As the founder of the largest network of premium medical aesthetic clinics in Canada and the co-founder of the first social thermal station in Quebec, it’s fair to say that Marilyne Gagné has transformed the beauty and wellness industry.
BUT WHERE DID IT ALL START?
“I grew up in Abitibi, in a very small village of around 3,000. My father was a chemist in the pulp and paper industry and my mother was a senior caregiver,” says Gagné.
“I had the desire to have an ambitious life and didn’t want to stay somewhere without a college or university, so I moved to Montreal at 17 to study fashion marketing.”
Quickly realizing she wanted to broaden her horizons, Gagné eventually pursued a business management degree at HEC Montreal, which she did while supporting herself, returning home in the summer to work as a mechanic’s helper and at Hugo Boss during the winter.
TALK ABOUT CANADIAN GLAMOUR!
At 25, after having her daughter, Chloé, Gagné spent some time at Xerox before being headhunted by a company in the dermatology lasers industry. After a couple of successful years there, she opened her first Dermapure clinic in Sherbrooke in 2009. Though only 30 at the time, and a single mom, she soon had three clinics in three years, and eventually expanded across the country.
Over the years, Gagné, worked to integrate skincare brands like Functionalab, Jouviance and SkinCeuticals into the clinic’s offerings. Through a merger with Functionalab Group and effective recruitment, Dermapure grew to 65 clinics in Canada, attracting L’Oréal Paris‘s attention in 2020. The company invested in Dermapure along with L Catterton, LVMH’s private equity fund. Gagné is still a shareholder today, but stepped downfrom the company in 2024.
“It was an amazing journey,” she says with a smile.
Right around that time, technologist, designer and artist Adam Simms reached out to her about RECESS. A unique experience combining thermotherapy, social connection, and immersive art, RECESS was the business partners’ response to the isolation and loneliness created by the pandemic.
THE FIRST SOCIAL THERMAL STATION IN QUEBEC, RECESS OPENED IN SEPTEMBER 2025.
Designed by Future Simple Studio and located at 217 Young St., in Griffintown, RECESS houses a coliseum-style sauna, a 22-ft. cold plunge and an immersive lounge, plus Aesop products.
Gagné, who now lives in Magog in the Eastern Townships, remains firmly planted, with one foot in the country and the other in the city, combining the kind of glamour Canada (ahem, Glamada!) represents.
She recently launched Tandem Pickleball Club, in Sherbrooke, with her partner Mathieu Routhier, Mélanie Grégoire, and Jeannot Fillion, and is working on a new podcast called With and Without Tie, dedicated to looking into Canadian CEO’s lives, both professional and personal.
Photos FÉLIX MICHAUD