MONTREAL, Quebec (BRAIN)—Argon 18 has hired Jacques Philie as sales manager for its Canadian network.
Previously, Marc-André Perron had acted as sales manager for both the Canadian and international markets, but now his time will be entirely devoted to developing Argon 18’s international sales.
Having just acquired his Masters in administration (M.Sc.) with a major in marketing from Université de Sherbrooke, Philie began his career in marketing with the Agropur’s Yoplait franchise. Later, he joined the Lancôme division of l’Oreal, working alongside consultants Publicis and Marketel on a number of advertising and promotional campaigns. Headhunters at Coty Group then asked Philie to take over the company’s marketing program for its Lancaster luxury products line. Promoted to the position of exports manager, he moved to Paris and spearheaded the development of the Russian, Ukrainian, Greek and Israëli markets, as well as those in Cyprus, the Caucasus region and the United States.
Philie is also a keen cyclist. He has been a member of Québec’s cycle sport sanctioning body the FQSC since 1989 and has participated in many Canadian championships and provincial road races. While in France, he raced three seasons under FFC and FSGT licenses as a member of Velo Club Vincennes. Just a few weeks ago, he finished 10th at the Québec championship road race, 8th at the Québec criterium championship and seventh in the season’s standings at the Coupe Marco Pantani criterium series.
Argon 18 vice-president and co-owner Martin Rioux considers that “our recruiting of a specialist of Jacques Philie’s caliber reflects our company’s growth. My brother Gervais and I have worked hard to build the Argon 18 brand; along with last year’s hirings and subsequent consolidation of our operations, Jacques’ joining our sales and marketing team confirms our strong interest in better serving the Canadian market, even if most of the growth we’ve experienced in the last few years has been the result of our development efforts in the international sphere. Thanks to his experience in market development strategies, Jacques will allow Argon 18 begin a new chapter by spreading the word about Argon 18 the company, its values and products to a broader group of people who are increasingly aware of the importance and value of a balanced, healthy lifestyle."
