Transat: Susan Kudzman appointed president & election of new directors to board

Transat A.T.'s shareholders have elected a new board of directors following their annual meeting on Thursday (May 9). 

Annick Guérard, president and CEO, as well as Lucie Chabot, Valérie Chort, Daniel Desjardins, Susan Kudzman, Stéphane Lefebvre, Ian Rae and Julie Tremblay were re-elected. 

The board now welcomes Geneviève Brouillette, Robert Coallier and Bruno Matheu as new members.

Susan Kudzman was also appointed chair of the board. 

For a second year, Transat has maintained gender parity (defined as 45%-55%) on its board of directors, with a total of five men and six women serving on the board. 

"Not only is Transat one of the few airlines in the world to be headed by a woman, the company is also one of two players in the industry to have an equal or greater representation of women on its board of directors," Transat said in a news release, citing data collected by Bloomberg. 

In good hands 

The meeting also marked the departure of Philippe Sureau, a founding member of Transat, and Raymond Bachand, outgoing chairman of the board. 

"Today, per the age limit stipulated in our rules of governance, I am ending my term on the board of directors. For nine years I have had the privilege of assisting and participating in various ways in the governance of this company during very turbulent times. My colleague Philippe Sureau, one of Transat's great founders, is stepping down after reaching the 12-year term of service on the Board. A pioneer of travel in Quebec, Philippe Sureau was a visionary and innovative entrepreneur. I would personally like to thank him for his contribution," Bachand stated. 

"I leave knowing that the Board and Transat are in good hands under the leadership of Annick Guérard and the governance of Susan Kudzman. Susan has played an important role in guiding strategy and human resources, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as overseeing and managing the risks facing the Corporation. She has been and will continue to be a valuable contributor. I am confident she will be an excellent Board Chair and will continue to advise with great competence Transat's executive committee. Transat's future remains promising thanks to the strength, resilience, and expertise of the teams at all levels of the corporation."

Kudzman has been a member of Transat's Board of Directors since March 2014. 

She has served for several years on the Risk Management and Corporate Responsibility Committee, and chairs the company's Human Resources and Compensation Committee. 

Ms. Kudzman is also chair of the board of directors of Yellow Pages on which she has held a seat since November 2014. She also sits on the boards of Medavie and PSP Investments.

"I would like to thank Raymond Bachand and Philippe Sureau for their leadership and dedication to Transat over the years," said Kudzman, the new board chair. "They are pillars of this company, who have helped guide it through many key moments in its history. I would also like to welcome our new members, Geneviève Brouillette, Robert Coallier and Bruno Matheu. All three are extremely qualified. Their experience and skills will guide the organization as well as the executive and Transat teams to implement the strategic plan."

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