Yves Lalumière appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Tourisme Montréal

MONTREAL, June 19, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Mr. Jacques Parisien, President of the Board of Directors of Tourisme Montréal, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Yves Lalumière to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of Tourisme Montréal. On this coming August 19, Mr. Lalumière, currently the President of Transat Distribution Canada, will take over the position from the Honourable Charles Lapointe, who has led the organization for 24 years.

This highly-anticipated announcement in the business community concludes a rigorous international selection process implemented to find the best candidate to head Montréal's tourism and convention bureau. The firm, Korn Ferry International was appointed by the Tourisme Montréal Board of Directors to assist the special selection committee in this task. The selection of Mr. Yves Lalumière as the organization's new leader was unanimous by all parties involved.

"Mr. Lalumière's extensive background in management and team leadership coupled with his solid experience in the tourism industry will prove to be invaluable to Tourisme Montréal. It is with great enthusiasm that the members of the Board of Directors join me in welcoming Mr. Lalumière and in doing so, extend our utmost cooperation," highlighted Mr. Jacques Parisien, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Astral Media Inc., and President of the Board of Directors of Tourisme Montréal.

Active in the tourism industry since 1986, Yves Lalumière holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Tourism from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM). Mr. Lalumière previously served for more than 20 years in management positions within American Express, particularly in the areas of business travel, air agreement negotiations and affairs with the Government of Canada. He joined Transat Distribution Canada (TDC) in 2006 as Vice President, Operations and Business Development, and was appointed Vice President, Distribution Network, in 2008. In November 2009, he was named Vice President and General Manager of Transat Distribution Canada and in 2011, assumed the role of President of Canada's leading retail tour operator. Affiliated with Transat A.T., the TDC network counts some 600 travel agencies, over 3,000 travel agents and generates sales of over $1.5 billion.

At the helm of Tourisme Montréal since 1989, the Honourable Charles Lapointe will remain closely involved with the organization in the role of President Emeritus. He will thus act as a mentor and ambassador while ensuring a smooth transition.

The entire Tourisme Montréal team would like to extend a warm welcome to Mr. Lalumière and to sincerely thank Mr. Lapointe for his extraordinary involvement and incredible passion that he has generously shared over his years with the organization.

About Tourisme Montréal
Tourisme Montréal is responsible for providing leadership in the concerted efforts of hospitality and promotion in order to position the "Montréal" destination on leisure and business travel markets. It is also responsible for developing Montréal's tourism product in accordance with the ever-changing conditions of the market. For more information, please visit www.tourisme-montreal.org.

Image with caption: "Mr. Yves Lalumière, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tourisme Montréal (CNW Group/Tourisme Montréal)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130619_C9565_PHOTO_EN_28226.jpg

SOURCE: Tourisme Montréal

For further information:

Alexandra Graveline
Manager - Corporate Public Relations
Tourisme Montréal
514 844-3558
Cell. 514-994-5639
[email protected]