Anne-Marie Trudeau, CEO of Trudeau A woman to lead the 4th generation

Few Quebec family businesses manage to transfer their ownership beyond a second generation, but some exceptions even manage to cross the threshold of the fourth generation. This is the case of the designer and distributor of kitchen products and tableware Trudeau, where Anne-Marie Trudeau has just taken over from her father Robert to continue the growth of the group, initiated in 1889 by her great-grand -Father Joseph-Arthur. The CEO explains her ambitions, and her father tells us the story of Trudeau.

Q. You have been CEO of Trudeau for four years now and your father has just transferred ownership of the group to you, which has existed for 130 years. Tell us about the journey that led you to where you are.

A. Anne-Marie: I joined the company 23 years ago after working for a software firm where I was responsible for sales. My father had set three criteria for his children to be able to work in the company. You had to be 30 years old, hold a university degree and accumulate work experience. It was very wise.

I have held various positions at Trudeau, including responsibility for children's products. We had obtained Disney manufacturing licenses for kitchen products – plates, cups, thermoses, lunch boxes… – for Canada and Europe. We developed the products and I made sure that our specifications were followed by our manufacturers in Asia or Europe. I was the link between them and our customers. In December 2017, I became CEO of the group, and I am now the owner.

Q. The transfer of ownership process has just been completed. Was it important for the business to remain in the family?

A. Robert: Over the years, I had many offers from competitors, but I wanted the property to remain in Quebec. As soon as I took over the management of the company, in 1967, I surrounded myself with a board of directors to properly oversee my decisions.

And it was the board of directors who agreed with me that Anne-Marie was the best person to take control of the company. I am really very proud that my daughter is continuing what we have built over the years.

Q. Let's talk a little about the creation of Trudeau, in 1889. How did it all come about and develop over the years?

A. Robert: It was my grandfather, who was an accountant, who partnered with a Frenchman named Genin who imported smoking accessories, such as Saint-Claude pipes, and religious items. My grandfather took over the business when Mr. Genin died in 1919. My father took over, but he died young, at age 53, in 1961. My mother later asked me to take over company, which I did from 1967.

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I spent 50 years transforming the company, expanding our product range and our distribution network. It was crystal ashtrays, wallets, watch straps, then kitchen items, including wooden salad bowls that I imported from Spain, then from Japan.

I've always looked for differentiation, and that's why we started designing our own products and having them manufactured in the Czech Republic, then in Poland and then in Asia.

In the 80s, I resolutely turned to kitchen items, it is the most frequented room in the house. Then, we took the international turn and built the Trudeau brand.

Q. You see Trudeau products everywhere. In department stores and specialty shops. And it goes from fondue sets to pepper shakers, wine glasses or muffin tins. The Trudeau brand oversees how many products?

A. Anne-Marie: We have 2,000 products in stock in our warehouses in Boucherville and Chicago, all of which are marketed under the Trudeau brand. We have iconic products like our spice grinders or our fondue sets, but our strength is the execution and the satisfaction of our customers.

Each year, we release or adapt 200 new products that are developed by our team of designers at our head office in Boucherville or by contractors. Currently, it is our silicone muffin molds that are causing a stir.

More than 80% of Trudeau brand products revolve around tableware, the other 20% are mainly items such as take-out containers.

Q. Your products are widely distributed outside of Canada. How wide is your network?

A. Anne-Marie: We are distributed in more than 16,000 points of sale in North America. Our biggest customer remains Costco, followed by Target in the United States. We derive approximately 40% of our revenue from our sales in Canada, 40% in the United States and 20% in some 40 countries around the world, mainly in Europe, Latin America and Asia.

Our products are sold at Carrefour in France and at Walmart in the United States, but we also have a strong presence in shops specializing in tableware.

Q. You have your products manufactured in Asia and Europe. Do you have offices there?

A. Anne-Marie: We have representatives in Hong Kong. Usually, we regularly visit our suppliers, but COVID-19 has forced us to do everything remotely. We will soon start going there again to meet our collaborators.

Q. Did COVID-19 and containment measures have an impact on your business?

A. Anne-Marie: Yes, of course. With restaurants closing, people have returned to their kitchens. Last year we recorded a 15% increase in our sales, and demand remains very strong.

Q. You are the representative of the fourth generation and the first female CEO at Trudeau. What do you wish to achieve?

A. Anne-Marie: The important thing is to ensure the sustainability of Trudeau and to continue to create value in Quebec with our team of designers who allow us to shine in the field of tableware all over the world. .

My ambition is simple: I want to double the size of Trudeau. We are going to bring new product lines to market that will have an impact.