After 40 years dedicated to promoting Vélo Québec's mission - from student volunteer to President and CEO - I've decided to pass the torch.
At the beginning of March, before the great upheaval caused by the pandemic, I announced to the Vélo Québec team my intention to hand over the helm of the organization by the end of 2020. For the past year, I've been reflecting on the issues that will mobilize Vélo Québec's forces for the next decade. I have passionately devoted 35 years of my professional life to developing and promoting bicycle use, and I felt, on a personal level, that the time had come to move on, and that Vélo Québec would be better served with a new leader to continue its development.
The organization I knew in the early 80s, and the one it has become today, is a testament not only to the meteoric rise of cycling in Quebec, but also to Vélo Québec's agility, leadership and professionalism in innovating and proposing relevant actions to get Quebecers on the road. I'm particularly proud of the progress we've made over the past three decades.
My successor is not yet known. Between now and my departure in December 2020, rest assured that I will pursue my mission with the same passion, and that the Board of Directors can count on my full cooperation in choosing and making the transition to the new person who will take over to lead Vélo Québec.
In closing, I'd like to thank the Vélo Québec team and Board of Directors for their unfailing support and passion for advancing the cause of cycling. If Vélo Québec has succeeded in making Quebecers love cycling and convincing governments to invest in the cause, it's thanks to the strength of its entire team, people driven by the same passion to help people discover the many benefits of cycling and to contribute in their own way to building the cycling Quebec of tomorrow.
Suzanne Lareau
President and CEO, Vélo Québec
