The sustainability-focused coffee roaster cited Gattuso’s record of developing strong business relationships as a key asset as it seeks to increase its market share in Canada and abroad
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Jean Gattuso | Photo credit: Courtesy of Café William
Quebec-based coffee roaster Café William has appointed Jean Gattuso as Chairman of its Board of Directors.
Gattuso has more than 30 years' experience working for Canadian agri-food company Industries Lassonde, where he served as Chief Operating Officer 2012-2021.
In a press release, Café William highlighted Gattuso’s track record of innovation and ‘proven ability to provide customer service’ as key assets which will support its next phase of growth and expansion.
“We are truly honoured and privileged that such a respected industry leader will allow us to draw on his vast experience and guide us through the next phases of Café William's growth and expansion. His strategic vision, commitment to operational excellence and ability to develop strong business relationships will be key to strengthening Café William’s position in the Canadian and international markets and driving its operational performance,” said Rémi Tremblay, CEO, Café William.
Gattuso will work alongside Tremblay, marketing expert Isabelle Pasque and Vice Presidents Serge Picard and Jonathan Haley on Café William’s Board of Directors.
Founded in 1988, Café William is one of the largest importers and roasters of organic and Fairtrade certified coffee in Canada. Its products are sold online, in Costco sites in Quebec and Eastern Canada and across a network of national and independent grocery stores.
In February 2024, Café William unveiled a CA$47m ($34.8m) production facility with the ‘world’s first’ 100% electric industrial coffee roaster. The facility has an annual production capacity of nine million kilograms and is expected to reduce the business’ CO2 equivalent emissions by around 800 tons annually.
The business attained B Corp certification in the same month in recognition of its responsible coffee sourcing and carbon reduction initiatives, which included charting 72,000kg of coffee on a cargo sailboat from, Colombia to Canada in December 2023.