Gilles Pelletier Named President and CEO of The Quebec Furniture Manufacturers Association and the Canadian Furniture Show

Furniture World News Desk on 6/5/2019

Gilles Pelletier has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of the Quebec Furniture Manufacturers Association and the Canadian Furniture Show, succeeding Pierre Richard.

Mr. Richard served in the position for the past 5 years before going into semi-retirement last May.

As an executive manager with a strong expertise in the furniture industry, Mr. Pelletier has demonstrated great skills in organisational, strategic planning and sales management that can be hands-on and very creative. His knowledge of various areas of the furniture business – manufacturing, product development, merchandising and business development to name a few – will no doubt be put to great use in the evolution of the Canadian Furniture Show.

“Moving the Canadian Furniture Show to mid-January 2020 was a major decision, and continuity is key to ensure the success of the next edition; the Show is, after all, the most important event in our industry. However, I believe we have reached a turning point. Significant changes are needed, and I look forward to the challenge.” says Mr. Pelletier.

Gilles Pelletier was Vice-President of Sales and New Product Development at South Shore Furniture for close to 14 years. South Shore Furniture is one of North America’s largest furniture manufacturer and is well known for its successful entry into online sales. Their products are sold in Canada, the United States, Mexico and the UK.

Most recently, Mr. Pelletier was Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at Storkcraft Manufacturing Inc. in Vancouver. With licensing agreement with Graco and Thomasville, Storkcraft is the North American leader in its industry. The company’s products are distributed by large retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Target and Wayfair.

David Gélinas, Executive Vice-President of Zedbed and chairman of the QFMA’s board of directors, said Pelletier’s leadership experience in both the retail and manufacturing sectors will serve the 150-member organization well.

“We are thrilled to welcome Gilles Pelletier as President and CEO of the QFMA. He has held a wide range of high-level positions in the Canadian furniture industry, and we trust that his experience and abilities will bring great value to our association as well as to the Canadian Furniture Show moving forward,” says Mr. Gélinas.

The furniture industry was built by passionate people whose engagement keeps it going strong year after year. Mr. Pelletier has dedicated his career to the progression of the furniture business and joining the QFMA and the Canadian Furniture Show is yet another expression of his commitment to its growth.