Broad expertise,
a precise direction
The Olymel executive team brings together skills in a variety of areas. Its expertise covers all aspects of the functioning of a modern food processing company of Olymel's size.
From management, food safety, human resources, financial administration, procurement and operations, to production, sales, marketing, logistics and the environment, the members of the executive are responsible for fulfilling Olymel's mission, while complying with the company's values.
In each of their areas of responsibility, the members of the executive work to ensure the quality and integrity of Olymel products and bring continuous improvement to its manufacturing processes. They require that the human resources for which they are responsible regularly take training to update their skills.
They are open to innovation in all aspects of their activities, and always prepared to question the way things are done. They pay close attention to their employees and customers and keep abreast of the latest consumer trends in order to better adapt to change.
These are Olymel's executive officers, a team
bound by a common desire to successfully
produce the best possible food in order to
feed the world.
The management team
Yanick Gervais
President and CEO
Yanick Gervais, MTax, CPA
With a career spanning over twenty years in the agri-food industry, Yanick Gervais has always been involved in meat production and processing. Grandson of Fernand Colbert, founder of La Fernandière, Trois-Rivières' leading producer of fresh sausages, he spent every summer from an early age in the family business, learning the trade.
Co-owner and general manager of La Fernandière for over 10 years, having held every position in the plant, he played an active role in the company's expansion, optimizing management and production processes. Yanick Gervais joined Olymel as Vice President and General Manager of this new division when it was acquired in 2016.
In 2018, he was appointed Senior Vice President, Operations also overseeing the Engineering and Logistics departments. In this capacity, he was responsible for overseeing the efficient running of operations in more than 30 plants located primarily in Quebec, but also in four other Canadian provinces.
Yanick Gervais was promoted to President and CEO of Olymel on November 11, 2021.
Trained as an Accountant and Tax Specialist, Yanick Gervais began his career with a firm of Chartered Accountants. Throughout his career, he has been very active on various committees related to the affairs of the Chartered Accountancy profession, notably on training and recognition of the next generation of Chartered Accountants. He holds a graduate diploma and a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, as well as a Master's degree in Taxation (M. Fisc.) from the Université de Sherbrooke.
A transparent, rallying leader who listens to his teams, Yanick Gervais makes it a point of honour to always put people at the heart of his business decisions. Drawing on his expertise in the industry, he advocates a participative management style in which he encourages his teams to constantly surpass themselves, by coaching them to help them grow.
Last but not least, Yanick Gervais is deeply committed to his community, and is also involved with a number of philanthropic organizations, notably in the fight against food insecurity and health. In 2023, he agreed to be named Honorary President of the Leucan Experience and to sit on the organization's Board of Directors.
Paul Beauchamp
First Vice President
Paul Beauchamp joined the Olymel executive team in 2000 and currently holds the position of First Vice President. In this capacity, he is responsible for supply in the hog and poultry sectors, is also in charge of corporate affairs, communications and public affairs, and acts as the company's spokesperson. He is also directly involved in decisions about acquisitions, mergers, partnerships and business strategy.
Mr. Beauchamp previously served as Secretary and Vice President for Corporate Affairs at Lactel from 1996 to 2000, and as Director of Public Affairs for the Coopérative Fédérée de Québec from 1992 to 1996. He also worked for the Government of Quebec from 1985 to 1992 as Chief of Staff to the Ministers of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as well as the Minister of Education.
Paul Beauchamp is a graduate of Laval University, where he studied law and economics. He has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1986.
Procurement and Pork Production
Yvan Brodeur
Senior Vice President, Procurement and Hog Production
Yvan Brodeur began his career at Olymel in 1991 as Chief Accountant for Aliments Flamingo, which was a subsidiary in the Poultry Division of La Coop fédérée at the time. He is currently Vice President, Supply, Poultry and is responsible for ensuring that Olymel slaughterhouses and butchering facilities receive the deliveries of chickens or turkeys they need for smooth operations and satisfy the needs of Olymel's various customers. As part of his activities, he must also oversee development and maintenance of close relationships with poultry breeders in Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, as well as the Chicken Farmers of Canada.
