Sylvain Abitbol is an engineer and entrepreneur in the telecommunications industry as CEO of NHC Communications Inc but is best known as an activist in Jewish affairs and was co-president of the Canadian Jewish Congress from 2007 to 2009.
Abitol graduated from Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique in 1973 with a degree in Industrial and Mechanical Engineering.
He was employed by Xerox for six years and received training in telecommunications at the company's training centre in El Segundo, California.
Abitbol is a member of Montreal's Sephardic Jewish community and became president of Montreal's Federation CJA in 2004. His family immigrated to Montreal from Morocco after the Six-Day War in 1967.