Board of directors

As the first woman to ever hold the position of First Vice President of the Board of Directors at Quebec's largest agrifood enterprise, Muriel Dubois is highly respected for her integrity and her ability to act in the best interests of the cooperative and its members.

Her ability to adapt coupled with her interpersonal and communication skills have time and again led her to management positions in the organizations she has worked for. Muriel is also recognized for her ability to surround herself with good people to carry out projects and for defending her point of view while showing respect for the opinions of her peers. As a farmer, she refuses to sit by in a fast-changing agricultural industry. That's why she takes every opportunity to put her expertise and energy to use in fostering sustainable collective projects that will positively influence the future of the agrifood industry. Her commitment to the cooperative sector reflects her deeply held beliefs and attachment to promoting the farming profession in her region and throughout the province. As a dairy producer, she is a pioneer within the agricultural community and its representative bodies.

Muriel holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Université Laval, a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, and a certificate in corporate governance. She is very involved in the agricultural sector and the community and is a current or past member of various organizations, including La Coop Covilac, Ordre des agronomes du Québec, Société d'agriculture du Lac Saint-Pierre, the governing board of Du Carrousel school, and Sainte-Brigitte-des-Saults town council. Since 2014, Muriel has also been a member of the jury for La Coop Establishment and Farm Transfer Award.

Mathieu Couture was elected second vice president of the largest agrifood cooperative in Québec in February 2016 and is now putting his proven leadership skills to work for the organization. .

He goal is to make sure all members have a say and to focus attention on agricultural issues of concern to the Beauce region at the highest decision-making levels. His passion and innovative spirit make Mathieu an inspiring and appreciated farmer within the cooperative ecosystem.

Mathieu is also an innovative dairy producer and is very involved in the development of Beauce’s agricultural sector. He has been a committed member of the cooperative community for nearly 30 years, giving him in-depth knowledge of agricultural issues and making him a pillar of the community that his peers look up to.

Mathieu has a degree in agronomy from Université Laval and has become more and more involved over the course of his career. He served as president of Exposition agricole de Beauce and Société d’agriculture de Beauce. He has also been a director of La Coop Alliance and La Coop fédérée for many years, and was previously president of La Coop Alliance.

Richard is known for his clear positions, his candor, his fondness for debate, his deep commitment to the La Coop network, and his active role within the organization. As the member in first position on the Executive Committee of Quebec’s largest agrifood enterprise, Richard has many commitments. He strongly encourages farmers who want to stand out as leaders, celebrate their accomplishments, and learn from their successes.

Richard is passionate about regional development, wealth creation and redistribution, and farm performance. As one of the youngest members of La Coop’s board, Richard is also dedicated to making sure tomorrow’s farmers have what it takes to succeed. Richard’s convictions, his ability to compromise, and his desire to learn make him a top-level director whose network of contacts is a real asset for La Coop fédérée. This knowledgeable and committed expert believes that the farmers who will keep the industry going will be agricultural entrepreneurs, because one farmer’s success is also a success for the entire cooperative and its network.

Richard, a graduate of Institut technologique agroalimentaire de La Pocatière, is a dairy producer from the Chaudières-Appalaches region who is very involved in the cooperative ecosystem. He is also a director of La Coop Unicoop and was board chair for four years. Under his governance, the coop grew and overcame many challenges. He has also been a member of the Professional Agriculture Commission since 2016.

Benoit has been a member of the Board of Directors of La Coop fédérée, Quebec’s largest agrifood enterprise, since 2012. As such, he represents and advocates for all member coops in his region. Benoit is known for his ability to compromise, his integrity, and his transparency. His peers appreciate his knowledge of the farming community and his dedication to the cooperative ecosystem. As a seasoned farmer, he puts his experience to work for La Coop fédérée to solve issues raised by farm owners.

His knowledge comes from his experience as a dairy producer. He is a graduate of École d’agriculture de Sainte-Croix-de-Lotbinière and has over 35 years of experience in the agricultural sector. As part of his mandate as a director, Benoit sits on several committees, including the Cooperative Education and Elected Officials Training Committee (since 2013), the Sustainable Development and Environmental Compliance Committee (since 2018), the Audit Committee (2014–2018) and the Human Resources Committee (since 2014).

Before working for La Coop fédérée, he joined the La Coop network and was helped govern La CoopPlus in 2005, which became La Coop Univert/Novago. He has been a member of La Coop Novago’s board since 2016.

