Notice of Appointment: Two New Vice-Presidents Join the SQDC

Montréal, September 16, 2024 – The Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) is pleased to welcome two new vice-presidents to its executive team. Effective today, Yves Lokossou is Vice-President, Information Technology and Cybersecurity, while Jean-François Dulac-Lemelin becomes Senior Vice-President, Customer Experience.

“I am excited about Yves and Jean-François joining the SQDC team and am confident they will make a solid contribution to the company’s development,” says Suzanne Bergeron, the SQDC’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Following the swift rollout of our store network, our strategic plan aims specifically to continue serving customers better. We have already begun making improvements in the customer experience and in IT and cybersecurity. Organizations today need to ramp up their digital transformation while also doubling down on vigilance and availing themselves of all the latest and appropriate measures to protect data. These two new team members will successfully take on challenges facing our organization.”

Vice-President, Information Technology and Cybersecurity

Yves Lokossou has more than 20 years experience in information technology, including 15 years at large financial organizations such as National Bank of Canada and Intact Financial Corporation. Holding an applications engineering degree from INGESUP in Paris, a post-graduate degree from the Université de Sherbrooke and an Executive MBA from HEC Montréal and McGill University, Yves is known for his skills in strategic transformation management, team and technology project development and computer security implementation.

“I’m very happy to be joining the SQDC, a team of talented and enthusiastic people engaged in carrying out their mission every day,” says Mr. Lokossou.

Senior Vice-President, Customer Experience

Jean-François Dulac-Lemelin has worked in the customer service field for nearly 15 years now, first at La Capitale assurances générales and then at Beneva, where he played a leading role in the merger of La Capitale and SSQ under the Beneva banner. He has solid experience in business model development, customer experience and extended team management. Holding an Executive MBA from HEC Montréal and McGill University, Jean-François is also a graduate of the Université Laval law school and a member of the Barreau du Québec. A true team player, he is known for his ability to rally employees in multisite situations by fostering transparency, two-way communication and empowerment.

“I look forward to working with the teams to build the future of this organization dedicated to delivering the best experience to our customers,” says Jean-François Dulac-Lemelin.

About the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC)

The SQDC is a government corporation mandated to distribute and sell cannabis in Québec with a focus on protecting customers’ health and safety. The company is committed to offering quality products and informing and advising consumers on how to minimize the health impacts of cannabis. The long-term goal is to shrink the illegal cannabis market in Québec. A subsidiary of the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ), the SQDC is run as a business corporation and is a separate organization managed independently from the SAQ. All the SQDC’s profits are remitted to the Fonds de lutte contre les dépendances, a fund managed by the Ministère des Finances du Québec, and reinvested primarily in cannabis-related education, prevention efforts and research. For more information, visit SQDC.ca.