Growth through acquisition is part of the DNA of Groupe Deschênes Inc. This is how the company has been able to grow across Canada and on the west coast of the U.S. What is its strategy and recipe for maintaining a fairly high success rate in the acquisitions it has made over its 85-year history? What challenges and opportunities does this entrepreneurial, family-owned business have?
 
Mr. Deschênes will give a speech and then converse with Nicolas Marcoux, Chief Executive Officer and Senior Partner of PwC Canada
 

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Biography

François Deschênes

François has been serving as the President and CEO of Groupe Deschênes since the beginning of 2017. Prior to assuming this role, he held several key positions within Groupe Deschênes Inc., such as Vice President of Operations for the Quebec region, Vice President and General Manager of Deschênes & Fils Ltée (a business unit of GDI), Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, and Vice President of Procurement.
In addition to his responsibilities within the company, François also served as the president for AD Canada Plumbing & Heating Division and Canaplus Limited Partnership.
After completing two internships within Groupe Deschênes Inc., he obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration (BAA) from HEC Montréal in 1994. He then held positions in the manufacturing industry before starting his own multimedia company in 1997.
In 2010, François completed the EMBA program at McGill-HEC Montréal. He is also a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and the Cercle des présidents du Québec. Additionally, he serves on the boards of directors for the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating (ICPC) and Affiliated Distributors (AD).
Biography 2024