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THE PROMOTER
Dr. J.-ROBERT OUIMET, C.M., C.Q., Ph.D., MBA
Ph.D., Ph.h.c., M.B.A., C.M., C.Q.
Chairman of the Board and CEO
Holding O.C.B. Inc. – “To God Go” Foundation
Cordon Bleu International Ltd. - Piazza Tomasso International Inc.
Dr. J.-Robert Ouimet is chairman of the board and Chief Executive Officer of Holding O.C.B. Inc., Cordon Bleu International Ltd., and Piazza Tomasso International Inc. This group of companies, founded by his father, J.‑René Ouimet, in 1933, is the most important Canadian producer and marketer of Italian pasta frozen food products. Dr. Ouimet is also president of the « To God Go ». Foundation.
Dr. Ouimet holds a bachelor of commerce from the H.E.C., University of Montreal; a bachelor in political and social sciences (Magna Cum Laude), University of Fribourg, Switzerland; a master’s in business administration from Columbia University, New York; and a doctorate in economic and social sciences (Magna Cum Laude), University of Fribourg.
Dr. Ouimet is a director on the boards of the following organizations: Council of Canadian Chief Executives – Entrepreneurs’ Circle (member); Canadian Chamber of Commerce; H.E.C.-Montreal; Montreal Symphony Orchestra; Jeunesses Musicales du Canada; Clinical Research Institute Foundation of Montreal; Museum of Contemporary Art; Château de Ramezay Museum; International Spirit at Work Awards.
Previously, he served on the following boards, among others: National Bank of Canada; Petro-Canada; Zellers; Société Générale de Financement; Corporate Foods; L’Industrielle (life insurance); L’Industrielle Alliance Financial; Grocery Manufacturers of Canada.
He is a member of the: Sovereign and Military Order of Malta; Order of the Guardians of Mount Zion and the Holy Sepulchre (Jerusalem); Order of Canada; National Order of Québec.
Dr. Ouimet is a prominent graduate of the H.E.C. In 2007, on the occasion of the H.E.C.’s 100th anniversary, the MBA students elected him Mentor of the Century.
He is a recipient of the Ramses International Award, conferred by Les Journées internationales de la Qualité et du Management Intégré in Paris. In 2009, he received the Business Leader Award by the Conseil du Patronat du Québec (Quebec Council of Employers). Laval University recognized his achievements in philosophy, economics and religious studies with an honorary doctorate.
Dr. Ouimet has visited more than 100 university campuses and businesses in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and has given more than 200 conferences to business leaders, management professors and students. His extensive travels have also allowed him to meet thinkers and community leaders who are concerned with the importance of spirituality within organizations.
In 2008, Dr. Ouimet privately published his English-language biography, titled Everything Has Been Loaned to You. The French-language original is titled Tout vous a été confié and was edited by Presses de la Renaissance. The text of the biography is also available in Spanish.
He authored two documents on Our Project, a management model practised in his group of companies: The Golden Book and For an Organization that Shines. These documents are also available in French and Spanish.
The “To God Go” Foundation
The “To God Go” Foundation was created in 2007 by Mr. J.-Robert Ouimet when he transferred the family food processing business to his son, Jean-René. The Foundation is rooted in the Catholic faith and lived out in a perspective of ecumenical and human openness. It has in its mission to make known the business experiment of Our Project to leaders and managers of various work places and companies. It also aims at reaching professors and researchers in the management field.
The diffusion of knowledge on the experiment is done by lectures, visits to factories, assistance in editing case studies based on the experimentation of Our Project and applied to business education, conferences and publications.
The reconciliation of human well-being with the pursuit of efficiency, growth and profits is made achieved by placing respect and dignity of people at the center of Our Project’s values. The integration of a spiritual dimension and openness to Transcendence are the key characteristics of this management approach.
The origin of the expression To God Go
Every business project rests on a dream, a vision. It starts with an inner call, an intuition, and takes root in a deep-seated confidence in the forces of life which are bigger than any one of us and, find their source beyond us.
Our ancestors from Brittany and Normandy, the builders of this country, had to cross the Atlantic in very perilous conditions—the crossing took two months—in order to reach this land that had to be cleared and created. Their deeply grounded faith was put to the challenge. Thus they translated their commitment as they launched ships filled with people and supplies destined for their new country; they yelled out, “To God Go” which comes from Doue d’ho miro in the Breton language.
This is the spirit of the “To God Go” Foundation, a project brought to reality in one’s faith, including God.
To contact the Promotors, use the e-mail address: info@notreprojet.org
J.-RENÉ OUIMET JR.
President and chief Operating Officer
Aliments Ouimet-Cordon Bleu Inc.
Ouimet-Tomasso Inc
J.-René Ouimet jr. is President and Chief operating Officer of Aliments Ouimet-Cordon Bleu Inc. and of Ouimet-Tomasso Inc. He brings with him significant management experience in high growth international companies. He strives to establish strategic revenue growth and operational effectiveness. He also acts as Vice-President of « To God Go » Foundation.
Before joining the group of companies in 2007, he worked as a Director for EMC Corporation, a $12 billion US dollar company. There, he was responsible for developing and implementing strategic growth initiatives in the Corporate Services, managing a US$1 billion division.
He previously worked at AT Kearney where he built a team providing management consulting services to multi-national companies in different sectors, including M&A, manufacturing, distribution and transportation.
J.-René brings strategic thinking to the business in combination with extensive management and strategic finance experience in the food manufacturing industry, which he acquired in renowned companies, such as: Weston Bakeries, Culinar, Drake Bakeries, and Kellogg’s.