In connection with his earlier duties with the Olymel Finance Department, he participated actively in various stages of the company's development, including acquisition of the plant in Red Deer, Alberta (2001), a co-ownership agreement with Volaille Giannone (2005) and the merger with Supraliment, the meats division of Groupe Brochu (2005). Before joining Olymel, Yvan Brodeur worked at the accounting firm KPMG, and was an instructor in accounting at the École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Montreal (HEC). He also holds a CPA-CA and an MBA from the HEC.
Very active in the poultry industry, Yvan Brodeur is also president of the Association des abattoirs de volailles du Québec and Vice President of the Quebec Task Force on Control of Poultry Diseases (EQCMA). He has also collaborated in research on antibiotic-free chickens with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at University of Montreal.
Richard Bilodeau
Vice President, Hog Production Eastern Canada
Richard Bilodeau is Vice President, Hog Production for Eastern Canada, he studied in agronomy, is an expert in animal nutrition and is a seasoned manager. He was appointed to this position in June 2021. He is in charge of coordinating hog breeding and production activities, in addition to providing technical services and advice to hog farmers.
Richard Bilodeau joined Olymel in January 2020, after it acquired all of F. Ménard's hog sector assets. He then became Vice President of the OlyM division. From 1993 to 2020, he was the expert in charge of animal nutrition in the hog and poultry sectors at F.Ménard. In the same company and during the same period, Mr. Bilodeau was also Director of Milling Operations. From 1988 to 1993, he was Director of Animal Nutrition at Central Soya, a major agribusiness.
A Bois-Francs native, he grew up on a dairy and hog farm. Richard Bilodeau holds a bachelor's degree in agriculture (1986) and a master's degree in agronomy from Université Laval (1988).
Jean-Luc Hamelin
Vice President, Eastern Pork and Poultry Procurement
Jean-Luc Hamelin was appointed Vice President of Eastern Pork and Poultry Supply in August 2023. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring the supply, management and continuity of hog and poultry deliveries for Eastern Canada.
Jean-Luc Hamelin joined the Olymel team in 2007, first serving as Cost Price Sector Director, then as Director, Logistics Planning and External Warehouse Management; Director, Fresh Pork Sales; and finally, as Senior Director, Sales Strategy and Optimization, before his appointment in August 2023 as Vice President, Eastern Pork and Poultry Supply. He, therefore, has extensive experience with the company and a thorough understanding of its operations.
Prior to starting his career at Olymel, Jean-Luc Hamelin worked in the Cost Price sector at Groupe Lactel and was Head of Bid Services at Bombardier Transportation North America. He has a BA in Management Accounting from Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and is a CPA.
Casey Smit
Vice President, Procurement and Hog Production – Western Canada
Casey Smit joined Olymel in January 2013 as Vice President, Production with the purchase of Big Sky Farms in Saskatchewan. With more than 20 years of experience in the hog industry, he has been involved in all aspects of the business. He has been a member of the Saskatchewan Pork Policy Committee and numerous feed industry committees. He is also past director of the Saskatchewan Division of Animal Nutrition Association of Canada (ANAC) and the Saskatchewan Bison Association.
Operations
Martin Rondeau
Senior Vice President, Operations
Martin Rondeau was appointed Senior Vice-President, Operations on November 18, 2021, a position in which he assumes responsibility for all operations of Olymel's facilities across Canada, both in the pork and the poultry sectors. Until this appointment, he held the position of Vice President, Operations, in the poultry sector.
Martin Rondeau joined Olymel in 1989, initially in the Poultry Division of La Coop fédérée where he was production supervisor at the chicken slaughterhouse and butchering plant in Joliette, Quebec. Then, from 1999 to 2009 he was Manager of the Unidindon plant (a partnership between Olymel, with 68%, and Exceldor, with 32%) in St-Jean-Baptiste-de-Rouville, the largest plant specializing in turkey slaughtering and processing in Canada. During the same period, he was also appointed director of poultry sector operations, a position he combined with that of manager of the Unidindon plant for a few years.