Cathy Fraser is very involved in the farming and cooperative community and has represented her region on the Board of La Coop fédérée since 2015. She also works to promote female involvement and leadership in the agricultural and agrifood sector and helps organize annual Women and Cooperatives days throughout Quebec as a platform for educating and discussing various aspects of the profession, from work-life balance to business issues.

As one of the 27% of farmers in Quebec who are women, Cathy believes the time has come to reassess the role of women in the agricultural sector. She likes to remind people that today’s farmer is a farm manager who needs to stick to a budget, ensure efficiency, monitor profitability ratios, and constantly look for new ways to innovate.
Cathy is an active, committed member of the Board—a determined director with the courage of her convictions who strongly encourages the next generation of farmers by advocating for models that open doors and build confidence.

In addition to being a director of La Coop fédérée, she has also been a dairy producer in the Mauricie region since 2006 and a rabbit farmer since 2016. Her wide-ranging experience and professional activities make her a valuable asset on the Board.

A graduate in civil engineering technology from Collège Ahuntsic, Cathy is a director of both La Coop Novago and SOCODEVI and plays an active role in her community.

François Drainville is a major dairy and crop producer in the Lanaudière region. He is the third generation (and his son the fourth) of producers to operate the family farm and he is currently a director at Quebec’s largest agrifood enterprise. He sits on a number of committees including the Sustainable Development and Environmental Compliance Committee, where he has been chair since 2017, and the Human Resources Committee since 2016.

His management and leadership skills paired with his integrity and transparency have earned him a reputation among his peers as a producer with a strong commitment to the farming community. Active in the cooperative sector for nearly 25 years, he is currently putting his expertise to work for La Coop fédérée. His appetite for challenge and his willingness to tackle new issues make François a dynamic director whose multifaceted vision is invaluable. Known for understanding regional producers’ needs, he makes it his primary mission to advocate at the highest levels for the interests of the cooperatives under his purview.

François holds a diploma in dairy production from Ecole d’agriculture de Sainte-Croix de Lotbinière. He sat on the board of directors at La Coop Agrivert from 1993 to 2018 and served as its president for 21 years. He is also a member of the board of directors at La Coop Novago and has served as mayor of his municipality. In the past he has been involved in various organizations in his region including the young farmers association, the agricultural society, and the famous farm show in Berthier.

Jean-François Pelletier is a dairy producer from Bas-Saint-Laurent. He has been managed an agricultural enterprise since 1986 and is now a director of La Coop fédérée, Québec’s largest agrifood enterprise.

His management skills, proven experience, and concern for fairness suit him well to representing the interests of member cooperatives in his region on the Coop fédérée board. Jean-François has been involved in the cooperative sector for nearly 20 years and is recognized for his experience in governance and for the integrity and transparency he shows in everything he does.

Jean-François has served on the Dynaco Cooperative Group board of directors since 1999 and has been vice chair since 2014. He was previously involved with Relève agricole and the industry union in his region.

Adrien Pitre has been a director of La Coop fédérée—the largest agrifood enterprise in Québec—since 2016. His management skills and knowledge of how cooperatives work suit him well to representing the interests of members in his region on the board of La Coop fédérée. He has worked in the cooperative sector for nearly 15 years, sharing his vision and versatility with the board while acting with the greatest transparency and integrity.

Adrien Pitre is a major grain, forestry, and forage producer in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of the Matapédia Valley. As part of the third generation of farmers in his family, he is a pillar of the agricultural community in his region. He transformed his family’s dairy farm into a successful forestry and grain operation.

Adrien earned a diploma in farm business management from Cégep de Matane and has sat on La Coop Matapédienne’s board of directors since 2003, where he served as vice chair from 2013 to 2016. He is also a founding member of CUMA Matapédia, of a multi-stakeholder cooperative (convenience store, garage, snack bar) in Albertville and of the Matapédia management pool. He also previously served as an Albertville town councillor.

As a director of Quebec’s largest agrifood enterprise and second in command on the Executive Committee, Marc-André Roy is not only a farmer, but a skilled manager and well-organized leader who is recognized by his peers and very involved in the agricultural and cooperative community. He’s also someone who is not afraid to take risks, for example by completely overhauling his dairy farming methods a few years ago. Marc-André’s forward-looking vision, decision-making skills, and ability to adapt to any situation make him an active and widely respected member of the organization. As part of his director’s mandate, Marc-André sits on several committees, including the Audit Committee (since 2017), the Cooperative Education and Elected Officials Training Committee (since 2016), the Governance and Ethics Committee (since 2016), and the Risk and Investment Executive Committee (since 2018).

