François Plourde to retire after many years of devotion to the firm
MONTREAL, May 30, 2022 /CNW/ - Réal Plourde, Chairman of the Board at CIMA+, one of Canada's largest privately owned consulting engineering firms, is pleased to announce that Denis Thivierge has been named the firm's new President and Chief Executive Officer by unanimous consent of its board of directors, following a process conducted by a special committee of the board and assisted by a consultant in accordance with the highest standards of governance.
Mr. Thivierge boasts more than 25 years of experience in consulting engineering. He joined CIMA+ in 2007 as Vice President of the Buildings sector for the Metropolitan Montréal Region before becoming a partner in 2008. He was given additional responsibilities in 2016 as Director of the Montreal office and member of the Executive Committee. Since the fall of 2019, Mr. Thivierge has served as Chief Operating Officer, while also assuming the role of interim Chief Financial Officer.
Effective August 1st, Mr. Thivierge will replace François Plourde, who will be retiring at the end of 2022 after eight years at the head of CIMA+ and 33 years with the firm. Until then, Mr. Plourde will remain in place in order to ensure a smooth transition to the new CEO, while continuing to manage the company in the normal course of business.
"I would like to thank the Board of Directors, the shareholders and outgoing President François Plourde for the confidence they have shown in me. I look forward to taking on this new challenge with the support of a strong management team to help carry out this mission," said Denis Thivierge. "Under François' leadership, CIMA+ has made significant progress through organic growth and successful targeted acquisitions. We are now one of the largest consulting engineering firms in Canada, with over 30 offices across the country and a diverse team of over 2,800 employees, half of whom are shareholders. I intend to continue to grow the company by pursuing an approach similar to that of François."
"François Plourde will be leaving behind a healthy company that is very well positioned to continue its growth thanks to our strong pool of talent," said Réal Plourde, Chairman of the Board of CIMA+. "We would like to thank François for his many years of dedication to our firm. Under his leadership, we have experienced profound transformations in our business model and benefited from a meteoric growth in profitability. During this period, CIMA+ has also become an employer of choice in the engineering field across Canada."
"I will miss the talented team at CIMA+. The company is healthy and well positioned for continued growth. I believe this is the right time to retire after eight years as President and CEO and hand over the reins to my successor," said François Plourde.
About CIMA+
CIMA+ provides a variety of engineering consulting services, namely in the areas of buildings, infrastructure, transportation, energy & resources, project management, environment, and communication systems. With an ever-growing presence, CIMA+'s team relies on decades of experience acquired across Canada to offer excellence in engineering projects. The search for excellence has been part of our DNA since our foundation in 1990. This commitment has allowed CIMA+ to rank among the largest consulting engineering firms in Canada. Today, with more than 30 offices across Canada, CIMA+ employs 2,800+ people, over half of whom share ownership in the company.
At CIMA+ we believe that engineering exists to improve the lives of those around us. Sustainable solutions inspired by engineering help meet the many challenges of today and tomorrow. Because when you engineer for people, you also engineer for a better world. For more information, please visit www.cima.ca.
SOURCE CIMA+
Andréanne St-Pierre, Director -- Marketing and communications, Telephone: 514-348-0891, [email protected]
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