Lassonde Industries president and COO to retire in September
Jean Gattuso is stepping down down on September 30, the company announced this week.
This is the second major announcement from the beverage and snack company, which recently announced that Eric Gemme was moving into the role of CFO.
“On behalf of the members of management, the Board of Directors of Lassonde and all of our Canadian and American employees, we express our heartfelt gratitude to Jean Gattuso for his commitment and exceptional contribution to the growth and expansion of Lassonde over the last 34 years,” Nathalie Lassonde, president and CEO, and Pierre-Paul Lassonde, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said in a release.
Gattuso joined the Lassonde’s marketing department in 1987 when the company operated mainly in its home province of Quebec. Today, Lassonde boasts more than 2,700 employees and operates 17 plants in Canada and the United States. Under Gattuso's leadership, Lassonde conquered new markets, made several acquisitions and considerably developed its manufacturing footprint. according to a press release.
“I thank the Lassonde family for having supported my entrepreneurial skills in the agri-food industry. Leading Lassonde Industries has been a privilege. My contribution these last 34 years has been extremely gratifying, both professionally and personally," Gattuso said in a statement. "I have no doubt that the knowledge I acquired during my years in the private sector and the support of my network will contribute to my future projects. It is time for me to take on new challenges that will benefit Canadians and to spend time with my family."
Gattuso played a role in developing the business’s succession plan so that it could pursue its growth. Mr. Gattuso, who holds an MBA, sits on the boards of directors of Investissement Québec; Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada; and Tablée des Chefs. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to the work of the Conseil de la transformation alimentaire du Québec (CTAQ), which he co‑founded, Tel-jeunes and Fondation de la Société des soins palliatifs à domicile de Montréal.
Gattuso’s successor is to be announced at time as Lassonde's annual results, which are scheduled to be published March 26th. The company said expecting its fourth quarter sales to increase slightly, and its operating results to drop somewhat, compared to those of the third quarter of 2020.