In 2009, Mr. Rondeau was appointed Vice President, Operations of the poultry sector, and in that capacity is responsible for managing seven fresh poultry and processed poultry production facilities. As an expert in the poultry sector, Martin Rondeau was directly involved in the design and construction of the Sunnymel chicken slaughterhouse and butchering plant, the most modern in Canada, located in Clair in the Madawaska region of New Brunswick. This facility, designed to serve the Maritimes market in particular, represents an investment of $55 million, and was created through a partnership between Olymel and Groupe Westco, one of the largest poultry producers in Canada.
Dany Gagnon
Vice President, Pork Operations
Dany Gagnon was appointed Vice President of Pork Operations in August 2023. He has in-depth knowledge of the company, having started his career in 1990 with Bexel (Flamingo), one of Olymel's predecessor companies. He has worked in a number of establishments, holding various positions in distribution, production and supervision.
In 2002, he left Olymel for Cargill, where he was a production superintendent in the beef sector until 2010. He went on to manage a plant specializing in ham production at Salaison Lévesque, then a poultry slaughterhouse and cutting plant at Avicomax. From 2011 to 2017, he worked at Clean International as Director of Operations and was Vice President of Operations in the sanitation sector for agri-food plants.
Returning to Olymel in 2017, Dany Gagnon was designated to manage the pork further processing plant in Cornwall, Ontario. Given his undisputed expertise in the meat processing sector, in 2021 Olymel appointed him to be Director of Operations for its processed pork and bacon division. Dany held this position until he became Vice President of Pork Operations, a sector in which he drew on the vast experience gained over the course of his career.
Normand Vallière
Vice President, Poultry Operations
Normand Vallière was appointed Vice-President, Operations, Poultry in November 2021. Prior to this appointment, he held the position of Vice-President, Processed Pork, since June 2016 and had under his responsibility the Olymel's pork further processing plants in St-Henri-de-Lévis (South Shore of Quebec), Anjou (Montreal), Trois-Rivières (Mauricie), Drummondville (Center of Quebec), Cornwall, Ontario, and Blainville and Laval (North of Montreal). Before, he had served as Manager of Operations, Processed Pork since 2012. He has extensive experience in production supervision in agri-food facilities as well as plant management in both the poultry and pork sectors.
In the mid 90s, Normand Vallière was successively supervisor at the poultry further processing plant in Ste- Rosalie and head of production at the Iberville plant. He then moved on to work with Cargill food processing and Exceldor as plant manager. Returning to Olymel in 2005, he first held the position of manager of the Iberville poultry further processing plant, and then, in 2009, manager of the pork further processing facility at St-Henri de Lévis. With a career spanning more than 20 years at Olymel, he has an in-depth knowledge of the requirements of production and all aspects of operations in the further processing industry.
Sales & Marketing
Daniel Rivest
Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Daniel Rivest began his career at Olymel in 2016 as Vice-President, Sales, Fresh Meats. He is currently Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Daniel has over 20 years of experience in the food processing industry in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Throughout his career, Daniel Rivest has worked in the retail, food service, sales and marketing sectors, developing an intimate knowledge of all the industry's workings. He also gained valuable expertise in sales team management and strategic development, always focusing on achieving business objectives in terms of results. Until 2015, Daniel Rivest held the position of Vice President, Industrial Sales and Vice President, Sales, Food Service at Agropur Operations Canada. Prior to that, he held the position of Senior Director, Strategy and Key Accounts at Molson Coors Canada, and served in management positions at Parmalat Canada and Kraft Canada. He holds an Executive MBA for managers from University of Sherbrooke and a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Marketing from Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.
