Cascades has chosen Hugues Simon to be the packaging company’s next president and CEO, replacing outgoing CEO Mario Plourde. Simon will assume his new role no later than July 1.
Simon currently works at Resolute Forest Products as president of the wood products business. Prior to that, he was president at BarretteWood from 2012 to 2020. In total, Simon has 30 years of manufacturing sector experience.
Simon’s “extensive experience in leadership positions in the industrial products sector will be a great asset,” Patrick Lemaire, chairman of Cascades’ board of directors, said in a statement. “His track record demonstrates a deep commitment to operational excellence, and we have full confidence that his expertise and experience will contribute to Cascades’ ongoing success and create value for our shareholders.”
Plourde will support Simon’s transition through December and then will serve as a special advisor. Plourde has worked at Cascades for nearly 40 years, 11 of which were as the company’s top executive. Cascades said it carried out extensive succession planning and recruitment in advance of Plourde’s planned retirement.
“The time has come for me to pass the torch, and I am confident that Hugues' expertise and experience will enable him to successfully lead Cascades,” Plourde said in a statement.
This is the latest in a flurry of announced packaging company CEO departures over the past year. Other companies with CEO transitions include Amcor, Avery Dennison, Berry Global, DS Smith, International Paper, O-I Glass, SEE and Stora Enso.
In February, Cascades announced the closures of three U.S. and Canadian containerboard facilities, affecting more than 300 workers. During the company’s earnings call later that month, Plourde reiterated that those facilities had higher operating costs and would have required significant capital investment to upgrade.
Cascades is also among the fiber companies that recently announced a second round of linerboard price increases this year, set to take effect in June.
