Born in France, Philippe Sureau arrived in Canada in 1977, bringing his already significant experience in the emerging tourism industry. He joined Tourbec, where he worked with Jean-Marc Eustache. Two years later, the two relaunched Tourbec after the company folded.

Mr. Sureau then helped found and develop several of the companies (Nortour, Trafic Voyages, Trafic Tour France) that banded together to form Transat in 1987. His main role with Transat is overseeing marketing, sales, strategy and external relations for the Company’s business units.

From 1997 to 2000, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Transat, then directed the development of Transat's Internet venture. Today, he heads the distribution side of the company in Canada and France, supervising operations both online and via traditional networks.

Mr. Sureau has played a major role in the development of the Quebec and Canadian tourism industries. Among other contributions, he served as President of the Association québécoise des agences de voyages (Quebec chapter of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies) in 1986-87; Chairman of the Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC) in 1995-96; and member of the Board of Directors of Manoir Richelieu from 1999 to 2005. In April 2005, Mr. Sureau was appointed a member of the Comité consultatif des agents de voyages, an advisory board for travel agents created by the Government of Quebec. He has also been Chair of the Cercle de tourisme du Québec, an association of decision-makers from various sectors of the tourism industry, since September 2007.