President and Chief Executive Officer
Pierre Boivin, O.C., C.Q.
Pierre is a proven corporate leader. He joined Claridge in 2011 and manages the team of professionals who are responsible for optimizing the firm's investment portfolio. He plays a lead role in its acquisitions and in furthering Claridge’s position as a significant player in the mid-market private equity sector in North America. Pierre has a solid track record in building executive teams, developing strategic investment platforms and partnerships, creating significant shareholder value and executing successful exit strategies.
From 1999 to 2011, he was President and CEO of the Montreal Canadiens and evenko. During his tenure, the organization was completely transformed, and he oversaw two changes in ownership.
In 1994, he was appointed President and CEO of Canstar Sports Inc., a Montreal-based public company and the world leader in the hockey equipment industry. Nike Inc. acquired Canstar in 1995, and Pierre became President and CEO of Bauer Nike Hockey until 1999.
Pierre became in 1993 President and CEO of Los Angeles-based Weider Sporting Goods Inc. Following a comprehensive turnaround, the company was sold to ProForm in 1994.
In 1979, he founded Norvinca Inc, a company that became the largest sporting goods distributor in Canada. He was CEO of the company until it was acquired by the Benetton Sports Group in 1992.
Pierre is a member of the Claridge board and is Chairman of the board of Solotech, a portfolio company. He is also the Chairman of the board of Metro Inc. and a board member of National Bank of Canada and Groupe CH.
Very engaged in the community, Pierre has previously been Chairman of Quebec Special Olympics (1998-2003) and a Special Olympics Canada board member (2003-2006). He served on the Board of CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation for over 20 years and was Chairman from 2006 to 2012. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation, which he founded in 2000.
Since 2017, Pierre has been deeply involved in developing the Quebec and the Canadian AI ecosystems. He is currently Chairman of Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute and was the founding Chairman of Forum AI Québec. He has also served on the Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence of Canada from 2019 to 2021 and is currently a special advisor to the federal government on its Pan-Canadian AI Strategy and the Innovation Superclusters Initiative.
In 2009, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada and received an honorary Ph.D. from the Université de Montréal. In 2015, Les Affaires named him the most socially engaged business leader, and he became a Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 2017.
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