Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> December 27, 1999
ALAIN BOUCHARD is Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Alimentation Couche-Tard, Inc. Founder of the companies from
which originated Alimentation Couche-Tard, Inc., a company specializing
in convenience stores, he started his operation in 1980 with the opening
of his first store and listed his shares on the Montreal Stock Exchange
in 1986. He presently operates over 1,620 multi-service stores with
11,500 employees and annual sales of more than $1.6 billion. After high
school at the Polyvalente de Rivi_re-du-Loup and a University
preparatory program at Monseigneur Tach_'s College, Alain Bouchard was
hired by Perrette Dairy Ltd. in 1968 as an interim store manager. He
then became supervisor and district director until 1973. As district
director, he supervised the opening of 80 stores and developed the
Perrette network. Between 1973 and 1976, Mr. Bouchard studied business
management at H.E.C., University of Montreal. From 1973 to 1976, Alain
Bouchard worked as development and construction coordinator for Provigo,
Provi-Soir division, where he organized and supervised the opening of 70
Provi-Soir convenience stores. From 1976 to 1980, he operated a
franchise in St-J_r'me and opened, in 1980, his first Couche-Tard. In
1985, he bought Quebec's Couche-Tard network and acquired, in 1987,
M_tro-Richelieu Sept-Jours convenience stores. In 1992, he launched the
D_pan-E$compte concept and acquired, in 1993-1994, Silcorp's 60 Mac's/La
Maisonn_e stores and 86 Perrette stores. In May 1997, Alimentation
Couche-Tard, Inc. completed, for $85 million, the acquisition of C Corp.
Inc., a subsidiary of Provigo, comprising 245 Provi-Soir stores in
Quebec and 50 Winks stores in Ontario and Western Canada. In April 1999,
Alimentation Couche-Tard, Inc. acquired Silcorp Ltd. for $220 million
with 980 stores situated in Ontario and Western Canada operating under
the Mac's, Mike's Mart and Becker's banners. Mr. Bouchard is the
President of the Board of Directors and an Executive Committee member of
the Foundation du Coll_ge Montmorency. He also sits on the Foundation
Armand-Frappier and has been involved in United Way annual fundraising
campaigns since 1996. He is also a member of the Place des Arts and
Quebecor Inc. Board of Directors. In 1999, Alimentation Couche-Tard,
Inc. was named Enterprise of the Year by an independent jury of the
Journal des Affaires, the most popular weekly business newspaper in the
Province of Quebec. In 1998, he received the Entrepreneur of the Year
Award, retail business. In 1996, he was elected Man of the Year by the
Laval Chambre de Commerce and in 1987, he received the Dunamis Award. He
has two children. Profile
Mr. Bouchard: I founded the company in 1980 with three other partners;
with one store, it's a convenience store company.
