THE MASTER GROUP - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Management Committee
- Senior Vice President Business Development Strategic & National Accounts
Alain Fournier's career at Master Group spans close to 25 years. After starting out as a sales representative in one of the company's branches, he rose through the ranks to become sales manager in 1993. He became a shareholder in 1999 and was promoted to the position of executive vice-president in 2009. Persistence, leadership and team spirit are among the assets that have contributed to the company's growth and influence.
Determined and enthusiastic, Alain Fournier was named Executive Vice-President in January 2009.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Committee
- Vice President of Marketing & Digital Experience
With a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Benoit took his first steps in the HVAC-R sector as a refrigeration technician. He has successively worked as a supervisor and project engineer at Kraft Canada Inc. In 2011, he joined Master as Product Manager, Commercial Equipment (LG and YORK) to develop the VRF market, train sales personnel and adapt the structures of each department to operate with this new type of equipment. Noted for his strategic vision, ethics and product knowledge, he was promoted to the position of Vice-President, Sales and Strategy in 2015.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Committee
- Appointed Vice - President of Distribution for the Entire Eastern
- Vice President, Distribution, Eastern Territory
Since his arrival at The Master Group in 1991, Éric Lajoie has successively occupied the positions of Sales Representative, Sales Manager, Montréal and Principal Sales Director, for the greater Montréal area.
His devotion, creativity, good judgement and knowledge of the market make him the perfect candidate to take over the reins of this territory as Vice-President, Regional Sales in January 2009
At the start of 2020, Eric Lajoie is appointed Vice-President of Distribution for the entire Eastern territory (Quebec and Atlantic provinces).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President and Managing Partner, Novacap
Jacques started his career with KPMG in Montreal and later joined the Olympia Group, a meat processing company where he worked for more than 12 years. His involvement in numerous mergers and acquisitions helped the company become the largest hog processing business in Canada, known today as Olymel-Flamingo. He joined Novacap in 1994. Member of the board of directors of The Master Group, Jacques is also currently a director of Octasic Inc., Royal Mat Inc., Knowlton Development Corporation Inc., Multibar Group Inc., Metro Supply Chain Group Inc., Nautilus Development Corporation Inc., Enviro-Viridis Development Corporation Inc., LPDC Holding Corporation Inc. (Smyth), IPL Inc., Idaho Pacific Holding Inc. Storage Systems Holding Corp (Pipp), and Bentley Leathers Development Corporation Inc. He has also received the Arista Award for personal achievement in business.
Jean-François is a versatile young man with extraordinary experience in the business community. Over the course of his career, he has developed leading-edge expertise in the areas of operations, finance, project management, business development and in mergers and acquisitions, with more than 30 transactions to his credit, both in Canada and in the United States. His work ethic, strong team spirit, dedication, passion and interpersonal skills saw him be promoted several times during his 12 years at Novacap ultimately reaching the position of principal before joining Master in 2017.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Committee
- Master Group As a Regional Director for Alberta
- Senior Vice President, Distribution
With a wealth of wholesale distribution, business strategy, and leadership experience, Keith joined The Master Group as a Regional Director for Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba in March of 2020. Keith holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business from the University of Calgary and he has augmented his education through studies at the University of Virginia, Darden School of Business and the IMD School of Business in Switzerland. Over his 17 year career at Wolseley Canada he continuously progressed through various leadership positions, serving as General Manager for Western Canada and as a member of the Executive Management Team.
