BRP President and CEO José Boisjoli announces retirement
José Boisjoli announced May 29 that his 22-year run as president and CEO of BRP will come to an end. The chief executive says he’ll retire sometime within the next nine months.
Earlier reported by our sister publication Snow Goer, Boisjoli spearheaded BRP’s remarkable growth story, from a Bombardier spin-off to a publicly traded, global leading powersports OEM.
His tenure included leading BRP to market-share dominance in the snowmobile and personal watercraft markets. He also brought massive growth to BRP’s ATV/UTV and off-road segment, introduced Can-Am Spyder three-wheel motorcycles, and made segment-defining moves in the marine market.
“What I’m most proud of is what BRP has become,” says Boisjoli during a May 29 earnings call.
We had two product lines that were profitable and two product lines that were not profitable in 2003. Today, we have seven profitable product lines, and we have a diversified product portfolio and an international manufacturing footprint — I am very happy with where we are.
Boisjoli also says he will be stepping down from his role as board chairman. As part of an ongoing succession plan, BRP’s board is searching for the company’s next president and CEO. Boisjoli will continue to lead BRP until the appointment of his successor, the company says.
“We have very experienced, long-time board members [who] know the business very well… It will obviously be a global search, considering external and internal candidates. It could take anywhere from 3 to 9 months – that would be the normal timeline.”
In 2003, Boisjoli, who was then president of the snowmobile and watercraft division of Bombardier, became president and CEO of BRP on the day it became a standalone company. Under his leadership, BRP diversified its product portfolio, dealer and distributor network and manufacturing footprint, propelling its growth and more than tripling its revenue and its market share three-fold, the company says in the release.
