Hugues Simon

It is in this context that Hugues Simon advocates for the primacy of corporate values. Drawing on management theorist Peter Drucker’s famous saying—“Culture eats strategy for lunch”—he argues that values “are what remain when everything else changes” and that they serve as “the compass that guides, reassures, and unifies.” He is quick to add, however: “Of course, having both is even better: a strong culture and values combined with a good strategy make an organization practically invincible.”

As the heir to the Lemaire legacy, the CEO acknowledges that, “before leading Cascades, I had never known an organization where corporate values were lived out so intensely.” These values aren’t just confined to posters on the walls: they’re the focus of training for all new managers and are celebrated each year at the Source Gala, where each of the 60 production units nominates an employee who embodies them.

Hugues Simon then outlines the four values that shape the organization’s day-to-day operations. The first, “Respectful by Nature,” gives him an opportunity to highlight Cascades’ environmental performance — the company uses 2.5 times less energy and emits 30% fewer greenhouse gases than the North American pulp and paper industry average — while also taking a firm and unequivocal stance on immigration.

At a time when foreign workers are often made convenient scapegoats in the public debate, he comes strongly to their defense: “Let us never forget that they are reliable and hardworking, and that without them, several essential sectors of our economy struggle to operate normally.” Cascades currently employs more than 350 foreign workers. “Some are quick to blame them for problems in our healthcare and education systems and with public finances — issues we were already facing long before they arrived,” he says.

At Cascades, respect for people is so important that the company has made it the theme of its recruitment campaign: “Respect Your Nature.”

The value “Stronger Together” is reflected in a concrete organizational decision: bringing together more than 500 employees in Saint-Hubert who had previously been spread across the South Shore. “In the summer of 2025, we also announced a mandatory return to the office, along with the consolidation of all South Shore employees under one roof.”

When it comes to transparency — embodied in the value “Speak the Truth” — Cascades operates on a simple belief: “Trust is built on transparency.” Employees in each business unit meet regularly to discuss performance and results. “We should never underestimate a person’s ability to make the right decisions when they understand the game plan,” he says.

In Kingsey Falls, where 1,500 employees work, Cascades has taken the idea even further with an original initiative called “True or False”: an anonymous rumor box that allows any employee to submit a question, with the answer subsequently published on the company intranet.

As for the fourth value, renamed “Better Every Day,” it underpins an operational excellence program structured around 90-day sprints and sits at the heart of a $100 million profitability improvement initiative. “Being better every day is not about striving for perfection. It is about striving for continuous progress,” the executive said.