Background
Beaudoin, Laurent was born on May 13, 1938 in Laurier Station, Quebec, Canada. Son of P.A. and Yvonne (Rodrigue) Beaudoin.
Beaudoin, Laurent was born on May 13, 1938 in Laurier Station, Quebec, Canada. Son of P.A. and Yvonne (Rodrigue) Beaudoin.
Bachelor of Arts, Ste. Anne U., Nova Scoti, Canada, 1957; M. Commerce, Sherbrooke U., 1960; D. Business Administration (honorary), Sherbrooke U., 1971.
Born in Laurier Station, Quebec, the son-in-law of Canadian businessman Joseph Armand Bombardier, Beaudoin joined Bombardier Limited in 1963. He began his career in 1961 by founding a firm of chartered accountants, Beaudoin & Blais, soon followed by a second firm, Beaudoin, Morin, Dufresne & Associéson He was named president of the company in 1966, shortly after Bombardier"s death.
He became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bombardier Incorporated. in 1979.
Under his leadership, the company grew from a snowmobile manufacturer to the world"s largest manufacturer of rail transportation equipment and to the world"s third largest civil aircraft maker. After taking the company"s helm, Beaudoin took it public, then used the funds thus raised to build a formidable rail transportation empire.
In 1986 he entered the aviation world by acquiring the assets of Canadair, which had been manufacturing Challenger business jets and amphibious aircraft. At that time Laurent Beaudoin became chairman of the board of Bombardier Recreational Products.
Université de Montréal (Québec) York University Université de Sherbrooke (Québec) University of Sainte-Anne (Nova Scotia) Bishop’s University (Québec) Queen's University, Belfast (Northern Ireland) University of Toronto Carleton University (Ottawa) McGill University in Montreal (Québec) Concordia University in Montréal (Québec).
Board Governors Faculté d'Administration, U. Sherbrooke, Quebec. Fellow Institute Chartered Accts. Member Chamber of Commerce Quebec (governor).
Married Claire Bombardier, August 29, 1959. Children— Nicole, Pierre, Elaine, Denise.