Cogeco Inc. and Cogeco Communications Inc. have announced a significant organizational restructuring, merging their Canadian and U.S. telecommunications operations into a single North American entity. This move is designed to enhance customer experience, streamline operations, and foster growth by consolidating commercial, operational, and technical functions.
The new structure will also see the cross-border centers of expertise in key areas such as digital, advanced analytics, and technology. By integrating these functions, Cogeco seeks to accelerate the deployment of talent and best practices while harmonizing systems and platforms across its operations.
"We identified a significant opportunity to increase our speed, drive new innovation and operate more efficiently. This nimbler structure will increase our agility and bring our top leaders closer to our customers and front-line teams,” Cogeco President Frédéric Perron.
Effective September 1st, the leadership team reporting to Perron will see several changes. Sean Brushett will become chief operating officer, overseeing call centers, field operations, facilities, and supply chain across Canada and the United States. Brushett held similar roles at Breezeline and various executive positions at Comcast, Time Warner, and US West Communications.
Nancy Audette will take on the role of senior vice president for growth initiatives, who is responsible for expanding digital brands and wireless services in both countries. She was previously SVP and general manager for consumer at Cogeco Connexion and led Rogers' Fido wireless business.
Marie Ginette Lepage will become senior vice president for transformation, managing key revenue and cost initiatives. Lepage was formerly SVP mobile strategy and innovation at Cogeco, with previous experience at Vidéotron and Bell.
Additionally, Paul Cowling will join on July 2 as chief legal and corporate affairs officer, bringing extensive telecommunications sector experience from his time at Shaw and Xplore. A search is ongoing for a chief commercial officer to oversee sales, marketing, product, and digital functions across North America, with updates on this appointment to follow.
Patrice Ouimet (chief financial officer), Tim Dinesen (chief technology and information officer), Linda Gillespie (chief human resources officer), and Caroline Paquet (president) will continue in their roles.
On the other hand, Frank van der Post, president of Breezeline, and Valéry Zamuner, chief legal and corporate affairs officer, will leave the corporation to pursue new opportunities.
"Congratulations to our new executive team members. Their proven track records will be invaluable for this next phase of our strategy. I would also like to thank our departing executives, Valéry Zamuner and Frank van der Post, for their contributions. Mr. van der Post has been instrumental in leading our U.S. operations for the past five years," Perron said.
The new operating model will not affect the financial reporting segments or the legal structure of Cogeco and its subsidiaries.