A former top executive of the embattled engineering giant SNC-Lavalin has faced significant professional consequences for his role in past corruption scandals. Jacques Lamarre, the company's former Chief Executive Officer, has been stripped of his engineering licence and ordered to pay a $75,000 fine. The disciplinary decision was made public on January 7, 2026.
Details of the Disciplinary Breaches
The sanctions stem from Lamarre's tenure at the helm of SNC-Lavalin, a period marked by widespread legal and ethical controversies for the Montreal-based multinational. The regulatory body governing professional engineers in Quebec found Lamarre in violation of its code of ethics related to acts of corruption. While the full disciplinary report details specific breaches, the core finding is that Lamarre failed in his professional duties to uphold the integrity of the engineering profession during a critical era for the company.
The $75,000 financial penalty is coupled with the permanent revocation of his right to practice as an engineer. This move effectively ends his formal professional career in the field he led for years. The case adds a personal, professional dimension to the lengthy legal saga that has surrounded SNC-Lavalin for over a decade, involving allegations of bribery and fraud related to international contracts.
The Broader SNC-Lavalin Context
Lamarre served as CEO of SNC-Lavalin from 1996 to 2009, a period of aggressive global expansion for the firm. The corruption allegations that later surfaced largely pertained to projects secured during this time frame in countries like Libya. His disciplinary case is a separate proceeding from the criminal charges that were previously faced by the corporation itself.
The company, now known professionally as AtkinsRéalis, reached a landmark deferred prosecution agreement with Canadian authorities in 2022, agreeing to pay hundreds of millions in fines. This action against its former CEO by a professional order represents a distinct form of accountability, targeting individual professional standing rather than corporate liability.
Consequences and Closing a Chapter
The ruling sends a strong message about professional accountability for executives in regulated industries. For Lamarre, the loss of his licence is a symbolic and practical fall from grace for a once-powerful figure in Canadian business. The fine and licence revocation conclude this particular disciplinary chapter, though the SNC-Lavalin story remains a potent reference in discussions about corporate ethics and governance in Canada.
The publication of the decision on January 7, 2026, brings renewed attention to a scandal that has had lasting political and legal repercussions across the country. It underscores that consequences for the corruption breaches continue to unfold years after the initial events, affecting not just the corporate entity but the individuals who led it.
