Kanuk Changes Hands
2024年5月7日 - 6:00PM
ビジネスワイヤ(英語)
A group of investors led by Bertrand Cesvet has
become the controlling shareholder of the Quebec brand with the
ambition to grow the brand locally and expand its presence outside
of Canada.
Kanuk, the outerwear clothing brand based on Rue Rachel in
Montreal, is announcing today its acquisition by a group of
investors led by Bertrand Cesvet. With over 30 years of experience
building brands, particularly at Sid Lee, Mr. Cesvet aims to propel
Kanuk into Canadian and international markets by emphasizing
creativity.
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Bertrand Cesvet (Photo: Business
Wire)
"I have spent my professional career building and promoting
brands internationally. As an active investor, I am now applying my
capital and expertise to benefit brands like Psycho Bunny and now
Kanuk, which, in my opinion, have the potential to grow rapidly
both in Canada and abroad," said Bertrand Cesvet. "In my view,
innovation and especially creativity, are the main drivers of value
creation for brands. I believe that my experience at Sid Lee and
more recently at Psycho Bunny will definitely be an asset in
relaunching Kanuk. I am excited about the challenge ahead!" he
added.
As CEO, Mr. Cesvet contributed to making Sid Lee one of the most
award-winning commercial creativity agencies in the world. He
notably led the repositioning of several famous brands including
Adidas, Absolut Vodka, Cirque du Soleil, and many others. After
leaving Sid Lee, he became a shareholder and Chief Creative
Executive for the Quebec clothing retailer Psycho Bunny. Since his
arrival two years ago, Psycho Bunny has doubled its revenue. The
brand operates more than 130 stores across North America, as well
as in Japan and Dubai.
Mr. Cesvet will serve as Chief Creative Executive for both
Psycho Bunny and Kanuk. He also intends to leverage the experience
and some corporate services available to Psycho Bunny to benefit
the Rue Rachel brand. To grow Kanuk, Mr. Cesvet plans to expand the
existing product range to offer clothing suitable for all four
seasons and the changing climate in Quebec and elsewhere. Mr.
Cesvet believes that Quebec is well positioned to understand and
meet the needs of customers.
Since 2015, Kanuk has been wholly owned by Corporation
Financière Champlain, a private investment company based in
Montreal. The company will remain involved in the brand by
collaborating with the new group of shareholders.
"We are very pleased to see Bertrand Cesvet take control and
direction of Kanuk," said Pierre Simard, CEO of Corporation
Financière Champlain. "He has repeatedly demonstrated his ability
to grow brands. His expertise is recognized, and the future of
Kanuk appears more promising than ever."
About Kanuk
For nearly 50 years, Kanuk has been designing and manufacturing
outerwear clothing in a small factory located in the heart of
Montreal. Our designs are meticulously crafted to adapt to the
environment and withstand extreme conditions. Thanks to the
enduring quality of our clothing, our styles from today and
yesterday harmoniously intertwine in Montreal, where they were
born. More information at https://www.kanuk.com/en_ca/
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240507949482/en/
Pauline Lazarus Head of media relations, YPR
pauline@yprcanada.com 514 655-0427