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Danièle Henkel

Danièle Henkel
Canadian Senator
from Quebec (Alma)
Assumed office
February 14, 2025
Nominated byJustin Trudeau
Appointed byMary Simon
Preceded byDiane Bellemare
Personal details
Born (1956-01-16) January 16, 1956 (age 69)
Political partyNon-affiliated

Danièle Henkel (born January 16, 1956) is a Canadian Senator, writer, entrepreneur and strategic advisor.[1] She was born in Oujda, Morocco to a Moroccan Jewish mother and German Catholic father. After graduating from the University of Oran in Algeria she worked as a political and economic advisor at the United States consulate in Oran, Algeria for twelve years.[2] In 1989, she was named Foreign Service National employee of the year by the US State Department.

In 1990, she and her family fled Algeria ahead of the Algerian Civil War and emigrated to Canada where she became an entrepreneur importing an exfoliating glove. She founded Entreprises Danièle Henkel which developed and marketed health and beauty products and became a multi-millionaire.[2] She became a celebrity after appearing as a panelist on the first five seasons of Dans l'œil du dragon, Quebec's French-language version of Dragons' Den.[2]

She was appointed to the Senate on February 14, 2025.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Quebec businesswoman, author appointed to the Senate". Prime Minister of Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Williams, Andreane (11 July 2016). "The refugee who fled civil war and became a multi-millionaire". BBC News. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
  3. ^ "Quebec businesswoman, author appointed to the Senate". CBC News. Canadian Press. February 14, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.