Marc Bedard has served as Lion’s CEO—Founder and as a member of Lion’s Board since Lion’s incorporation in 2008. Prior to founding Lion, Mr. Bedard served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Les Entreprises Barette Ltée, a leading manufacturer of wood and vinyl products for construction and exterior use in North America, from 2003 to 2007. Previously, Mr. Bedard was a partner at Pricewaterhouse LLP, a national partnership of professional accountants and consultants, from 1996 to 2003. Mr. Bedard is a certified Chartered Professional Accountant and has been a member of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec since 1987. Mr. Bedard holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC), Université de Montréal.
Nicolas Brunet is the Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of Lion since 2019. Prior to joining Lion, he was a Managing Director in BMO Capital Markets’ Montréal Investment and Corporate Banking Group, specializing in capital markets advisory and financing solutions. Mr. Brunet held various positions in the field of investment banking from 2004 to 2019, both at BMO Capital Markets and at NM Rothschild & Sons. From 2012 to 2020, he sat on the Board of the Fondation Jeunes en Tête, a non-profit organization focused on the mental well-being of Québec’s youth, and acted as its treasurer from 2015 to 2020. Mr. Brunet holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University and graduated with Great Distinction.
Yannick Poulin has served as Lion’s Chief Operating Officer since April 2016. From October 2013 to April 2016, Mr. Poulin held positions of increasing responsibility at Paradox Security Systems, an international security and alarm systems manufacturer and solutions provider, including the position of Chief Operating Officer and Plant General manager. Previously, Mr. Poulin held various positions related to production and manufacturing at Electrolux, an international home appliance manufacturer. Mr. Poulin holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the John Molson School of Business, Concordia University.
François Beaulieu is the Chief Information Officier of Lion since June 2021. Mr. Beaulieu brings with him over three decades of experience leading information system design in a variety of industries in both Canada and Europe, including banking, insurance and telecommunications, where he served as CIO at Cogeco, one of Canada’s top providers in the segment. Since 2011, Mr. Beaulieu has worked in a variety of consulting capacities, managing major digital infrastructure transitions and optimizing back-office platforms for clients such as Banque Nationale, WSP and Air Canada, among others. Most recently he served as a strategic technology advisor for Eficio’s CIO on Demand service, which helps organizations of various sizes achieve their digital transformation goals by providing I.T. expertise. Mr. Beaulieu holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a Master's degree in Information Technology from HEC Montreal. He also holds several professional certifications related to his field of expertise (PMP, PMS, SAFe 5).
François Duquette is the Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of Lion since April 2021. Prior to joining Lion, he was Managing Director, Global Private Equity at Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec ("CDPQ") which he joined in 2015 as Vice-President, Legal Affairs, Investment. In his recent role, he co-led CDPQ’s private equity direct investment strategy outside of Quebec, primarily in Europe and Asia Pacific. Mr. Duquette also co-chaired CDPQ’s International Private Equity and Technology Investment Committees. Before joining CDPQ, he was a Partner at Allen & Overy LLP, an international law firm, where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions. During his years with the firm, he worked in their Toronto, Abu Dhabi and Casablanca offices. Prior to Allen & Overy, Mr Duquette practiced in Paris and Abu Dhabi with international law firm Simmons & Simmons LLP. Mr. Duquette holds a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) and a Juris Doctor (JD) from McGill University. He is a member of the Barreau du Québec and a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales.
Nathalie Giroux is the Chief People Officer of Lion since August 2021. Prior to joining Lion, she was she served in the same role at Uni-Select, an automotive aftermarket and refinishing specialty company, a company she joined following several years in the aviation industry, having held the position of Vice President of Human Resources, Defense and Security at CAE, and has also previously served in a management role overseeing global rewards at Molson Coors. Her past experience includes membership in several human resources and governance committees in numerous positions, and she has contributed to a number of successful corporate mergers and acquisitions.
Mrs. Giroux holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a Minor in Business Studies from Concordia University. She also retains a fellow position at the Canadian Institute of Actuaries and is a Certified Corporate Director, in addition to serving as a Board Member of the Collège André-Grasset Foundation.
Brian Piern is the Chief Commercial Officer of Lion since June 2021. Prior to joining Lion, Mr. Piern most recently served as Vice President, Sales and Marketing at XL Fleet Corp., where he directed the development of the firm’s commercial team. Prior to this role, he served as Senior Vice President of Sales at Element Fleet Management and previously held the same position at GE Capital, leading the development and execution of multimillion-dollar sales strategies. He has also served in senior roles at Schneider National, Lockheed Martin, and Citicorp. Mr. Piern holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Towson University in Maryland and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the University of Phoenix.
Rocco Mezzatesta, Senior Vice-President, Product Development & Engineering and Chief Technology Officer
Rocco Mezzatesta has served as Lion’s Sr. VP Product Development & Engineering and Chief Technology Officer since April 2021. Prior to that, Mr. Mezzatesta served as the Global Vice President of Operations for Dometic . Mr. Mezzatesta was the President of ROC Consulting group for 9 years, working in Automotive ( Tesla, Magna, Ford) in various roles focused on product launch, global quality, organizational development, facility equipment and testing development, and operational critical problem resolution, and with other clients ( Whirlpool, Electrolux, Alcoa, Torrington ) while working under Hajime Ohba consulting and executing business correction strategies.
Mr. Mezzatesta began his career in R and D development with Pebra Gmbh, and joined Toyota in 1987, working through various development, product launch, facility , logistics, process improvement roles, and later with Ford Motor Company as the MP&L Engineering manager and later FPS plant manager.