MONTREAL, CANADA - François J. Coutu is set to retire as President of the Jean Coutu Group (PJC) Inc., the pharmacy division of Metro Inc. Alain Champagne will succeed him.

“Having devoted most of my professional life to the Jean Coutu Group and seeing how the combination with Metro is now well on track to ensure its sustainability over time, I have decided to retire knowing that I’m leaving in place a great brand, a strong business model, and an excellent team,” stated Coutu in a recent press release.

The press release also discussed Coutu’s contributions to the PJC team, remarking that his leadership contributed to making Jean Coutu pharmacies a leader in its sector, as well as an admired brand.

“I would like to congratulate François for his very significant contribution to the success of the Jean Coutu Group since 1983 and I am pleased to continue to work with him as a member of our Board of Directors,” stated Eric R. La Flèche, President and Chief Executive Officer of Metro.

He continued, stating that, “I am pleased to welcome Alain to our team. We are confident that Alain will be very successful as the leader of our pharmacy division given his extensive experience in the pharmacy and retail sectors as well as his proven ability to deliver results.”

With nearly 30 years of experience in major international companies, Champagne will be responsible for completing the combination of the Jean Coutu Group with Metro, while also ensuring the development of the division.

“I am delighted to join Metro to lead its pharmacy division,” said Champagne. “I look forward to contributing to the division’s growth trajectory by leveraging its strong brands, PJC and Brunet, its committed pharmacist-owners and the best team in the industry.”

Congratulations to Alain Champagne on this next step!

Metro Inc.