Leadership & Governance
Board of Directors
Alain Bouchard
Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board
Alain Bouchard
Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board
Mr. Bouchard has served as the Executive Chairman of Alimentation Couche-Tard since 2014, when he stepped down after 25 years as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Bouchard opened his first convenience store in Québec in 1980, and founded the companies that grew into Alimentation Couche-Tard. He has over 40 years of experience in the retail industry and worked with his closest collaborators and all staff members to build Alimentation Couche-Tard into the business it is today. He is a member of the Board of Directors of CGI Group Inc. since 2013 and serves as Chairman of its Human Resources Committee.
Mr. Bouchard is a Member of the Order of Canada and an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec, and has an honorary doctorate in Consumer Sciences from Université Laval in Québec City. He has received many distinguished awards for business excellence and his outstanding professional achievements, including:
- Companion of the Order of the Canadian Business Hall of Fame
- Cercle des Grands entrepreneurs du Québec, a prestigious distinction awarded to exceptional entrepreneurs whose achievements, ideals and commitment have contributed to Québec’s entrepreneurial vitality and economic development (February 2018)
- International Horatio Alger Award, which recognizes people who have persevered through challenges to become successful entrepreneurs and community leaders, from the Horatio Alger Association (March 2017)
- Grand bâtisseur de l’économie du Québec from the Institute for governance (2014)
- T. Patrick Boyle Founder’s award from the Fraser Institute (2014)
- NACS Insight International Convenience Leader of the year (2014).
Mr. Bouchard has been involved in an impressive number of fundraising campaigns and philanthropic activities. He and his wife established the Sandra and Alain Bouchard Foundation in 2012, which supports various causes associated with people living with intellectual disabilities as well as artistic and cultural projects. In 2015 Mr. Bouchard and his wife were named Exceptional philanthropist of the year by the Québec Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Jean Bernier
Corporate Director
Jean Bernier
Corporate Director
Jean Bernier is a corporate director and has over 30 years of experience in the fuel, convenience store and grocery store sectors of the retail industry. He joined Alimentation Couche-Tard on July 30, 2012 as Group President, Fuel Americas and Operations North East, and served as Group President, Global Fuels and North-East Operations from March 15, 2016. He retired from the Corporation effective April 30, 2018.
Mr. Bernier previously spent 15 years at Valero Energy Corporation, an international manufacturer and marketer of transportation fuels and petrochemical products. He was Executive Vice President of Valero Energy Corporation from 2011 to 2012, responsible for the overall operations of Ultramar Ltd, the company’s Canadian subsidiary, all of the US and Canadian retail operations as well as the corporate functions of communications, supply chain management and information services. From 1997 to 2011 he held a number of senior management positions with Ultramar Ltd. and served as President from 1999 to 2011, responsible for its overall operations, and Vice-President, Retail Operations from 1997 to 1999. Prior to joining Ultramar Ltd., Mr. Bernier was with Provigo Inc. for nine years and held a number of senior roles including Vice-President, Human Resources, Vice-President, Maxi, Provigo Distribution, Inc. and Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, C. Corp. Inc.
Mr. Bernier has been a member of the board of C&E Seafood Canada LP, a private company, since 2018. He was a member of the board of CrossAmerica Partners LP from 2017 to 2019. He is also a member of the board of the Montréal Economic Institute and served on the board of the Canadian Fuels Association from 1999 to 2012, including the role of Chairman from 2007 to 2009.
Mr. Bernier lives in Westmount, Québec, Canada. He has a Master’s degree in Industrial Relations from the University of Waterloo and a Bachelor’s degree from the Université de Montréal.
Karinne Bouchard
Corporate Director
Karinne Bouchard
Corporate Director
Karinne Bouchard is a corporate director. She is a member of the board of directors of Stingray Group, Inc. since February 2021 where she also is a member of the Audit Committee, as well as on the Sandra and Alain Bouchard Foundation, a foundation dedicated to financially supporting organizations that work in the arts and culture sector, as well as organizations that provide support to people living with intellectual disability in order to enable people to reach their full potential. Previously, Ms. Bouchard was the global head of treasury and treasurer of Alimentation Couche-Tard from 2013 to 2021.
