes.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, De Gagné is known as a trusted advisor, colleague, friend, and mentor. She built high trust, high performing teams where people felt supported and empowered to do their best work, championed collaborative decision making, and fostered a culture of listening, learning, and moving forward together. Her influence reaches beyond any job description, touching patients, farmers, consumers, and the communities she served.
“The greatest lesson I’ve learned through my career is that you’re not alone. You’re never alone,” said De Gagné. “There are always people to bounce things off, but even more importantly, learn from, listen to, pull from, gain support from. We can’t make decisions in a vacuum, and we should never do that.”
A graduate of the University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, De Gagné holds a Master of Laws in Health Law and Intellectual Property from Osgoode Hall Law School and a Chartered Director designation from The Directors College. She is also a qualified patent agent and trademark agent, a rare combination of credentials that reflects her expertise across the full spectrum of legal, regulatory, and governance matters in the life sciences industry.
De Gagné is an active volunteer with the Alumnae Initiative for Women at the University of St. Michael’s College and the Friends of the Kelly Library, and she is a strong advocate for mentorship and reconciliation.
The Canadian General Counsel Awards are Canada’s national program dedicated exclusively to recognizing excellence within the in house counsel community. The Lifetime Achievement Award is one of the program’s highest honours, recognizing individuals whose careers have shaped legal practice, strengthened corporate governance, and inspired the next generation of legal leaders. De Gagné joins a distinguished group of past recipients, including John Laidlaw, KC (Irving Oil, 2025), Simon A. Fish (Bank of Montreal, 2024), and Gordon Currie (George Weston Limited, 2023).
Supporting Quotes
“Jacqueline helps us all appreciate and respect the contributions of people who have come before us and those who will come after. It’s made our purpose as an organization so special and gives us a responsibility to build something of value for the future Bayer community. Jacqueline’s vision is rare in the corporate world today, and part of her amazing legacy.”
Curtis Bunz, Head of Law, Bayer Canada.
“Jacqueline exemplifies the highest standards of Canada’s in‑house legal profession. Her leadership advanced corporate governance, elevated the role of strategic legal counsel, and set an example as mentor and role model for women in a demanding field merging law and science. Few have shaped the industry as meaningfully,” said Christopher Van Barr, Partner, Gowling WLG. ““It has been a tremendous pleasure, honour and privilege to work with Jacqueline over the years. I’ve learned from her that there is a Bayer way of doing things, which demands excellence and ethics, and to my mind was really Jacqueline’s way of doing things. Jacqueline always made you proud to be part of her team.”
“She allowed people to be accountable and gave them opportunities in perhaps the most unnerving of environments and just let them flourish.”
Andrew Mandlsohn, Legal Counsel, Law, Patents and Compliance, Bayer Canada.
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