Thomas Gagné

Thomas Gagné is a Defence Procurement Associate at Samuel Associates, a division of the Samuel Group of Companies. With over 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, he has established himself as a trusted and reliable advisor to numerous provincial and federal ministers in Québec City and Ottawa. Fluently bilingual in French and English, Thomas brings extensive expertise in managing complex political and public policy challenges, particularly in the defence, maritime, security, and procurement domains.

Over the past eight years, Thomas has held various roles within the current federal government’s political offices. Most recently, he served as the Director of Defence Procurement and Industry Relations for two Ministers of National Defence, where he cultivated and maintained a substantial network of relationships with key industry stakeholders in the defence sector. Prior to that, he was a Senior Policy Advisor (Defense and Marine Procurement) to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement. He also served as Senior Advisor for Québec and Issues Management for the Minister of Labour and held various positions with the Minister of National Revenue.

Earlier in his career, Thomas was involved in provincial politics in Québec City, supporting various ministers, including those responsible for intergovernmental affairs and indigenous affairs. He also operated his own consulting business as a consultant, coach, and teacher at the Outaouais Entrepreneurial Center, assisting clients with business start-ups and development.

Originally from Aylmer (now part of Gatineau), Québec, Thomas lived in Québec City while working with ministers from 2003 to 2007. He returned to the National Capital Region in 2007 to focus on business start-up consulting for various clients and, in 2015, joined the newly elected federal government’s political staff team, where he served until 2023.Outside of his professional career, Thomas enjoys good food and cooking, traveling around the world, spending time with friends and family.