Mario Lavoie, a long-time advisor to Quebec premier Jean Charest, who resigned in September after a nine-year run, has taken a VP-corporate communications post at Hill+Knowlton Strategies' Montreal office.

A 30-year veteran of Canada's political scene, Lavoie handled Quebec's intergovernmental relations between the provincial governments and Ottawa.

Lavoie served as director of research service at the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition in Quebec and worked as staffer for the Progressive Conservative caucus of Canada.

H+K has nine offices in Canada. Frederic Berard, senior VP-financial and regulatory affairs, is in charge of the Montreal outpost.