Ms. Bouchard also sits on the board of directors of FitSpirit, a Quebec-based not-for-profit whose mission is to get teenage girls to be physically active throughout their lives by providing the necessary tools and resources to schools with girls 12 to 17 years old. Ms. Bouchard also sits on the board of directors of the CQCD. The CQCD is an association representing the vast majority of retail and distribution companies in Quebec. Its mission is to represent, promote and enhance this sector as well as to develop resources to foster advancement for its members.
Ms. Bouchard is a graduate with distinction of McGill University, and has a Bachelor’s degree in Finance. She also holds a master’s degree in finance from the University of Sherbrooke, a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) certification, and an administrator accreditation of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D).
Eric Boyko
Corporate Director
Eric Boyko
Corporate Director
Eric Boyko is a global entrepreneur who has nearly two decades of experience with start-ups and extensive expertise in early stage business innovations. He co-founded Stingray Group Inc. and has served as President and Chief Executive Officer since 2010. Mr. Boyko founded and was President of eFundraising.com, an e-commerce success story that became a leading player in the North American fundraising industry. Mr. Boyko was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2006.
Mr. Boyko’s passion for extreme sports and world travel fuels his drive for business excellence. He serves on the board of directors of Stingray Group Inc. and Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. He is an active participant in many philanthropic endeavours and is a member of the Montréal Canadiens Children’s Foundation’s board of directors.
Mr. Boyko lives in Montréal, Québec, Canada. He is a graduate with great distinction of McGill University, and has a Bachelor of Commerce with a specialization in accounting and entrepreneurship.
Chair of the Audit Committee
Jacques D’Amours
Corporate Director
Jacques D’Amours
Corporate Director
Mr. D’Amours joined the company as a co-founder in 1980 and worked with his closest collaborators and all staff members to build Alimentation Couche-Tard into the business it is today.
He served in a variety of roles during his 34-year career, including Manager of Technical Services, Vice‑President of Sales and Vice-President of Administration and Operations. Mr. D’Amours retired from the company in 2014.
Janice L. Fields
Corporate Director
Janice L. Fields
Corporate Director
Janice L. Fields has served as President of McDonald’s USA, LLC, a subsidiary of McDonald’s Corporation, a fast food chain operator and franchiser, from 2010 until her retirement in 2012.
Ms. Fields has broad operational, financial and leadership experience from her long-standing career in the food industry, with particular expertise related to marketing, strategic planning, risk management, production, and human resources. During her over 35-year career at McDonald’s, she held numerous roles, from starting as a crew member to holding several executive positions within McDonald’s USA, including as U.S. Division President for the Central Division from 2003 through 2006 and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from 2006 through 2010, when she was named President.
Additionally, Ms. Fields serves on the board of directors of Chico’s FAS since 2013, as well as the chair of its Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee since 2014, and on the board of directors of Welbilt Inc. where she is also a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Compensation Committee. Previously, she has served on the board of directors of Monsanto Corporation and Buffalo Wild Wings. She is also a member of the global board of directors of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Global Brand since 2012.
Ms. Fields has been named to Forbes’ list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women and to Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business list.
Ms. Fields lives in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Eric Fortin
Corporate Director
Eric Fortin
Corporate Director
Eric Fortin is President of Kastellō Immobilier Inc. an investment firm focusing mainly on residential real estate in Quebec, since 2018.
Mr. Fortin has more than 25 years of experience in business management, including 13 years with Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., where he started as a store manager from 1995-1997, then he became Market Manager from 1997-2000. Afterward, he was appointed to the position of Director of Operations from 2000 to 2007 and finally held the position of Director of Merchandising from 2007 to 2008. Additionally, Mr. Fortin has owned and managed several businesses throughout his career.
