The boards of directors of Cogeco Inc. and Cogeco Communications Inc. announced Monday the appointment of Frédéric Perron as president and CEO and director of both companies, effective immediately.
Perron most recently held the position of president of Cogeco Connexion, Cogeco’s Canadian broadband business. He succeeds Philippe Jetté, who is retiring but will serve as a strategic advisor to the incoming CEO and the boards of directors until Aug. 31, 2024 to facilitate a seamless transition in leadership, a press release says.
“We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Frédéric as CEO,” Louis Audet, chairman of Cogeco’s board, said in the release. “He has long been identified as a proven leader within Cogeco and his appointment is the culmination of a continuous succession planning exercise that is driven by our recognition of the importance of leadership roles in the achievement of the strategic goals of our Company.
“Frédéric’s industry knowledge, strategic agility, transformation mindset and passion for innovation, along with the value creation he’s exhibited during his tenure with Cogeco and in previous roles, give the Board tremendous confidence in his ability to serve as CEO,” Audet continued. “He is a respected leader who is able to align and rally teams to raise the bar on performance and will continue to position Cogeco as a growing force in the North American telecommunications and media sectors.”
Since joining Cogeco in September 2020, Perron has successfully repositioned Cogeco Connexion “by building a high-performing team, step-changing execution, accelerating customer growth, completing three important acquisitions, scaling a digital flanker brand and expanding Cogeco’s high speed network,” the press release says.
Before joining Cogeco, Perron led T-Mobile’s consumer business in Poland, held executive roles at Vodafone in the U.K. and the Czech Republic, and oversaw customer base management at Rogers Communications. He has broad experience in broadband, wireless and the credit card industry across five countries leading marketing, sales, customer service, operations, digital, product, network, IT, and legal, according to the release.
“I am incredibly honoured and excited to lead our Company and its talented employees, and look forward to pursuing our current corporate strategy and extending our track record of growth,” Perron said in a statement. “I want to thank Philippe for his leadership and counsel over the last several years, and wish him all the best in his retirement.”
“Serving as Cogeco’s President and CEO has been a privilege,” Jetté said. “Over the past six years, we have significantly grown and diversified our business, improved operational efficiency, expanded and evolved our networks, and laid the foundation for the launch of mobile services. Given Frédéric’s international telecommunications background and past performance leading our Canadian broadband business, he is the right leader to take Cogeco to new heights.”
Jetté is stepping down as a director of both Cogeco and Cogeco Communications, effective Monday.
“On behalf of the Boards of Directors, we thank Philippe for his dedication and contributions during a period of growth in our Company’s history,” Audet said. “Under Philippe’s leadership, Cogeco has grown to become a leading Canadian telecommunications company with revenue of $3 billion annually. Over the next few months, we will be working closely with Frédéric and Philippe to ensure a seamless transition.”
Photo of Frédéric Perron courtesy of Cogeco.
