Yves Lalumière
Where were you born? In Montreal. I’ve lived here pretty much all my life apart from stints in Toronto, and in Detroit where I played baseball on a scholarship.
How did you get your start in the business? I started with Quebecair in sales (though all my family worked for Air Canada so I was a bit of a black sheep!)
Tell me a little about your education. I have a B. Admin from the Université de Québec at Montreal.
How many people work for you? About 500, but in total over 2,500 agents in over 500 agencies.
What’s the best part of the job? Recognizing people for the work they do.
What did you want to be as a kid? A pilot – because of the family background. I still l would like to be one!
Ever had a brush with fame? In baseball, I met quite a few players such as Pete Rose and Gary Carter.
What skill or talent do you admire in someone? Good judgment, Charisma. People who can figure out the work/life balance.
What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done? I’m a pretty conservative guy... I guess it was when I decided to go to the US and play baseball, not knowing anyone or speaking English.
Any guilty pleasures? Unfortunately I don’t take time for lunch to I eat often eat Chef Boyardee or McDonalds.
What’s your favourite airline? Cathay Pacific. Air Transat is a great airline, but when it comes to the customer, going to Asia with Cathay is a pretty nice experience.
What’s your favourite all-time movie? Mama Mia – I love Greece and the Greek Islands. It’s a fun movie to watch.
What keeps you awake at night? The succession in the industry. The average age of an agent now is 45 or 46 and there are not enough young people coming in to the business.
What’s on your iPod? Don’t laugh - you’re not supposed to laugh! Supertramp, and I love Brazilian jazz. Blossom Dearie.
Who do you most respect in the industry? Not a person but a company: WestJet. They stick to their mission, they’ve got a very good culture and have expanded in a nice way and take care of their employees. As a competitor and as a supplier I think they’ve done a very good job.
If you could sit next to anyone on a long-haul flight, who would it be? Bill Clinton. For the ladies, I would say Madonna. 10 hours with her would be fun.
When were you happiest? Any time that I go to the Greek Islands. Also Cambodia, India. I like to try to visit the emerging markets.
What kind of car do you drive? Audi 4 convertible. But I’d like the A6 – a red one!
What’s your worst habit? Chocolate for lunch. (After Chef Boyardee!) Laughs
What’s on your Bucket List? Israel.
What do you hope to be doing in 10 years? Be retired and spending three weeks in Spain, three months in Florida each year. And mentoring young people.