Mr. Fortin volunteers as a member of the Board of Directors and is treasurer at Maison La Source Bleue, a non-profit organization providing free end-of-life care to adults with cancer or terminal illness, since 2015. Additionally, Mr. Fortin has been a member of the Board of Directors of la Fondation de l’Hôpital Charles-Lemoyne since 2018 and he also serves as copresident of the virtual auction of La Cave à vin des philanthropes which raises funds for youth mental health.
Mr. Fortin lives in Longueuil, Quebec, Canada. He is a graduate of McGill University, and has a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Marketing.
Richard Fortin
Corporate Director
Richard Fortin
Corporate Director
Richard Fortin is a co-founder and served as Chairman of the Board from 2008 to 2011. He joined the company in 1984 and retired as Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer in 2008. He spent 13 years at several major financial institutions and was Vice-President of Québec for a Canadian bank wholly-owned by Société Générale (France) before joining Alimentation Couche-Tard.
Mr. Fortin is a member of the Board of Directors of Transcontinental Inc. where he also serves as Lead Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee and National Bank of Canada where he also serves as Chairman of the Risk Management Committee and member of the Audit Committee. Mr. Fortin also served on the board of Rona, Inc. from 2009 to 2013, and on the board of National Bank Life Insurance Company from 2005 to 2018 and as the Chairman of its Audit Committee from 2013 to 2018.
He has a bachelor of arts in management with a major in finance from Université Laval in Québec City.
Brian Hannasch
President and Chief Executive Officer
Brian Hannasch
President and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Hannasch was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Alimentation Couche-Tard in 2014, and served as Chief Operating Officer 2010 to 2014.
He joined the company in 2001 and during his 17 years with Alimentation Couche-Tard, has also served as Senior Vice-President, U.S. Operations (2008 to 2010), Senior Vice President, Western North America (2004 to 2008), Vice-President, Integration (2003 to 2004), and Vice President Operations, U.S. Midwest (2001 to 2004) where he was responsible for all aspects of U.S. operations.
Mr. Hannasch was Vice President of Operations for Bigfoot Food Stores LLC, a 225-unit convenience store chain in the U.S. Midwest acquired by Alimentation Couche‑Tard in 2001, from 2000 to 2001. Prior to that, he was at BP Amoco from 1989 to 2000, and held various positions of increasing responsibility including Vice-President of Marketing for the U.S. Midwest Business Unit.
Mr. Hannasch was named CEO of the year by The Globe and Mail in 2016. He has been a member of the board of directors of the Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing (NACS) since 2016.
He has a master of business administration in marketing and finance from the University of Chicago and a bachelor of arts in finance from Iowa State University.
Mélanie Kau
Entrepreneur
Mélanie Kau
Entrepreneur
Mélanie Kau is a seasoned retailer and corporate director with more than 30 years of experience in creating customer connections. As a retailer she led Naturiste, a 67-store chain of natural supplements and vitamins, to renewed profitability. As President of Mobilia, the largest independent furniture retailer in Eastern Canada, she focused on building the brand and growing the retail network to its current size, with stores in Québec and Ontario.
As a board member Ms. Kau is a member of the board of directors of Aéroports de Montréal where she chairs its Governance and Human Resources Committee. She also serves on the board of a private company that is building a network of fertility clinics in North America, where she is the board representative for Ovo Fertility.
Ms. Kau is passionate about entrepreneurship. She serves as Governor of the Young Chamber of Commerce, where she mentors four young up-and-coming entrepreneurs. She has received several accolades for her business acumen and entrepreneurship, including Canada’s Top 40 under 40 and the John Molson School of Business Award of Distinction.
Ms. Kau lives in Westmount, Québec, Canada. She has a Master of Business Administration from Concordia and a Master of Journalism from Northwestern University.
Chair of the Human Resources and Corporate Governance Committee
Marie-Josée Lamothe
Corporate Director
Marie-Josée Lamothe
Corporate Director
Marie Josée Lamothe has over 25 years of experience in the competitive digital and consumer products world (Google, L’Oréal, Procter & Gamble). She is best noted for her expertise in Global Branding and Digital Transformation.
Since August 2018, she is the President of Tandem International, an advisory firm specialized in omnichannel scalability.
