The board of Conseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswick (CÉNB) has named Gaëtan Thomas its new CEO, effective July 6.
He succeeds Thomas Raffy, who stepped down as CEO on April 24. CENB President Marie Chamberland was filling in as interim CEO.
“I chose to get involved with the CÉNB because I believe in our province’s possibilities and in our francophone business community. I was always an ally of the CÉNB and I am happy to now closely collaborate on its many projects,” said Thomas in a release.
“I am looking forward to meeting the network’s members when circumstances allow and to help francophone businesses start a new turn in this decisive time. The pandemic brought a lot of new challenges for our province and we need to work together to contribute to the rise of our communities.”
Thomas had been the CEO of NB Power for a decade before deciding to step down by May 2020. The utility named Keith Cronkhite as his successor in March.
Thomas’ career at NB Power started in 1982 after he graduated with an engineering degree from the University of New Brunswick. Before becoming CEO, he held various positions in operations, engineering, project design and commissioning, as well as senior and executive management.
As CEO, he restructured NB Power to become an integrated utility that resulted in a leaner, more efficient organization. Under his leadership, NB Power also launched a partnership with Siemens to develop a made-in-New Brunswick smart grid and refurbished Point Lepreau’s Nuclear Generating Station.
Now at the helm of CÉNB, he’ll lead the provincial network of approximately 800 Francophone businesses and entrepreneurs. The organization serves as their voices, including to promote their role and value in economic development in the province and to celebrate their contributions.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors and CÉNB’s members, I am very happy to rely on Gaëtan Thomas’s vast experience that will be particularly important for our network in this decisive period at the economic level for our province. Our new CEO has a strong desire to make a difference in his province and he will mobilize our members and our partners around concrete initiatives that will propel the economy of our province,” said Chamberland in the release.
“We are very proud of this nomination and we are happy to rely on him for strong leadership to take the helm with conviction and determination.”
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This story was originally published in Huddle, an Acadia Broadcasting content partner.
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