Having worked in all levels of wholesale distribution, Keith understands the strength of progressive customer relationships, a strong team culture, and the growth and development of the people on his team. This understanding helped lead to his appointment as Senior Vice-President, Distribution for The Master Group in late 2020.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Committee
- Vice President of Distribution, Central Canada
Kevin joins Master Management Team in February 2021 with an impressive bagage of skills, knowledge and professional background. After receiving his Bachelor of Science Degree from Cornell University he spent the early part of his career in sales positions with Parker Hannifin. He later moved on to wholesale distribution and spent the last 7 years as a General Manager at Wolseley Canada. In this role, Kevin had full responsibility for the plumbing and HVAC/R business in Ontario and the Atlantic provinces. Kevin's strong leadership, keen understanding of our industry, and his passion to lead people are the ideal assets to support the Central Canada team.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Executive
- Member of the Management Committee
Louis St-Laurent has been Chief Executive Officer of the Master Group since 2019. A graduate of Concordia University, he quickly set himself apart from his peers with his superior interpersonal skills and innate business sense. After gaining experience as a sales representative at Kraft, he was hired in 1984 as Sales Manager of Master's Kelko division. With the company's rapid expansion, he was promoted to the position of Vice-President, Marketing in August 1990. He became a shareholder a year later, then was at the helm of the company as President from 2006 to 2019.
Louis St-Laurent is a natural leader and a remarkable executive who is deeply respected within the industry.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Committee
- Vice - President, Development and Network Operations
Luc Bouchard has been leaving an imprint on various aspects of the operations of The Master Group since he joined the company as a branch representative in 1993. Before becoming Vice-President, Operations in 2007, he notably headed up the refrigeration division before being put in charge of the entire branch network. In this current role his responsibility is to facilitate interaction between the branches, the sales teams and senior management. His success within the company is due to his in-depth experience and comprehensive understanding of the company's operational needs, along with his dedication and superior listening skills.
Experience, versatility and vision are among Luc Bouchard's distinguishing assets.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Committee
- Regional Vice President Western Canada
Lylle joined Master in September of 2018 after 20 years of distribution experience with Acklands-Grainger (AGI) where he was recognized with multiple Manager/Director of the year awards. He held many high level leadership roles with AGI including Regional Director, General Manager and Senior Director for Western Canada where he was responsible for 64 branches in the west. Lylle is a strong believer in building a great team culture of open, honest communication and providing an exceptional customer experience at every interaction. This approach to business has served Lylle very well in the branch and business expansion for Master in Western Canada. Lylle has been VP of the Western Canada business since 2019.
Lylle studied at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in both Marketing and Management where he learned the value of leadership in an organization.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Committee
- Vice - President, Sales, Business Solutions, Eastern Canada
With a building mechanics degree from CEGEP de St-Hyacinthe, Marc Gagnon has never ceased to take up the challenges that have been entrusted to him over the years. Starting his career in 2002 with The Master Group as a Product Director, he continues to perform by successively holding the positions of Ventilation Sales Director, and then Industrial Commercial Director for Montreal. Until very recently, he held the position of Regional Sales Director for Montreal, including interim responsibility for the Quebec City region. As a key player in the development of commercial, industrial, and institutional solutions, Marc's exceptional know-how, leadership skills, and strong dedication to the customer and the company earned him a senior management position in September 2021 as Vice President of Sales and Business Solutions for Eastern Canada.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- General Partner, Novacap
Marc started his career as an entrepreneur founding one of the largest office supplies distribution company in Québec which he sold in 1994 to join Novacap thereafter. In 2001, Marc left Novacap to become the owner-operator of Multiple Awnings, Canada's largest and fastest growing manufacturer of awnings and exterior products which benefited from 600% growth in sales during Marc's tenure. Following the successful sale of Multiple Awnings in December 2011, Marc went back to Novacap in April 2012. In addition to his investment experience with Novacap, Marc has hands on experience in manufacturing, distribution, retail, import-export and services. He is and has been active on numerous boards of directors of private companies and entrepreneur associations including ICE (USA), SNOC, Cuisines Experts , YEO (Young Entrepreneur's Organization), Fonds Régional de Solidarité and Société d'Investissements Jeunesse. He lived, studied and worked for many years in Ontario prior to joining Novacap. He has completed a bachelor of laws (cum laude) and his Québec bar certification at the University of Ottawa. He has also earned an MBA from the University of Western Ontario (Richard Ivey School of Business) and participated in the master's degree in international commerce program at Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Committee
- Vice President, Information Technology and Digital
Part of the Master management team since 2018, Martin-Charles Pilon has specialized in new technologies for over 20 years. Over the course of his career, Martin-Charles has closely followed technological developments and has adapted his management of IT solutions according to the realities of the market and the business objectives of the companies where he worked. Recognized for his enthusiasm, curiosity and expertise in IT management, he excels in transforming ideas into concrete achievements. Motivated by high standards, he mobilizes and encourages his collaborators and partners to strive for excellence.
