Caisse CEO off until Jan. 5

The president and CEO of the country's biggest pension fund manager — the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec — will remain off the job on extended leave until early January.

The Caisse said Richard Guay will be away until Jan. 5, the fund's chairman, Pierre Brunet, said in a statement on Monday.

On Nov. 20, the fund said Guay would be off until Dec. 10 on the advice of his doctor.

Guay was given the two top jobs at the Caisse in September after serving as interim president and CEO since May.

The Caisse said its operations are continuing under the interim management of Fernand Perreault.

Last month, Brunet said the fund has $20 billion in liquidity, enough to see it through the market turmoil.

The Caisse had $155 billion held for depositors as of Dec. 31, 2007, its last financial report, but that figure doesn't reflect 2008's market turmoil.