Stéphane Lavallée will be the new publisher of Les Affaires, the Montreal-based business weekly owned by Transcontinental Media. Lavallée replaces Jean-Paul Gagné, who has been named publisher emeritus. While Lavallée will work to make sure the paper meets readers’ editorial expectations, Gagné will act as an advisor, focusing on business development with new partners. The appointments are effective Jan. 15, 2007.

Lavallée began his career with La Tribune in 1984. He held senior positions in the newsrooms of La Presse and Les Affaires, where he was director of information and editor-in-chief from 1998 to 2001. Gagné is viewed as one of the founders of business journalism in Quebec. He spent 12 years with Quebec City’s Le Soleil and was appointed publisher in 1997.

Les Affaires is one of North America’s largest regional business weeklies, selling more than 90,000 copies a week. It was acquired by Transcontinental in 1979.