Column 48: With pride and humility
There are still so many stories left to tell! Like the tale of the crack team that succeeded in integrating two separate systems over the course of a single weekend following a corporate acquisition. Or the one about the ingenious purchasing manager who managed to circumvent a shortage of exotic fruit caused by an extreme weather event. Or the account of the many awards and honours bestowed by the business community on Jean-Paul Barré and Jean Gattuso. There are still dozens and dozens of fun facts and anecdotes we could share, each capturing, in its own way, what makes Lassonde so unique.
Every year, in the annual employee report sent to roughly 2,200 employees, Pierre-Paul Lassonde makes a point of talking about Lassonde’s distinctive character, about the company’s values – values that are deeply held not only by Nathalie Lassonde, the Lassonde family’s worthy fourthgeneration successor, but also by the company’s board of directors, managers and employees. These values include a spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation, patience and a knack for spotting and seizing opportunity, fairness and integrity, dignity, respect and recognition.
Like his father Willie and his grandfather Aristide, Pierre- Paul Lassonde, the company’s current chairman and CEO, has his feet firmly planted on the ground. But that doesn’t stop him from keeping his eyes trained on the future, while remaining faithful to his principles. For him, the key is to move forward calmly, steadily and confidently towards the objectives you’ve set, while preserving your heritage and contributing to the well-being of your community. It also about giving employees the tools they need to achieve their goals. And nothing should ever be taken for granted. Success should be celebrated with pride but also humility.
Lassonde’s hundred year anniversary comes to a close in December 2018. Nathalie Lassonde is getting ready to step into the shoes worn by her father, grandfather and greatgrandfather. However, as she said laughingly during an interview, the real boss was Georgianna. If women worked behind the scenes and stood in the shadows in the past, they may well take centre stage in Lassonde’s future.