After more than fifteen years at the head of Cirque du Soleil, Daniel Lamarre passes the torch of the presidency and general management. This role falls to Francophone Stéphane Lefebvre, who has thirty years of experience in finance, strategic planning and acquisition management.
The announcement was made Tuesday at Cirque du Soleil’s head office in Montreal. This is a transition planned for several months, carried out according to his recommendation, assured Mr. Lamarre.
“I’m not getting any younger,” he said. According to him, the context of the revival of the activities of the Cirque made it so that this moment was ideal for a change of guard.
Mr. Lefebvre will also be able to benefit in the medium term from the support of his predecessor, because the latter will remain executive vice-president of the board of directors and will continue to deal with relations with the main partners of Cirque. “I will be at the next office,” said Mr. Lamarre.
Mr. Lamarre praised the leadership and creative sensitivity of Mr. Lefebvre, who has worked for the group for nearly six years. “Its role is to put in place the conditions to support creators,” he said. “We have to preserve creativity at all costs, because that’s what sets us apart,” he added.
“The show launched with Disney in Orlando testifies to the creative force of Cirque, which is at the center of the company’s future strategy,” declared Mr. Lefebvre, who said he was honored and excited by his new post. He defines himself as a circus arts enthusiast.
This appointment also sends a strong signal that the head office is in Montreal to stay, believes the outgoing CEO. The company currently has around 450 employees in Montreal, and 2,500 around the world.
Mr. Lefebvre’s priority will be to continue relaunching existing shows. The pandemic has been difficult for Cirque du Soleil, which had to interrupt its presentations for more than a year. However, ticket sales are going well and the group is in good financial position, assures Mr. Lamarre.
Looking ahead, it’s hard to predict what the arrival of the Omicron variant will change, Lefebvre admitted. “We will adapt. We have developed a flexibility muscle in the last few months, ”he said.
The new CEO says he is also working on projects allowing spectators to have an “even more enriched experience” and to live it through digital media.