SAINTE-JULIE, QC, - The Group Export Agri-Food held yesterday the very first Summit on Agri-Food Export in Quebec, presented by FCC. Guests were treated to a packed agenda featuring high-level conferences and a panel of Group Export member exporters.
Mr. Christophe Lafougère, Director of Gira, opened the event with a lecture, presented by the National Bank, on the major issues and global trends in export markets. This was followed by Ms. Véronique Boileau, Vice President, Marketing, Communications and Corporate Responsibility at Sollio Agriculture, on exporting and ESG criteria, presented by Veolia Water Technologies, and Ms. Claire Mullen, Director of the Indo-Pacific Strategy Secretariat at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), on business opportunities for exporters in the Indo-Pacific region.
In addition, a panel of exporters, made up of three Group Export members - Mr. Louis Turenne, Vice President and General Manager of The Maple Treat Corporation, Mr. Dominique Bohec, President of Boulangerie Humanité Inc. and Ms. Chantal Van Winden, President and CEO of Olimega Signé Caméline, discussed export strategies, their experience, their vision and the challenges they foresee for the coming years.
"The Group Export is proud to have orchestrated the first edition of the Summit on Agri-Food Export. The significant growth of agri-food exports in Quebec prompted us to propose such an event, so that everyone could come and draw on relevant information essential to making business decisions focused on developing foreign markets. We were very impressed with the program presented," says Martin Lavoie, President and CEO of Group Export Agri-Food.
This first edition of the Summit was preceded by the Annual General Meeting of Group Export members. Following this meeting, the new composition of the Board of Directors was unveiled. Ms. Laura Boivin (Fumoir Grizzly) becomes the new Chairman of the Board. Ms. Katell Burot (Carrément Tarte), Ms. Anne Létourneau (PLB International) and Ms. Lory Wang (Arctica Food Group Canada) were re-elected for the 2023-2024 term, while Ms. Hélène Cliche (Chocolats Favoris) and Ms. Catherine Sumague (naturSource) were elected for their first term. The Board congratulates these directors and extends its warmest thanks to outgoing Board members Mr. Bill Sheehan (E. Gagnon et Fils) and Mr. François Malenfant (Station 22).
Mr. Simon Baillargeon (Sollio Agriculture), outgoing Chairman of the Board, commented on his two-year term of office, which ended yesterday: "As my last activity as Chairman of the Board of Group Export, I am delighted to have attended the Summit on Agri-Food Export. It brings my term of office to a positive close and is full of optimism for our agri-food sector. I'm very pleased and satisfied with the work carried out by the Board of Directors over the past few years, especially in the context of a pandemic. It is with my head held high and full of pride that I hand over the reins to my colleague, Laura Boivin, the new Chairman of the Board. I would like to thank my colleagues on the Board for all these years, and above all, the entire Group Export team, who have supported me during my term of office. »
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