Leadership & Governance
Board of Directors
Alain Bouchard
Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board |
Mr. Bouchard has served as the Executive Chairman of Alimentation Couche-Tard since 2014, when he stepped down after 25 years as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Bouchard opened his first convenience store in Québec in 1980 and founded the companies that grew into Alimentation Couche-Tard. He has over 45 years of experience in the retail industry and worked with his closest collaborators and all staff members to build Alimentation Couche-Tard into the business it is today. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors of CGI Inc. from 2013 to 2023.
Mr. Bouchard is a Member of the Order of Canada and an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec. He also has an honorary doctorate in Consumer Sciences from Université Laval in Québec City and an honorary doctorate in Laws from McGill University in Montréal. Mr. Bouchard has received many distinguished awards for business excellence and his outstanding professional achievements, including:
- Companion of the Order of the Canadian Business Hall of Fame
- Cercle des Grands entrepreneurs du Québec, a prestigious distinction awarded to exceptional entrepreneurs whose achievements, ideals and commitment have contributed to Québec’s entrepreneurial vitality and economic development (February 2018)
- International Horatio Alger Award, which recognizes people who have persevered through challenges to become successful entrepreneurs and community leaders, from the Horatio Alger Association (March 2017)
- Grand bâtisseur de l’économie du Québec from the Institute for governance (2014)
- Patrick Boyle Founder’s award from the Fraser Institute (2014)
- NACS Insight International Convenience Leader of the year (2014).
Mr. Bouchard has been involved in an impressive number of fundraising campaigns and philanthropic activities. He and his wife established the Sandra and Alain Bouchard Foundation in 2012, which supports various causes associated with people living with intellectual disabilities as well as artistic and cultural projects. In 2015 Mr. Bouchard and his wife were named Exceptional philanthropist of the year by the Québec Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.