Josianne Légaré moves into U.S. sales job at Lassonde

Lassonde Industries Inc. has named Josianne Légaré, senior vice-president, sales of its U.S. subsidiary Lassonde Pappas and Company Inc. to lead the U.S. sales team.

Légaré, who was one of Canadian Grocer's 2018 Star Women in Grocery award recipients,  joined Lassonde in Montreal in 2005 and worked her way up to become senior vice-president of sales: the company’s first-ever female national sales lead.

In a previous role as director of Lassonde’s Western Canadian business, Légaré grew the business in that region from $5 million to more than $50 million in less than five years.

Légaré took over national sales in Toronto four years ago, and turned around a declining juice business by rebuilding the sales team and better adapting to retailers’ needs.

“Josianne has been a strategic leader for Lassonde and in the industry. Her skills, expertise and strong business acumen have contributed to our success in Canada," said Jean Gattuso, president and chief operating officer, Lassonde Industries Inc., in a press release. "She has constantly grown our business and addressed our customer needs and helped establish Oasis juice as a leading juice brand in Canada."

Prior to joining Lassonde, Légaré held sales positions at Kimberly-Clark and Polaroid Canada. She is also the past president of the Food Executives Club of Vancouver.