Does becoming CEO change a person?
It probably happens, but not for me. It’s certain that those around me would quickly call me to order if I had to start changing. I come from a modest family, my father emigrated from Belgium after the war, we were not wealthy, we had to work hard. I make it a point to maintain a life balance with my family of four children. It’s obvious that the level of responsibility is greater when you become CEO, but I learned the meaning of responsibility very early because I was raised on a farm and everyone participated in the work.
What do you do when you need to come up with an idea?
If it’s summer, I’ll take my bike and go for a nice ride. wrinkled. Not in mountain biking, where you have to constantly think about your route, but in road biking, where you just pedal. If it’s winter, I do telemark or off-piste skiing. There has to be clean air and I have to be able to breathe to come up with an idea. When it’s too complex, I’ll call my mother, who is 83 years old and always gives very good advice, she brings wisdom even on subjects she doesn’t understand…
What word or expression can you no longer stand?
“It’s not my fault”: my wife and four children would spontaneously tell you that this is the expression I am no longer able to hear. We live in a society that tends to always avoid responsibility. If everyone were more responsible, we could move forward more quickly.
How do you unplug?
Lots of sports, I do about ten hours of physical activity per week. In the summer, I do triathlons, I recently did the Patagonman in Chile, it’s a great triathlon that took me more than 15 hours to complete. To unplug, I really like to push myself, do something extreme to push the limit. Before starting at Cascades, we went to Norway for a few weeks to do some alpine hiking, in the Arctic Circle.
What advice are you glad you ignored?
In 2012, I was working for a multinational, but I didn’t really share the company’s values and I decided to leave. When I announced my departure, the HR people came to see me to tell me that I shouldn’t leave, that I was next in line and that I was going to significantly delay my career. But I no longer enjoyed working for this company and I didn’t listen to them. That spring, I put 8,000 kilometers on my bike and took care of my children, it did me the world of good. I’m glad I didn’t listen to them.
What advice would you give to the younger version of yourself?
The same thing I tell my children: work harder than others. For me, you shouldn’t rely only on your talent, you have to work harder, be curious, ask the question you are embarrassed to ask.
At the office or at home?
Definitely in the office. I need to see the world. I’ve been at Cascades for eight weeks, I’ve visited 12 plants, the head office in Kingsey Falls, the administrative offices in Candiac, Brossard and Saint-Bruno. I want to understand what people think, what’s important to them; it’s easier in the office. I understand those who prefer hybrid work, but I’m more efficient in the office.
What do you do to congratulate someone?
I congratulate him or thank him if it is to thank him. I was raised by strict parents. Thank you is easy, politeness is important. I like to congratulate people because I know that when people work hard or have a good result, it is important to highlight it. I am not the type to bring chocolates to someone, but I want to congratulate people and name why I congratulate them. It must be meaningful.
Do you have or have you had a mentor?
Yes, my first boss at my first co-op internship, in 1991. His name was Michael Henley, a person who had a lot of judgment, calm, always had good ideas. He taught me a lot about rigor and interpersonal skills. We still see each other several times during the year to discuss everything and nothing, and I have become a bit of his mentor for sports activities…
A good boss is someone who…
Inspires, listens, cares, and is a person who believes that people are at the center of everything. A company is people; the rest is steel, equipment. You have to take care of the world.
Who is Hugues Simon?
An accountant by training, Hugues Simon has been the new President and CEO of Cascades since June 2024, when he replaced Mario Plourde. He began his career as a plant controller in Quebec and British Columbia in the 1990s.
From 2005 to 2012, he was General Manager and Vice-President at Resolute Forest Products before joining BarretteWood as Vice-President of Sales and Procurement and becoming President of the company in 2016. In 2021, Hugues Simon returned to Resolute Forest Products as President of the Wood Products unit.
As CEO of Cascades, Hugues Simon must oversee a network of more than 70 operating units in North America, where 10,000 people work.