MONTREAL, March 9, 2023 /CNW/ - At the Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders of Transat A.T. Inc., held virtually today, shareholders elected a new Board of Directors. Annick Guérard, President and Chief Executive Officer, as well as Lucie Chabot, Valérie Chort, Daniel Desjardins, Susan Kudzman, Stéphane Lefebvre, Ian Rae and Julie Tremblay were re-elected. The Board now welcomes Geneviève Brouillette, Robert Coallier and Bruno Matheu as new members.
Susan Kudzman was also appointed Chair of the Board of Directors. For a second year, Transat has maintained gender parity (defined as 45%-55%) on its Board of Directors, with a total of five men and six women serving on the Board. Not only is Transat one of the few airlines in the world to be headed by a woman, the Company is also one of two players in the industry to have an equal or greater representation of women on its Board of Directors, according to data collected by Bloomberg1.
The meeting also marked the departure of Philippe Sureau, a founding member of Transat, and Raymond Bachand, outgoing Chairman of the Board. "Today, per the age limit stipulated in our rules of governance, I am ending my term on the Board of Directors. For 9 years I have had the privilege of assisting and participating in various ways in the governance of this company during very turbulent times. My colleague Philippe Sureau, one of Transat's great founders, is stepping down after reaching the 12-year term of service on the Board. A pioneer of travel in Quebec, Philippe Sureau was a visionary and innovative entrepreneur. I would personally like to thank him for his contribution," said outgoing president Raymond Bachand.
"I leave knowing that the Board and Transat are in good hands under the leadership of Annick Guérard and the governance of Susan Kudzman. Susan has played an important role in guiding strategy and human resources, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as overseeing and managing the risks facing the Corporation. She has been and will continue to be a valuable contributor. I am confident she will be an excellent Board Chair and will continue to advise with great competence Transat's Executive Committee. Transat's future remains promising thanks to the strength, resilience, and expertise of the teams at all levels of the Corporation," added outgoing President Raymond Bachand.
Susan Kudzman has been a member of Transat's Board of Directors since March 2014. She has served for several years on the Risk Management and Corporate Responsibility Committee, and chairs the Company's Human Resources and Compensation Committee. Ms. Kudzman is also Chair of the Board of Directors of Yellow Pages on which she has held a seat since November 2014. She also sits on the boards of Medavie and PSP Investments.
"I would like to thank Raymond Bachand and Philippe Sureau for their leadership and dedication to Transat over the years," said new Board Chair Susan Kudzman. "They are pillars of this company, who have helped guide it through many key moments in its history. I would also like to welcome our new members, Geneviève Brouillette, Robert Coallier and Bruno Matheu," she added. "All three are extremely qualified. Their experience and skills will guide the organization as well as the executive and Transat teams to implement the strategic plan."
About the three new Board Members: Geneviève Brouillette, Robert Coallier and Bruno Matheu
Geneviève Brouillette has been the Chief Financial Officer of Aldo since 2019. With over 30 years of experience in finance and management, she has contributed to the growth of many renowned companies, such as Keurig Dr. Pepper, St-Hubert, Reader's Digest and Kraft Foods, which has helped her gain a reputation that transcends borders. In 2022, she received the title of Fellow by the Québec CPA Order.
Robert Coallier is a corporate director. Mr. Coallier was the Chief Executive Officer of Agropur Cooperative. He has over 30 years of experience in, among other things, creating and managing businesses, organizational development, human resources management, business and financial turnaround and the development of customized IT and technology solutions. Mr. Coallier also held senior management positions at Dollarama, Molson Coors, C-MAC Industries Inc. and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.
Bruno Matheu has been the President and founder of BLM Consulting, a corporation providing business and management advice in various industries, including transportation and aviation, since 2017. Mr. Matheu was previously Chief Executive Officer, Airline Equity Partners for Etihad Aviation Group (UAE), a global aviation and travel group. Between 1992 and 2014, he held various senior management positions for Air France and Air France-KLM.
About Transat
Founded in Montreal 35 years ago, Transat has achieved worldwide recognition as a holiday travel provider, particularly as an airline under the Air Transat brand. Voted World's Best Leisure Airline in North America by passengers at the 2022 Skytrax World Airline Awards, it flies to international, U.S. and Canadian destinations. By renewing its fleet with the most energy-efficient aircraft in their category, it is committed to a healthier environment, knowing that this is essential to its operations and the destinations it serves. Transat has been Travelife-certified since 2018. (TSX: TRZ) www.transat.com
SOURCE Transat A.T. Inc.
Andréan Gagné, Senior Director, Communications and Public Affairs, andrean.gagne@transat.com, 514 987-1660, 104071