Michel Ringuet has a B.A. from the University of Laval and MBA from McGill University. After his university studies, he was hired by the finance department of the National Bank of Canada. In 1990, he joined The Master Group as Vice-President Finance and Administration. He is appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2006, a position he will hold until his departure in 2016.
In addition to being involved with various companies as a private investor, Michel Ringuet is Governor of the Tel-Jeunes Foundation, a member of several investment fund committees in addition to sitting on the board of directors of Master as well as Lumenpulse Group inc, Colo-D inc, Earth Alive Clean Technologies and Compagnie Électrique Lion.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Committee
- President
Neil McDougall has had an illustrious career operating at the highest levels in multiple industries. After earning his business administration degree in England in 1996, he accumulated extensive experience in the diesel engine industry over the next ten years to then join Caterpillar Inc. in Geneva, where he oversaw regional sales and marketing operations for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. He continues his rise within the company through various management positions, up to his appointment as Director, Global Retail Sales and Marketing. His impressive career at Caterpillar delivered many achievements. In 2016, Neil joins Johnson Controls and applies his strategic approach and experience from 27 years with Caterpillar to a new and different industry. He took the helm of the Master Group as president in June 2019.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Committee
- Vice President, Product Management
Since joining The Master Group in 2005, Marc has climbed the ranks from Representative to Engineering Consulting Firms, to Director and now Vice-President, Engineering and Products. He holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from McGill University and a master's degree in engineering management from Sherbrooke University. Marc has distinguished himself by his discipline and openness, which makes him a visionary team player, capable of growing the business while keeping in mind the importance of providing quality service to clients.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Committee
- Senior Vice President, Business Solutions
With a degree in mechanical construction, Rolland Grenier has seen his career marked by working for a high tech heating & ventilation manufacturer where he started as a draftsman and estimator, to subsequently being appointed to the joint position of sales director and general manager. These latter roles allowed him to put to use and improve his knowledge of the North American market, a major asset for The Master Group which he joined in 2011 as Products Director, Hydronic Heating, a fast growing sector for which he possesses great expertise.
His outstanding strategic vision, management of sales operations, technical skills, product and market knowledge, and his dedication earned him a senior management position in December 2012 as Vice-President, Sales Montreal.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Management Committee
Holder of a bachelor's degree in management accounting from the Université du Québec à Montréal and member of the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA), Rémy has more than 20 years of management experience in the fields of finance, accounting and administration as well as mergers and acquisitions. Rémy joined the Master team in January 2019 as Chief Financial Officer. He previously served as operations controller and project controller at Bombardier Transportation and worked for over 14 years at Héroux-Devtek, where he quickly climbed the ladder in the finance department to reach the position of vice-president corporate development, mergers and acquisitions. Known for his remarkable business sense and his versatility within large, medium and small companies, Rémy brings a wealth of experience to support The Master Group's business strategy.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Committee
- Vice President, Transformation Projects and Real Estate
Graduate in Leadership and Negotiation at Harvard Business School in 2010, Sandrine has a great ability to simultaneously pilot and implement many projects of great complexity. With more than 20 years of planning and management experience, Sandrine has a proven track record for implementing and measuring improvements to increase efficiency, accuracy and productivity in order to apply the company's strategies. Since joining Master in June 2009 as Real Estate Director, she has demonstrated her management skills by taking on many major challenges related to the real estate portfolio of the entire company.