Senior management

Jean-Marc Eustache was the principal architect of the 1987 creation of Transat A.T. Inc. His forward-thinking business vision — focused on vertical integration — combined with outstanding leadership skills have helped elevate Transat A.T. Inc. to the rank of Canada’s tourism industry leader. With its subsidiaries and affiliates, the Company has also become international in scope and one of the world tourism industry’s largest players.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics (1974) from l'Université du Québec à Montréal. He began his career in the tourism industry in 1977 at Tourbec, a travel agency specializing in youth and student tourism, before founding Trafic Voyages — the foundation for the creation of Transat A.T. — in 1982.

Very active in the community, Mr. Eustache sits on the boards of the Cercle des présidents du Québec (network of Quebec CEOs) and the Espace Go theatre group. He sat on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Tourism Commission from 1998 to 2011. He is also Chair of the Université du Québec à Montréal Foundation.

In 2011, Mr. Eustache was named an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec for his distinguished entrepreneurial career and his efforts to promote Quebec and Canada as tourism destinations. The same year, he also received the first Excellence Award as France-Quebec entrepreneur of the year, presented by the Club des dirigeants d’entreprises franco-québécois (CDEFQ).

In the past, his major contribution to the development of the tourism industry has been honoured with several prestigious awards, including the Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame (2008), the 2006 Trophée Grand Ulysse from Tourisme Montréal; Ernst & Young’s 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Quebec; the La Presse daily newspaper’s CEO of the Year award for 2004; the Prix Performance 2000 awarded by the management network of Université du Québec à Montréal; Cubanacan’s 2000 Award of Excellence; World Travel Market’s 1996 Global Award presented in London, England; Transport Canada’s 1992 Award of Excellence; and, the same year, the Industry Distinction award from the Association québécoise des agences de voyages (Quebec chapter of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies).

Patrice Caradec joined Vacances Transat (France) as Sales and Marketing Director in 1997. He went on to serve as Assistant General Manager before being appointed General Manager in 2004. He has more than 20 years of experience in the tourism and travel industry. Prior to joining Transat, he served as Sales Director at Jet Tours; Sales Director at Chorus Tour; Manager responsible for the French market at Pierre et Vacances; Sales Manager at Hertz; a Club Med tour guide in Greece, Egypt, Turkey and Southeast Asia; and also worked at the individual sales department at Nouvelles Frontières. Mr. Caradec is a graduate of École Supérieure de Tourisme in Paris.

André de Montigny joined the Transat team in 2000 as Vice-President, Corporate Development. He served previously as Vice-President, Telecommunications, for Capital Communications CDPQ, a subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. He also worked for Vidéotron Ltd. and Teleglobe Canada as, respectively, Vice-President, Business Development, and Director, Business Development. Mr. de Montigny has bachelor's and master's degrees in Economics from Université de Montréal. He also holds a master's in Business Administration from HEC Montréal.

Allen Graham began his career in the airline industry in 1971 as a Flight Director with Air Canada. In 1978, he was assigned to manage Air Canada's operations in Africa and Saudi Arabia and, upon his return to Canada, was promoted to Director, Crew Planning and Scheduling. In 1982, he became Director, In-Flight Service and subsequently Director, In-Flight Service for the Montreal and Halifax bases. In 1985, he was appointed General Manager responsible for Air Canada's operations at the Montreal airports and later was transferred to Toronto airport.

Mr. Graham joined Air Canada's senior management team in 1992 when he was appointed Vice-President, In-Flight Service. Two years later, he was promoted to Senior Vice-President, Customer Service. In 1996, Mr. Graham became President and Chief Executive Officer of AirBC, which at the time was Air Canada's largest regional subsidiary. Two years later, he left Air Canada and returned to Montreal, his hometown, to serve as President of Royal Airlines. Mr. Graham joined the Air Transat management team in 2000 and has served as President and Chief Executive Officer since 2002.

In 2009, Michel Bellefeuille became Vice-President and Chief Information Officer, Transat, after occupying the position on an interim basis. He has been part of the Transat team since 2002, serving as Vice-President, Information Systems, for both Air Transat and Transat Tours Canada. The holder of a BSc from Université de Sherbrooke and an MBA from HEC Montréal, he began his career in 1979, and has worked for major organizations such as Microcell Telecom and Bombardier Aerospace.

Bernard Bussières was appointed Vice-President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Transat in March 2001. Prior to joining the Transat management team, Mr. Bussières was a Senior Partner with the law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP.

A specialist in business and commercial law, particularly in corporate financing, the sale and acquisition of companies, as well as technology transfer and licensing, Mr. Bussières began his career with De Grandpré Godin, then joined Martineau Walker from 1990 to 1994. The following year, he worked briefly in the Legal Affairs Department of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, before returning to private practice with Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. Mr. Bussières holds a Bachelor of Civil Law degree from Université d'Ottawa. He is a member of the Bar of Montreal, the Barreau du Québec and the Canadian Bar Association. He is also a member of Réseau Capital and the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de la Rive-Sud.

Jean-François Lemay joined Transat’s senior management team in October 2011. He has some 30 years of experience in the practise of law, including with the firms Desjardins Ducharme, then Bélanger Sauvé and finally Dunton Rainville, where he was a partner and member of the executive committee. A specialist in labour law, he has advised many clients on issues related to labour relations, human rights and freedoms, and occupational health and safety. He is invited regularly to speak to professional associations and is the author of numerous articles on labour relations. He has also served as a lecturer in labour law with the Law Faculty of Université de Montréal, where he obtained his law degree, and as a professor in labour law with the École du Barreau of the Quebec Bar.

Michel Lemay joined Transat's management team in 2006. He was previously Vice-President, Corporate and Financial Communications, for a major Canadian public relations firm where for nearly 14 years he counselled the senior management teams of a wide range of corporations and organizations. During this time, he gained widely acknowledged expertise in strategy, reputation management, financial communications and crisis management.

Mr. Lemay is also former Director of Communications for the Montreal Exchange and he also worked for the Montreal Convention Centre, Communications Department. He is a graduate of Université Laval and HEC Montréal and also studied journalism at Université de Montréal. He is a member of the Canadian Investors Relations Institute (CIRI), of the Conference Board of Canada's Council of Public Affairs Executives and of the Association québécoise de l'industrie touristique (AQIT). He is also Chairman of Tour Operators Initiative for Sustainable Tourism Development in Madrid.

A chartered accountant by training, Denis Pétrin began his career with Ernst & Young before joining Air Transat in 1990. He began working with the Finance team and in 1997 was appointed Vice-President, Finance and Administration, which he held until he was appointed to the equivalent position at Transat Tours Canada, in 2003. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.