He is also a major dairy producer in the Chaudières-Appalaches region, and the fourth generation on his family’s farm.

Marc-André, a graduate in farm business management from Cégep de Victoriaville, is a director of VIVACO groupe coopératif, where he has been First Vice President since 2015. He has also been very active in the Holstein Group and CRÉA. He was recently appointed to the ACFA Board of Directors.

As a director of Quebec’s largest agrifood enterprise, Patrick Soucy represents the interests of member cooperatives in his territory and ensures they have a voice on the board of La Coop fédérée. Patrick has led a varied career as a dairy farmer, consultant, and manager and has also held general management positions in various cooperative bodies. His experience in these areas makes him an active member who is particularly comfortable working with the management team and who is recognized for his organizational leadership. Patrick became a dairy producer by conviction after several years of dedicated service to the cooperative movement, Today, he is an innovative player in the farming community. Convinced of the need to constantly innovate, evolve, and go the extra mile, Patrick is looking to agrotourism and dairy processing (cheese dairy slated to open in October 2018) to keep his farm business growing.

Patrick has a degree in animal sciences (agronomy) from Université Laval. He has been a dairy producer since 2008 in Lévis in the Chaudières-Appalaches region and has been a board member of La Coop Seigneurie since 2009, and 2nd Vice President since 2010. He has also been a board member at Promutuel Insurance since 2008.

Réjean Vermette is a director specifically designated to represent the province’s pork industry within the largest agrifood enterprise in Quebec. In this role he serves as their spokesperson and the promoter of their interests at board meetings and in other interactions.

Réjean is a leading farrow-to-finish pork producer in Montérégie. He is a major producer in the Quebec pork industry who has received numerous awards and is recognized for his management skills, achievements, and hard work and dedication. He uses his business leadership and decision-making abilities to promote pork production at the highest level.

As an active participant in his industry, he served on the committee that established the Cooperative Pork Network and has been president of the network since 2012. Réjean Vermette has been involved in industry organizations for many years, including Société des éleveurs de porcs du Québec, Centre de développement du porc du Québec, and Centre d’insémination porcine du Québec. He was also a town councillor in Saint-Simon for 10 years. In January 2018 he was elected president of CDPQ (Centre de développement du porc du Québec).

As a director, David Mercier represents the next generation of farmers and promotes the interests of member cooperatives in his region.

David brings a keen awareness of environmental and regulatory issues in the agricultural sector to his work at Quebec’s largest agrifood enterprise. Recognizing the importance of leaving a healthy planet for future generations, he is committed to active participation in collective efforts to preserve it. David is highly adaptable, enabling him to keep pace with a changing agricultural industry. His own business is growing, thanks to demand and the nutritional benefits of chicken. He considers farm automation as an opportunity to collect more data and fine-tune performance.

David is also a promising poultry producer who is very involved in the Lanaudière region. An owner-operator since 2010, he is currently the youngest director of La Coop fédérée, but he has plenty of experience as part of the fourth generation operating his family farm business. David serves as a director on the Governance and Ethics Committee and the Poultry Industry Committee.

David holds a DCS in Farm Management from McGill University and is currently completing a Bachelor of Business Administration with a specialization in Finance at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR). He is a board member at La Coop Profid’Or and La Coop Novago. He has also sat on various agricultural sector committees and boards, including his local farmers union and his region’s RCM.

Over thirty years of experience has brought Gaétan Brassard to La Coop fédérée’s board of directors. A member of the board of directors of La Coop Ferme du Nord since 1989, he’s a family man who took over his father’s agricultural enterprise in 1987 along with his wife and, since 2015, their two children have become shareholders as well.

Always very involved in the cooperative sector, Gaétan Brassard has taken on the role of president for his co-op for 11 years, in addition to sitting on the boards of directors of the local Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA) and Producteurs de lait syndicates, the local and regional Cercle d’amélioration du bétail (CAB, cattle improvement club) and the Syndicat de gestion agricole (farm management club) for several years.

His farming operation includes 100 acres of forage, corn silage and sweet corn, which is sold from the farm's kiosk. The family enterprise also operates a greenhouse with 840 tomato plants and looks after a herd of 110 Jerseys, including 60 lactating cows. The Brassard family also owns 113 acres of woodland that includes a maple bush with 500 taps.

A graduate of Sainte-Croix-de-Lotbinière school, Gaétan Brassard is passionate about sustainable agriculture and an expert in operations management, corporate communications and technology.