Gérard Geoffrion

Gérard Geoffrion was named President and CEO of Van Houtte in July 2008.

Having joined Van Houtte in 1995 as Vice-President – Corporate Development, Mr. Geoffrion was subsequently appointed Executive Vice-President and CFO in November, 1997.

Mr. Geoffrion graduated from l'École Polytechnique de Montréal in Industrial Engineering in 1974 and earned a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Sherbrooke in 1982.

Starting in 1974, Mr. Geoffrion worked for mining company Québec Cartier. As the company experienced high growth, he moved up quickly to become head of Industrial Engineering within the Transport division.

In 1982, Mr. Geoffrion joined CÉGIR consultants and in 1984 became Director of Development for Nouveler, a holding company specialized in new energies and energy conservation. He led strategic planning activities across the group’s subsidiaries, and was closely involved in its acquisitions, focusing on the evaluation of the target company’s technologies.

In 1987, Mr. Geoffrion was named Director of Development of Unigesco, a holding company specialized in distribution, retailing and food. He was promoted to Vice-President, Research and Planning in January, 1989. During his seven years at Unigesco, he was actively involved in corporate acquisitions and sales, as well as in financing projects for the holding company and its subsidiaries.

Mr. Geoffrion serves on the boards of renowned organ builder Casavant Frères Inc. and The Pacific Path Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to the development, implementation and promotion of programs related to conflict resolution and psychosocial problem prevention.