CEO FRANCINE LAVOIE & BOARD BIOGRAPHIES,
Chairman & CEO of Boreal and Saint-Elie
Francine Lavoie holds several awards, including Best Business of the Year, Excellence in Export from the Minister of Agriculture, Best Business Builder of the Year, and Best Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2001 Lavoie became the president of natural spring water bottling plant Les Sources Saint-Elie and restructured the entire company after a major fraud and near-bankruptcy situation. Her strategy included the design and execution of a new marketing approach as well as management of the entire plant operation, from sales, finance and manufacturing to obtaining a permit to increase production from regulatory agencies, which makes Saint-Elie one of Canada’s largest sources in Quebec. Lavoie’s experience also includes real estate development, product conception and international sales. In April of 2009, Lavoie acquired Leisure Time Spring Water (LTSW) and sold the company’s HOD division to a distributor in New Jersey. She has renegotiated all contracts with suppliers and customers, restructured and conducted a successful turnaround strategy, and has developed and designed a new marketing approach with a goal of making Boreal Water Collection the Northeastern U.S. leader for high-end private label bottled water. Lavoie has also already obtained approval for the status of a Regionally Significant Project under the Empire Zone State Program, which will allow the company to get taxes incentives. Lavoie has a B.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering, P.Eng. and an M.B.A. in International Finance and Trade.
Christopher Umecki
