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Jean Bénard brings to West Monroe Partners more than 30 years of experience in business entrepreneurship, commerce and market development. He held various positions in many entrepreneurial settings, such as a market development consultant for SMEs, manager, associate as well as co-proprietor of several family businesses. Jean has been responsible for diverse functions; from a production manager to general manager, and also also as chief executive for a few small companies.
Highlights
In October 2006, Jean joined West Monroe Partners as a business developer for the Canadian practice. His mission is to acquire new clients in the Quebec market for the different solution categories offered by West Monroe Partners and to organize promotional activities for the Montreal and Toronto offices. His focus consists of adopting the international commercial strategies of West Monroe Partners to the Canadian market and helping his colleagues to manage and strengthen relationships with the new clientele.
Previously, he has occupied the sales and marketing manager’s function at Capella Technologies and was eventually named as general manager and member of the company’s leadership team. Thanks to his unwavering work, there was a 20 % increase in Sales in the 2nd year, but this was not sufficient to ensure their survival. Jean undertook the task to capitalize a part of the assets and hold off the activities while overseeing the general business operations. He targeted different potential buyers for part of Capella’s assets and was able to sell to one of them at the desired pricing, therefore alleviating all of Capella’s administrive team from financial obligations. During this time, he was in charge of planning, coordinating and organizing sales and finance activities with discretion and professionalism, as well as ensuring the team’s morale.
From 2002 to 2004, Jean offered his consulting services in market development to SMEs in the manufacturing industry who either plan to or are currently exporting to the United States. His experience dealing with small enterprises enabled him, during this period, to assist many clients in the manufacturing industry to increase their revenues. He participated in numerous market studies and analyses and managed their market development for some of them.
In 1998, he accepted the challenge to put in place a market development divison for DDM Marketing’s clientele. In four years, revenues went from nearly zero to 450 000 $ during the time Jean assumed a lead role, and was in charge of the training and management of a team of 4 to 10 part-time or full-time employees.
Between 1991 and 1998, he was mostly occupied with prospecting for Construnet, a company offering Web development and hosting services. Jean’s efforts led to the creation and development of more than 30 websites.
As general manager of Médiagraf, a multimedia society who felt the need to review its business strategy and finances, Jean undertook these challenged by releasing additional financing, restructuring the company’s activities and human resources and also by ensuring the loyalty of its principal clients.
From 1988 to 1991, Jean Bénard was in charge of the production of electronic and print documents électroniques at BDDS, which was the second largest PR firm in Montreal. Upon his hiring, his mission was two-fold: he was required to structure and solidify the production department, with the necessary means to compensate for losses of 10 % and become profitable. At the same time, Jean needed to convince 40 principal and intermediary consultants to trust the service of the department. At the end of six months, he managed to persuade everyone to use his services, which became profitable. Two years later, with a business volume of $5 millions, he underhandedly managed transactions valued at $1 200 000 with 17,5 % profit margins, alone.
It was in 1975 when his career began in family businesses, including an advertising agency, André Bénard and Associates, and a real estate development firm in the Laurentides, called Les Rochers Boisés. His responsibilities were varied, from bookkeeping, project management of over 1200 projects in 8 years, production manager and general manager to 3 family busisnesses which went from $2 millions of revenue to $7 million of revenue. | 