MONTREAL, January 30, 2024 — The Board of Directors of the Quebec Fruit and Vegetable Marketing Association (QPMA) BB #:159622 is proud to announce the appointment of Mario Lalancette as Executive Director.
Recognized for his ability to maintain privileged relationships with regulatory and government authorities, as well as with opinion leaders in Quebec’s agri-food sector, Mario Lalancette succeeds Sophie Perreault, who has held this position for the past 20 years.
A nutritionist by training with great skills in mobilizing a team around a common goal, Mario Lalancette was until recently the Director of Strategy and Communications at the QPMA. As part of his duties, Mr. Lalancette has greatly contributed to the deployment of the I Love Fruits and Vegetables Movement, which aims to promote
greater consumption of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy lifestyle.
With more than 25 years of experience in the agri-food, communications and public health fields, Mr. Lalancette is recognized for his in-depth understanding of the challenges facing stakeholders throughout the fruit and vegetable distribution chain. In addition, he was recently the recipient of the 2023 Annual Merit Award from the Ordre des diététistes nutritionnistes du Québec.
“As soon as he arrived in 2019, Mario Lalancette quickly set up partnerships with the Government of Quebec to deploy societal campaigns to raise awareness among Quebecers about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. Together with his team, the I Love Fruits and Vegetables Movement has reached new heights. It will continue to implement the 2024-2027 strategic plan, to which it has made a major contribution. This plan aims to
strategically position the fruit and vegetable sector,” said Enrico Charest, Chairman of the QPMA Board of Directors.
“It is with great ambition and determination that I begin my new role with the QPMA. While only about one in 3 people in Quebec consumes more than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, the QPMA’s mission is crucial: to promote healthy eating habits and defend the interests of its members with public decision-makers.
Diversified, committed and supportive, the fruit and vegetable sector is a vital economic engine in Quebec and an essential player in public health,” added Mario Lalancette, Executive Director of the QPMA.
The QPMA would like to thank the outgoing President and CEO, Sophie Perreault, for her determination to lead several issues with heart at the same time, for her rigour and her great achievements that have made it possible to increase the notoriety of the fruit and vegetable sector in the public space and among government circles.
