Board of Directors

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 45 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 has also been a member of the Board of Directors of CGI Inc. from 2013 to 2023.

Mr. Bouchard is a Member of the Order of Canada and an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec. He also has an honorary doctorate in Consumer Sciences from Université Laval in Québec City and an honorary doctorate in Laws from McGill University in Montréal. Mr. Bouchard 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)
• 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.

Mr. Fortin is a co-founder and served as Chairman of the Board from 2008 to 2011. He joined the Corporation in 1984 and retired as Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer in 2008. Before joining Alimentation Couche-Tard, 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).

Mr. Fortin served on the board of Transcontinental Inc. from 2004 to 2018 and was Lead Director and Chairman of its Audit Committee, and on National Bank of Canada’s board from 2013 to 2018 as Chairman of the Risk Management Committee and member of its 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 was Chairman of its Audit Committee from 2013 to 2018.

Mr. Fortin lives in Boucherville, Québec, Canada. He has a Bachelor of Arts in management with a major in finance from Université Laval in Québec City.

Mr. Hannasch is President and Chief Executive Officer of Alimentation Couche-Tard since 2014 and served as its Chief Operating Officer from 2010 to 2014.

Under his leadership, the Corporation has grown to be the largest company in Canada in terms of revenue and one of the largest convenience store groups in the world. He joined the Corporation in 2001 and during his 22 years with Alimentation Couche-Tard, he 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 2003), where he was responsible for all aspects of U.S. operations.

Mr. Hannasch was Vice President of Operations (2000 to 2001) for Bigfoot Food Stores LLC, a 225-unit convenience store chain in the U.S. Midwest acquired by Alimentation Couche-Tard in 2001. Prior to that, he was at BP Amoco (1989 to 2000), and held various positions of increasing responsibility including Vice-President of Marketing for the U.S. Midwest Business Unit.

In 2022, Mr. Hannasch was inducted into the Convenience Store News Hall of Fame. Mr. Hannasch was named 2021 Retail Leader of the Year by Winsight Media and 2019 Retailer Executive of the Year by Convenience Store News’ blue-chip panel of c-store industry leaders. He was also 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 and a member of the board of directors of AutoZone, Inc. since February 2022.

Mr. Hannasch 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.

Ms. 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.

Ms. Kau is currently a member of the board of directors and recently elected Chair of Aéroports de Montréal, where she previously chaired its Governance and Human Resources Committee for several years. She is also currently the only independent member of the board of a private company that is building a network of fertility clinics in North America, where she is a member of the Human Resource Committee.

Ms. Kau is passionate about entrepreneurship. She serves as Governor of the Young Chamber of Commerce, where she mentors 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 has a Master of Business Administration from Concordia and a Master of Journalism from Northwestern University.

Ms. 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 Digital Transformation and Global Branding. Since 2018, she is the President of Tandem International and works closely with VCs as an advisory partner to their portfolio of small/medium enterprises. She serves on the board of Riocan Real Estate Investment Trust where she is a member of the Investment Committee.

Mrs. Lamothe is also a Professor of Practice at McGill University (Desautels Business Faculty) and administers McGill’s Dobson Center for Entrepreneurship whose mission is to transform the university’s innovation into viable startups.

From 2014 to 2018, she acted as Managing Director at Google Canada, overseeing 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.

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 Québec. She 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 has recently earned Triple E Award recognition for her Entrepreneurship and Engagement Excellence in Higher Education. She 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 Université de Montréal for her contribution to the advancement of our society. The Boardlist named her among the Top 10 women in tech in Canada, and 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, and Canadian Business Magazine nominated her among Canada’s 40 Global Leaders.

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 program certifications from MIT Sloan & MIT CSAIL Artificial Intelligence: AI Implications for Business Strategy (2020), from Said Business School Oxford University in Cybersecurity for Business Leaders (2021), and from NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) in Assessing Cybersecurity Risks (2021). In 2023, she earned a Professional Designation in regulatory standards of environmental, social, and governance (ESG): GCB.D

Member of the Audit Committee

Ms. 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/Bell and Michelin Group. She also serves as a senior advisor at Teneo. In 2020, she has also been appointed as chair of the Industry Strategy Council of Canada and is a member of the G7 Impact Task Force representing Canada.

Before joining Desjardins Group, Ms. Leroux held senior executive roles at RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) and Quebecor. She was also an audit partner at EY (Ernst & Young). 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, the Investment Industry Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Accounting 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.

She has honorary doctorates from ten Canadian universities.

Mr. 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 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 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.

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 where he is Chairman of the Board and serves on the Strategic Planning Committee. He is also a director of the Montréal Holocaust Museum. Mr. Rabinowicz is the founder 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.

Mr. Rabinowicz has a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University.

Mr. 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., (TSX: CVO), 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 serves on the board of PetalMD, a leading cloud applications provider in the medical sector and previously served on the board of Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services inc. 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 has twice received the Regional Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award and was a National winner in 2021.

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.