Canada's Outstanding CEO of the Year: Alexandre L'Heureux
You’ve no doubt heard of Alexander the Great, but how about Alexander the Happy? More formally known as Alexandre L’Heureux, he has helped transform a small Montreal-based engineering company once known as Genivar Inc. into a multinational giant called WSP Global Inc.
Since he became chief executive in 2016, WSP’s shares have soared almost 500 per cent and the company now has a market cap of about $32 billion, dwarfing that of rival AtkinsRéalis Group Inc., once better known as SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.
Over the same time frame, WSP’s revenues have grown 125 per cent to hit $14.4 billion in fiscal 2023 from $6.4 billion, and revenues in fiscal 2024 were tracking 7.4 per cent higher as of the third quarter, with year-end results to be reported on Feb. 26.
Perhaps more impressive is that WSP’s approximately 73,000 employees are working on 200,000 projects around the world — indeed, they are on every continent, including Antarctica. But those numbers are just some of the reasons L’Heureux has been named Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year for 2024, as presented by Bennett Jones LLP, Caldwell, KPMG and the National Post.
“Alexandre L’Heureux has achieved exceptional success. Truly extraordinary,” Hugh MacKinnon, chair of the CEO of the Year Advisory Board, said. “Since L’Heureux became CEO in 2016, some 55 organizations around the globe have been acquired by and are now operating as part of WSP Global. He has kept WSP uncomplicated and lean, a company dedicated to ethical behaviour, profound regard for the communities it serves and professional excellence in its service offerings.”
L’Heureux also appears to be quite happy, though the moniker was given to him by the Montreal Council of Foreign Relations since it’s a direct
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