Simon Labelle
Vice President, Sales, Retail and USA
Simon Labelle joined the Olymel team in October 2021 as Vice President, Sales, Processed Meats and has over 15 years of experience in sales, development and business management. His responsibilities include developing winning marketing strategies and planning their implementation to reach the company's business goals in various retail market segments in Canada and the United States.
​Over the past eight years, Simon served as sales director and manager of several major accounts at PepsiCo Foods. Throughout his career, his leadership skills have helped inspire and lead teams, and mobilize them to achieve business and growth goals. He is a seasoned innovator and negotiator and has an in-depth understanding of the large-scale retail distribution process and of customer service and relationship management.
Simon Labelle holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Université de Sherbrooke.
Véronique Simard
Vice President, Marketing and Innovation
Véronique Simard joined the Olymel team in June 2023, bringing 25 years of marketing experience to the organization. Her career path is punctuated by significant achievements within several major retail and mass distribution companies.
After starting her career with Molson in 2000, Véronique Simard served various national brands and their innovation pipeline. Between 2014 and 2023, she was Marketing Director at Constellation Brands, where she led the launch of Bù wines, then at Groupe Jean Coutu, Pharmacies Brunet, and Métro Inc. and finally General Marketing Director at Videotron Affaires and Réseau de Détail.
Throughout her career, her various responsibilities have led her to manage all marketing tools and business strategies related to her field, and to lead teams towards positive, solid, and lasting results. Ms. Simard is also the driving force behind innovations in every facet of the marketing ecosystem.
As Olymel's Vice-President of Marketing and Innovation, Véronique Simard uses her growth mindset to promote the organization's range of poultry and pork brands to mass retailers and consumers, positioning her brands as category leaders.
Véronique Simard holds a Bachelor of Administration in Cooperative Marketing from the Université de Sherbrooke and has also won several awards for her initiatives over the course of her career.
Technical Services
Marco Dufresne
Senior Vice President, Technical Services, Special Projects and Sustainable Development
In 2017, Marco Dufresne joined the Olymel management team as Vice-president, Engineering and Environment. His responsibilities in this position include major engineering projects and all environmental initiatives. He is also responsible for Olymel Machinery, which designs and manufactures custom machinery for operating units.
Marco began his engineering career with candy manufacturer Cadbury and Uniboard. He went on to serve as engineering director, plant manager and corporate director of engineering at Cargill, where he was a corporate expert in project management, engineering management, maintenance management and ongoing improvement, in addition to heading Case Ready's OPEX group.
Marco graduated from École Polytechnique with a degree in electrical engineering and has been a member of the Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec since 1996. He also holds a degree in astrophysics from the Université de Montréal and obtained his Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt certification in 2013.
Sylvain Fournaise
Vice-President, Food Safety, Quality Management and R&D
Sylvain Fournaise joined Olymel in April 1998. He holds the position of Vice President, Food Safety and Technical Services. Since joining the company, he has orchestrated the development and implementation of corporate programs such as quality management and food safety, animal welfare, crisis management and business continuity, product traceability, biosecurity of facilities, SQF certification and many other important files. He heads up a team that is responsible for quality assurance programs for all Olymel slaughterhouses and processing plants in both the pork and poultry sectors. He is also in charge of the veterinary service, the animal welfare policy, labelling, exports, biosecurity and traceability. Additionally, he is responsible for relations with regulatory authorities in various levels of government. Sylvain Fournaise was also entrusted in 2020 with the responsibilities of the R & D sector within the company.
Sylvain Fournaise has more than 25 years of experience in the food processing industry, including 12 years in key positions at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), where his work was recognized by the Agency with its highest distinction: AgCellence. He is actively involved in several industry committees, including the Canadian Meat Council, Canadian Poultry & Egg Processors, the Canadian Pork Council and Les éleveurs de porcs du Québec. Recognized by his peers and by the food industry for his passion for the science of meat, he is a sought-after speaker as well as a university lecturer, dedicated to preparing the next generation industry leaders and ensuring continuity of expertise. Sylvain Fournaise holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree (1985) from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Montreal in St-Hyacinthe and a Master of Science and Food Technology from Laval University. On May 4, 2020, Sylvain Fournaise was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Meat Council for a two-year term.
