François Deschênes Named President and CEO of Groupe Deschênes Inc.

January 31, 2017

Groupe Deschênes Inc. has appointed François Deschênes as President and Chief Executive Officer. François previously held the position of Vice President, Operations, for the Quebec Region, and is the fifth member of the Deschênes family to be nominated president in 77 years of business.

Martin Deschênes, outgoing President and Chief Executive Officer, announced “after 17 years at the helm of the company, I am very proud that my brother François was chosen to be my successor. His strong commitment to the family business, his leadership and team building skills combined with his numerous achievements will contribute to the growth and success of our business.”

John LeBoutillier, Chairman of the Board, added “as a family business founded more than 75 years ago, GDI is very serious about the succession process. The board members have unanimously chosen François, following a rigorous process and are very pleased to work with him to achieve the company goals.”

When François started at GDI in 2000, his first mandate was as a representative in the Canaplus Limited Partnership buying group, which became AD Canada P&H in 2016. He has also held the positions of Vice President of Procurement and Vice President of Marketing. In 2010, he became Vice President and General Manager for the Deschênes & Fils Ltée subsidiary in Montreal. Last year, he was appointed Vice President of Operations for Quebec Region, in order to prepare for his future role of president. François completed a BCom from HEC Montreal and an EMBA from McGill‐HEC Montreal.

Martin Deschênes assumes the position of Vice Chairman of the Board of GDI and will continue to work on special projects. He will become Chairman of the Board of AD Canada P&H buying group, a position previously held by François Deschênes.

Groupe Deschênes Inc., founded in 1940, is a wholesale distributor of plumbing and heating products, electrical supplies, fire protection and HVAC/R products, waterworks and sewer systems as well as auto parts, with over 140 points of sales throughout Canada. The firm also has 18 plumbing retail stores in Quebec and Ontario.