Mrs. Lamothe is also a Professor of Practice at McGill University (Desautels Business Faculty) and the Director of McGill’s Dobson Center for Entrepreneurship whose mission is to transform the university’s innovation into viable startups led by global entrepreneurs.
From 2014 to 2018, she acted as Managing Director at Google Canada, where she headed the branding and oversaw the go-to-market practices for 14 industries. She also held several executive positions at L’Oréal between 2002 and 2014, from International Marketing Director in France to Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Corporate Communications Officer in Canada.
Mrs. Lamothe is a Director on Canadian public and private boards among which Alimentation Couche-Tard / Circle K (TSX), Lightspeed Commerce (TSX, NYSE), and The Desjardins Group.
In recent years, she has been appointed by the Treasury Board of Canada to the Audit Committee for Ministries such as Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and nominated by the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) Commissioner to its external advisory panel. Mrs.
Lamothe was also appointed to the 2017 Advisory Council on Economy and Innovation for the Government of Quebec and was a Member of Canada 150 Research Chairs Multidisciplinary Review Panel which aims to award research chair positions to Canadian universities and enhance Canada’s reputation as a global center for science, research and innovation excellence.
Ms. Lamothe is a graduate of Mathematics & Economics with honors from the University of Montreal and from INSEAD’s L’Oreal’s Executive Management program, with a certification from MIT Sloan & MIT CSAIL Artificial Intelligence: AI Implications for Business Strategy (2020), a Certification from Said Business School from Oxford University in Cybersecurity for Business Leaders (2021), and a Certification from NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) in Assessing Cybersecurity Risks (2021).
Awards & recognitions:
Since her return to Canada, Ms. Lamothe has been awarded the Desautels Achievement award by McGill University, which recognizes individuals who serve as role models for students in their education, career, and philanthropic contributions. She received an honoree diploma from the University of Montreal for her contribution to the advancement of our society. The Boardlist named her among the Top 10 women in tech in Canada, InfoPresse nominated her as a Personality of the Year in Quebec. She was also recognized among Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the Financial Post and Canada’s Marketers of the Year by Strategy magazine. Forbes Magazine and Social Media Magazine (US) recognized her among Top Marketing Minds To Follow on social media in North America, Canadian Business magazine nominated her among Canada’s 40 Global Leaders.
Member of the Audit Committee
Monique F. Leroux
President of the International Cooperative Alliance
Monique F. Leroux
President of the International Cooperative Alliance
Monique Leroux is a corporate director and has extensive business experience. From 2008 to 2016, Ms. Leroux was the Chair of the board of directors and Chief Executive Officer of Desjardins Group. From 2016 to 2020, Ms. Leroux was the Chair of the board of Investissement Québec. She serves as an independent director on the boards of BCE Inc. / Bell Canada, the Michelin Group and S&P Global. She also serves as a non-executive senior advisor at Fiera Capital Corporation. In 2020, she has also been appointed as chair of the Industry Strategy Council of Canada
Ms. Leroux is a Member of the Order of Canada, an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec, a Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur (France) and a Companion of the Order of the Canadian Business Hall of Fame and the Investment Industry Hall of Fame. She has also received the Woodrow Wilson Award (United States), the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Québec CPA Order and the Institute of Corporate Directors Fellowship Award.
Ms. Leroux gives her time and support to several not-for-profit organizations. She was appointed to the Canada-United States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders and is a member of the board of the Université de Sherbrooke and the Montréal Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Leroux lives in Outremont, Québec, Canada. She has honorary doctorates from eight Canadian universities.
Member of the Audit Committee
Réal Plourde
Corporate Director
Réal Plourde
Corporate Director
Réal Plourde was Chairman of the Board from 2011 to 2014. He joined the Corporation in 1984 and served in a variety of roles until his retirement in 2011, including Executive Vice-President from 2010 until his retirement in 2011, Chief Operating Officer, Vice-President of Development, Sales and Operations, and Manager of Technical Services. Mr. Plourde began his career working on various engineering projects in Canada and Africa.
