Alain Fairise, CEO of Alan Allman Associates North America

Alan Allman Associates announces the appointment of Alain Fairise as CEO for North America.

Drawing on his extensive international leadership experience, Alain Fairise will focus on strengthening collaboration across the group’s North American companies, building on their complementary expertise and supporting their next phase of development.

In this interview, Alain Fairise shares his approach to leadership, transformation and acquisitions, as well as his vision and priorities for Alan Allman Associates in North America.

1. You have led operations in Canada, the United States and internationally. Based on your experience, what are the key drivers of sustainable growth across multiple markets?

Once the strategy is defined, the first driver, in my view, is the quality and motivation of the team. I also believe strongly in mutual respect and in the alignment that comes from clear, consistent communication about our shared objectives and the progress we are making.

The journey can be challenging, and there will be many obstacles along the way, but the satisfaction of achieving success together as a team is a powerful driving force.

2. Throughout your career, you have supported companies through major transformations and changes to their business models. What does it take to make these transformations successful without losing what makes an organisation strong?

The key is always to bring people on board by clearly explaining why the transformation is needed, what we want to achieve and the milestones we expect to reach along the way.

Transparent communication is essential, as is the alignment of internal systems and processes, particularly when it comes to ensuring that everyone is working towards shared objectives.

It is like a symphony that requires talent, collaboration and focus. And ultimately, no transformation can succeed unless it creates value for our clients.

3. You have been involved in more than 30 acquisitions throughout your career. What makes an acquisition truly successful in the long term?

It all starts with a rigorous assessment of the value the acquisition is expected to create. Success then depends on a structured integration plan, shared with the teams and tailored to the desired level of integration.

Every situation is different. Some acquisitions require rapid integration, while others are better suited to remaining more independent.

It is important to explain the approach clearly and guide the teams accordingly, so that new talent can be effectively integrated, synergies can be realised, and the culture and strengths of the acquired teams are respected, without compromising on our core values.

Striking that balance is difficult. It is almost an art, and one that must be built on trust. Every acquisition creates uncertainty and concerns, which need to be acknowledged and managed proactively.

4. One of your priorities will be to strengthen collaboration between our North American companies. How do you intend to turn their complementary strengths into greater value for clients and new growth opportunities?

There is already a good level of collaboration between our leadership teams in North America, supported by our shared functions. Our brands are strong, each with its own specific capabilities and deep expertise recognised by the market.

We will strengthen commercial collaboration through joint responses to tenders, the rollout of our CRM and the development of standardised offerings that can be delivered across several brands, particularly in AI. We will also work more closely with other AAA regions to replicate successful initiatives, with gratitude! I believe we can also strengthen our relationships with partners by showcasing the full breadth of our capabilities.

From a geographical perspective, we have tremendous opportunities in English-speaking Canada and the United States. Expanding our geographical reach in our most promising business areas will be an important driver of growth.

Collaboration to expand our client and partner portfolios, shared tools, new offerings and geographical expansion: there is a lot to achieve, and it is an exciting journey ahead!

5. You describe yourself as a strategic leader with a strong focus on execution. In an organisation made up of several companies, each with its own expertise and markets, how do you turn a shared ambition into tangible results?

Execution discipline must apply at every level of the organisation and across every business unit.

Objectives are defined with the diversity of our activities in mind and then translated into specific goals for each entity.

Empowerment and initiative among our leaders are essential, but that does not mean operating without a clear framework or performance expectations.

We need everyone’s creativity and ideas to achieve our growth ambitions, and I will always value the contribution of every member of the team.

6. What is your ambition for Alan Allman Associates in North America, and what will your first priorities be to set the organisation on that path?

Over the past few years, we have been through a period of significant organisational change in North America, including the merger of several firms and the renewal of our leadership teams.

It has not been easy, but we have achieved improved profitability, and the strength of our business model was recognised through our recent refinancing with a group of leading banks.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our employees and everyone who has contributed to this success. Your commitment has been remarkable. Un gros merci, as we say in Quebec!

The resilience of our teams now puts us in a position to enter a new phase, with a stronger focus on commercial activity and a return to growth.

Our priorities are to stabilise the organisation and strengthen our sales teams so that we can better showcase our expertise to clients, expand our presence within key accounts and with our partners, and win more new clients.

Our markets are evolving rapidly, and we are very well positioned to seize the opportunities ahead.

Our focus is clear: profitable growth, creating value for our employees, clients and shareholders.