Alain Lemaire was born in Drummondville on May 5, 1947.  He is married and the father of three children. In 1967, he joined his brothers Bernard and Laurent, and participated in the growth of what is today Cascades Inc.  From an early age, he was aware of the importance of recycling because of his involvement in the family business.  He developed, in his youth, the values which today represent the very essence of Cascades internationally.

 

Alain studied at the Pulp and Paper Institute in Trois-Rivières.  By focusing his actions on efficiency and remaining close to the operations, he reinforced his expertise in developing and turning around companies.  An outstanding director, it was Alain Lemaire, among others, who orchestrated the financial recovery of the Fine Papers Group and the continued growth of Norampac.  Incidentally, it was under his leadership in 2006 that Cascades completed the purchase of Domtar's interest in Norampac, the biggest containerboard company in Canada and the largest transaction in the history of Cascades.

 

Alain Lemaire is a member of the Cercle des presidents du Québec.  He is known for his dedication and hard work.  His qualities as a man of action have earned him numerous distinctions, not only in the regional and national business community, but also in the environmental and social sectors.  One of his most recent awards in 2004 was that of “Grand performant” which he received at the annual gala of Les nouveaux performants.  Commerce magazine named him “personality of the month” in January 2004 and also named him “most daring of the month” in October 2006. Alain Lemaire and his brothers were awarded the distinction of Entrepreneurs à l'honneur 2007 from the Fondation de l'entrepreneurship.  The daily newspaper La Presse also named him “personality of the week” to underline his dedication to environmental concerns at Earth Day 2007. Alain Lemaire was named the seventh most influential business personality in Québec by Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, and the fifth most inspiring leader for Quebeckers in a CROP-Les Affaires-Knightsbridge poll. In 2008, he was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the Université de Sherbrooke, in recognition of his exceptional career.

 

Amongst his accomplishments, Mr. Lemaire is particularly proud of the fact that Cascades is often referred to as a good corporate citizen because of its leading-edge management practices with regards to sustainable development and the ecologicial virtues of the products it brings to market. 

 

In his leisure time, Alain Lemaire enjoys downhill skiing and playing golf. Over the past few years, he has developed a passion for collecting antiques.  He also finds great pleasure in seeing his woodlots grow.