The company said that, because of other opportunities for Cordeau, Agropur decided to accelerate its succession plan, with Robert Coallier announcing he will retire from the cooperative on December 31, 2019 to allow for a smooth handover and to support Cordeau during the transition period.
Since joining Agropur in 2013, Cordeau has been senior vice-president and chief financial officer.
“Having recruited Émile more than once, asked him to join Agropur, and watched him advance over the past six years, I am confident that he will be a strong and effective CEO,” Coallier said.
“As I announce my retirement, I want to thank all the colleagues at Agropur who worked with me to develop and transform our organization, and the board for its trust and support over the past eight years.”
Coallier joined Agropur as a guest member of the board and has been CEO since 2012. Under his leadership, Agropur said it has seen growth, particularly in the US market, where Coallier implemented an acquisitions plan that made the cooperative a major player in that market and one of the top 20 dairy processors in the world.