Mr. Plourde is chairman of the board of directors of CIMA+ and serves on its Audit Committee.
Mr. Plourde and his wife, Ariane Riou, are recipients of the Lieutenant Governor’s Seniors Medal (February 2018), for their sustained community-based volunteer work, especially at the Palliative Care Home in Laval.
Mr. Plourde lives in Westmount, Québec, Canada. He has a Master of Business Administration from the École des Hautes Études Commerciales in Montréal, an engineering degree in applied sciences from Université Laval in Québec City, and is a member of the Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec.
Daniel Rabinowicz
Corporate Director
Daniel Rabinowicz
Corporate Director
Mr. Rabinowicz is an independent marketing and business consultant. He was President of TAXI Montréal, an advertising agency, from 2004 to 2008, and then President of TAXI’s New York office until his retirement in 2009. Prior to that he was at Cossette Communication Group, where he rose to become President of Cossette Montréal and Co-President of Cossette Toronto. Mr. Rabinowicz started his career in advertising with Vickers & Benson in 1975, and acquired experience as a brand manager at Catelli Ltd. before joining Cossette Communication Group in 1985 as Director, Strategic Planning.
Mr. Rabinowicz is a member of the board of directors of Reitmans Canada Limited since 2012 where he serves on the Corporate Governance and Human Resources Committee, Wafu Inc. and the Montréal Holocaust Museum. He is the founder and former President of Bénévolat d’entraide aux communicateurs, a non-profit organization that helps professionals in the communications industry deal with their personal, professional or financial problems, and remains on the organization’s management committee.
He has a master of business administration and a bachelor of arts from McGill University.
Member of the Human Resources and Corporate Governance Committee
Louis Têtu
Corporate Director
Louis Têtu
Corporate Director
Louis Têtu is an award-winning entrepreneur and business executive with 30 years of experience in international technology businesses. Mr. Têtu is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Coveo Solutions Inc., a global provider of artificial intelligence powered business solutions for ecommerce, customer service and workplace applications. Prior to Coveo, Mr. Têtu co-founded Taleo Corporation, a leading international provider of cloud software for talent and human capital management, listed on NASDAQ in 2005 and subsequently acquired by Oracle for US$1.9 billion in 2012. Mr. Têtu was Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the board of directors from the company’s inception in 1999 through 2007.
Prior to Taleo, Mr. Têtu was President of Baan SCS, the supply-chain management solutions group of Baan, a global enterprise software company. This followed Baan’s acquisition of Berclain Group inc., which he co-founded in 1989 and where he served as President until 1996.
Mr. Têtu also serves on the boards of Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services inc. and PetalMD, a leading cloud applications provider in the medical sector. Mr. Têtu is involved in private equity across multiple business sectors.
In 1997 Mr. Têtu was honoured by Université Laval for his social contributions and business achievements. He also received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year award in the Technology category.
Mr. Têtu lives in Québec City, Québec, Canada. He is an Engineering graduate from Université Laval in Québec City and a commercially licensed helicopter pilot.
Member of the Human Resources and Corporate Governance Committee
Louis Vachon
Corporate Director
Louis Vachon
Corporate Director
Louis Vachon is a corporate director. Previously, Mr. Vachon was President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Bank of Canada from June 2007 to November 2021 and had previously worked at the Bank since 1996 where he held a series of management positions, including Chief Operating Officer.
Mr. Vachon serves on the board of directors of Molson Coors Beverage Company since May 2012. He is also involved in a number of social and cultural organizations.
Mr. Vachon has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Bates College and a master’s degree in International Finance from Tufts’ Fletcher School. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst, CFA.
Mr. Vachon lives in Montréal, Québec, Canada. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Ottawa, Bishop’s University, Ryerson University, and Concordia University. In 2014, he was named CEO of the Year by Canadian Business magazine, and Financial Personality of the Year by the business publication Finance et Investissement in 2012 and 2014. Mr. Vachon received the Global Citizens Award from the United Nations Association in Canada, is a Member of the Order of Canada and the Ordre de Montréal and has been an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec since 2019 and was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel (H) of Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal
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