Services
Louis Banville
Vice President, Human Capital, Talent and Culture
Louis Banville has held the position of Vice President, Human Resources at Olymel since 2006. He and his team handle a wide range of files, including managing labour relations in all Olymel facilities and formulating compensation, benefit, staffing and loyalty policies. He also oversees formulation of training and skills development programs. Under his leadership and initiative, Olymel has garnered Mercure Awards twice in the Mercuriades competition run by the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec. The first Mercure was awarded in 2011 for the Everest program of customized continuing education for plant managers, supervisors, production managers and human resources managers. The second Mercure was awarded to Olymel in 2013 for its STAR program, an initiative that rewards the loyalty and commitment of its human resources. Louis Banville is also responsible for supporting health and safety prevention teams in their work, as well as advising human resources managers working in the various Olymel facilities and overseeing internal communication activities. Previously, Mr. Banville also served as Corporate Manager of Labour Relations in rounds of negotiations with the 25 Olymel accreditation units. From 1989 to 1998, he was successively Advisor, Human Resources and Human Resources Manager for three facilities operated by Turcotte & Turmel, a former subsidiary of La Coop fédérée.
Alexandre Tarini
Vice President, Supply Chain
In 2018 and with 25 years of experience in supply chain management and operations management Alexandre Tarini joined the management of Olymel as Vice President Logistics.
As part of his duties, Alexandre Tarini is responsible for demand planning, plant production planning, purchases, distribution centers operations, inventory management, transportation as well as exports.
Prior to joining Olymel, he has distinguished himself in various industries such as fermented beverages, agri-food and pharmaceuticals, for renowned organizations such as Lallemand Inc., Molson Coors and Metro Richelieu Inc. Alexandre Tarini has successfully completed many achievements such as the negotiation of collective agreements, the establishment of a logistics division in Europe, the construction of distribution centers and the merger of distribution networks, to name just a few.
He knows how to use his rich expertise acquired during his career, in order to develop professional relationships with our business partners.
Martin Juneau
Vice President, Finance
Martin Juneau joined the Olymel team in June 2019 as Vice President of Finance. His responsibilities include financial information, cost price, efficiency and reliability of information systems, credit, collection, and process engineering within the company. He was previously Executive Vice-President of Groupe BMR Inc., one of the largest hardware wholesalers in Quebec and a subsidiary of La Coop fédérée. Juneau worked at BMR for more than 15 years, holding several management positions, particularly in finance, but also in administration. There, he successfully acquired stores and implemented shared services, a payroll and time management system, and insurance and loyalty programs. During his career, Juneau also held senior management positions at HERA Hydrogen Storage System Inc. and Disque Americ. Martin Juneau is a member of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.
Michelle Demers
Vice President, Information Technology
Michelle Demers joined Olymel's management team as Vice President, Information Technology (IT) in 2020. In addition to being responsible for managing IT and supervising the teams in this sector, Michelle Demers also supports Olymel's operational and strategic plans with the appropriate software and technology.
During a career spanning more than 20 years in the delivery of IT projects and services, her experience, skills and ability to mobilize teams have been put to good use in several large companies. Her career has led her to develop expertise in software-related strategies and roadmaps, delivering ERP (enterprise resource planning) programs and managing IT applications and multifunctional teams.
Michelle Demers worked at Agropur Cooperative from 2013 to 2019, holding the positions of Director, IT Applications, ERP Program and Senior Director, Application Service. Previously, she had acted as a SAP (systems, applications and products in data processing) consultant, carrying out mandates for Hewlett-Packard, Fujitsu Canada and CGI. She also held the position of Systems Manager for Procter & Gamble. Michelle Demers has also been a lecturer in integrated management systems in computer science at the Université de Sherbrooke. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Université Laval (1998).
