François Filion

At GCM, François is known for taking things to heart. He is fully committed to his projects, his customers and the growth of the company. Above all, he cares about the people he works with; as soon as he sees someone is not doing well, he doesn’t hesitate to help.

Taking his responsibilities seriously doesn’t prevent François from injecting humour and fun into his daily tasks. “For me, hearing people laugh during a meeting is a good sign. It breathes new life into the day, and that’s important.” A colleague once said that his sense of humour explained a lot of his success with customers. “I love laughing and making people laugh. We work in a serious business, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for laughter. We’re human beings, not machines.”

A leader at GCM, François has an innate ability to bring order to the most complex situations. His talent for analysis allows him to spot potential problems in a project and take pre-emptive actions to avoid pitfalls down the road. He also has a remarkable ability to clarify roles, responsibilities and processes during a project, and this effectiveness helps create a productive and enjoyable atmosphere for the team.

As Vice President of Chemical and Manufacturing Sectors, François is aware that a balance must be struck between the sprints needed at certain times to achieve objectives, and the longevity required to finish the marathon that is a project. “To achieve exceptional results, you need intensity. But to continue to perform over the long term, you need to achieve balance by recognizing and respecting people’s limits, including your own.” This is when a climate of trust and mutual support is important, because people feel free to express their needs and accept help, as well as have the generosity to help those who need it, whenever possible.

“Helpfulness is a GCM core value, and I sincerely believe in it. At work, I give 120%. And if help is needed, whether it’s a team member, a customer or a colleague, I’ll always be there to help 120%.”