Cirque du Soleil | Daniel Lamarre passes the torch

After 21 years as president and CEO of Cirque du Soleil, Daniel Lamarre will pass the torch on Wednesday to the one who was his right hand during the pandemic, Stéphane Lefebvre. But the flamboyant president does not leave the offices of the company, since he will remain there as executive vice-president of the board of directors.

“Later, if I am asked, I will say that the accomplishment of which I am most proud is to have taken over,” says Daniel Lamarre, who worked alongside Guy Laliberté for more than 15 years.

A man of vision, over the course of two decades he has led Cirque’s numerous expansion projects, often with success, sometimes less so. If he consolidated the presence of the Circus in Las Vegas and succeeded in creating a permanent show in China, his attempts to establish the Quebec flagship in New York, for example, remained unsuccessful.

While the Montreal-based company has just gone through the worst crisis in its history – 44 shows canceled and 95% of the staff laid off in March 2020 – Daniel Lamarre felt the need to ensure a smooth and harmonious transition. The announcement was made officially on Tuesday afternoon, but we were able to meet him in the Cirque du Soleil headquarters offices on Monday.

“You’re talking to a very happy guy today,” said the 68-year-old, who has actively paved the way for his successor.

“I’m passing the torch because I think about the long term,” he explains. There is just one way to learn the job of a CEO, and to be. To ensure the future of the Circus for at least the next ten years, it took someone to take the pole. And I had it on hand. “

Hired by Cirque du Soleil in 2015 as Chief Financial Officer, after holding this position at CAE where he worked for 20 years, Stéphane Lefebvre worked closely with Daniel Lamarre to navigate the stormy waters of the pandemic.

“We went to war together, illustrates Daniel Lamarre. We lived in the trenches for months. “

A year ago, the boss recommended that Stéphane Lefebvre be appointed COO, which sent “a clear message” to the board of directors as to the “leadership transition” he was already thinking about.

“And he really stood out. So at the last board meeting, I recommended that he become the president and CEO of Cirque du Soleil, a recommendation that was accepted. It was also agreed, at their request, that I would remain as executive vice-president of the board. This means that I remain full time for the Circus, and that my role will be used to facilitate the transition. “

The best of both worlds

The company thus finds itself with “the best of both worlds”, believes Daniel Lamarre, “because they will have a new energetic president and chief executive officer for several years to come, and at the same time I will be there for the ‘to lean on “.

Daniel Lamarre will again use his well-stocked contact book all over the world, and his ever-sharp sense of creativity. In short, we are far from a retirement.

“I am staying there, in the next office, and I will always be available for Stéphane. “

“Daniel, he will never stop moving,” drops Stéphane Lefebvre. “The process is clear, as CEO, you become in charge of the business,” he adds. But it’s going to be easy to walk through his office, like I’ve done 1000 times in the past year, to ask for his advice. I am super happy, I feel pampered, it is an honor and a privilege to become the president of a company like the circus. And an incredible chance to have Daniel Lamarre who stays to help me. “

“We are fortunate to have put in place a smooth transition plan that ensures the long-term success of the business,” Gabriel de Alba, Managing Director and Partner of The Catalyst Capital Group Inc. said in a statement. and co-chair with Jim Murren of the board of directors of the Cirque du Soleil Group.

“Stéphane Lefebvre, who has worked at Cirque du Soleil since 2016, has demonstrated solid knowledge and great leadership throughout the transition process and the acquisition by our group of shareholders. He now assumes the management of the company, with the support of Daniel Lamarre, and has the full confidence of the board in his ability to lead the organization. […] We are pleased that this new era of growth is being led by a person already well positioned within the organization, who believes in the extraordinary artistic vision of Cirque du Soleil, and who will know how to nurture this vision and take it to new heights. . ”

The following

A transition without animosity “as often happens” in this kind of situation, led by “two guys who have a beautiful complementarity”: Daniel Lamarre could not ask for better. And it even ensures, according to him, the maintenance of the head office in Montreal.

“Not only is it maintained, but reaffirmed by this appointment,” he says. It is important to send the right signal. I have never had any doubts about it, and I find it fun to send another message of stability. ”

But now is the time to “take the next step,” says Daniel Lamarre. While the Circus machine has started up again and around 2,000 employees have started working again, 2022 will be devoted to the “continuation of the relaunch”.

“There are still a lot of shows to relaunch and this is our number one priority,” says Stéphane Lefebvre. That is very short term. But we also want to reaffirm the creative leadership of Cirque du Soleil, which is its essence, and we must already start preparing creations for 2023, 2024. ”

For example, this summer, under the marquee of the Old Port, we will present the show Kooza, which was created in 2007, then we “will resume the pace of new shows in Montreal from 2023”.

What is clear for Daniel Lamarre is that after having been “weakened by the worst crisis in its history”, Cirque du Soleil is now out of it.

“We are no longer fragile, and today we have the support of our shareholders, and the financial resources. We have a great solidity that allows us to see the future in an optimistic way. ”

It’s still a page of history that turns, but for him, out of a question of looking back.

“I’m not nostalgic, I look more to the future, and when I say that I look at my colleague. I had the chance to find him, to choose him, to support him in this new page of history, and in addition the company wants me to continue to contribute. It’s great. ”

Five achievements

We asked Daniel Lamarre to name and comment on five accomplishments of which he is particularly proud.

Creation of Varekai

“It was the first new show since my arrival. I had the chance to observe first-hand the creative process and learn from master Guy Laliberté. It was also Cirque du Soleil’s first big success after the departure of Franco Dragone. Directed by Dominique Champagne. ”

Negotiation with the Beatles

“This long process with Guy and my colleague Robert Blain taught me to never give up in order to reach the greatest. A great success! ”

The creation of KÀ under the direction of Robert Lepage

“A theater and a production that go beyond the imagination. Lots of obstacles to overcome to reach new heights. ”

My meeting with James Cameron

“Have the chance to work with James Cameron, one of the greatest artists on the planet, for the production of the show Toruk inspired by the movie Avatar. “

The opening of our new show Drawn to Life

“Our very last production Drawn to Life, at Disney Springs in Orlando, symbolizes for me the resounding return to the stage of Cirque du Soleil. What an exceptional work produced by Michel Laprise! ”