Canada Beef announces Eric Bienvenue as Incoming President

Canada Beef and the Canadian Beef Check-off Agency are pleased to announce that Eric Bienvenue will join the team as Incoming President

A strategic leader with nearly 30 years of experience in senior leadership roles in the Canadian pork and poultry industries, Bienvenue brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Canada Beef.

Canada Beef President Michael Young said Bienvenue’s extensive experience in the animal protein sector will serve him well in his new role. “He brings a solid business acumen, collaborative leadership skills and the drive needed to support the continued success and prosperity of the Canadian cattle and beef sector,” he said.

 

 “The search committee oversaw a rigorous four-month review process that considered several highly qualified candidates”

 

Under Young’s leadership, the Canadian beef industry has experienced some of the highest beef demand, export volume and values in decades. In 2022, Canadian beef exports reached the second largest volume on record which at 511,000 tonnes missed the all-time record by 10,000 tonnes set in 2002. Canadian beef export value set a new record of $4.6 billion last year.

Bienvenue will be based in Calgary, Alberta and will complete a six-month transition period and mentorship under Young until his retirement in March 2024, following a five-year term as president. Bienvenue will assume the role and title of Canada Beef President upon Young’s retirement.

Russ Mallard, chair of the Market Development and Promotion Committee which
provides operational oversite to Canada Beef under the Agency, led the executive search committee with Agency board members Jeff Smith, Trevor Welch, and Chad Ross with support from Young. “The search committee oversaw a rigorous four-month review process that considered several highly qualified candidates,” Mallard said. “We are pleased to welcome Eric to the sector.”

Prior to joining Canada Beef, Bienvenue served for several years as President and CEO of Boire et Frères Inc., Canada’s largest hatchery company and among its biggest chicken producers. Here Bienvenue and his team attained significant achievements in market gain, business ventures, optimization of assets, cost effectiveness, and customer satisfaction.

During his more than 20 years at Olymel S.E.C, Bienvenue held various jobs from line supervisor to Executive Vice President of all pork operations, with responsibilities for 13 plants across Canada and a team of more than 6,500 people. While at Olymel he participated in mergers and acquisitions and led initiatives to improve efficiencies and market and product developments and was responsible for multi-million-dollar projects in Red Deer, Alberta, Cornwall, Ontario, and in Quebec.

Bienvenue has a Master of Business Administration degree from Université de Moncton, a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of New Brunswick, and various leadership certifications from Harvard University and the Institut de Leadership.

A native of St-Valerien, Quebec, Bienvenue enjoys hockey, golf, and traveling. He and his wife Shannon have two children, William, and Catherine.