People in Lighting: France Bourassa
Companies are defined by the people who work for them: for over a century, Schréder has been at the forefront of lighting thanks to the phenomenal efforts of its employees worldwide. This series focuses on the people who make Schréder what it is, discussing their career path, landmark projects and thoughts on what comes next for the lighting industry.
Over the decades, Schréder has built up its presence across North America. With a strong reputation for lighting essential infrastructure such as tunnels, highways and airport aprons in the harshest weather conditions, Schréder has grown to become a market leader in Canada. From west to east, we create safe and attractive spaces after dark.
Based in Montreal, Business Development Manager France Bourassa is responsible for Eastern Canada, working closely with engineers, architects and end users. She supports our customers through on-site presentations, writing specifications and training them on how to use our lighting solutions. After a decade with the company, she has helped customers realise their vision on projects ranging from sports fields to waterfront promenades.
I grew up Northern Quebec…
Which means a lot of snow! I grew up in a very active family. My dad was a physical education teacher, so we played outside a lot, did a lot of outdoor adventures, and got into winter sports. To this day, I believe there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.
I studied psycho-sociology of communication…
I have always enjoyed learning about people, their motivations, their personalities. So I would guess that this is what brought me to sales, or, more precisely to business development. It’s a part of my job that I really enjoy; I find it exciting to build new relationships, to work with people, to understand their needs. Before Schréder, I worked for a smaller, local lighting manufacturer.
When I joined the company, I was ready for a challenge…
It is a very international company, and much bigger than where I worked before. Schréder was very well known for tunnel lighting, but I was kind of hired to develop our other segments, including airports, urban decoration and roads. I felt like a gold digger, panning for opportunities to see where new projects were happening.
Saskatoon Airport is one of many airports in Canada lit by the OMNISTAR.
Things really took off in airport lighting…
We’ve been quite successful in airport lighting, and now light about 80% of the airport aprons in Canada. The OMNISTAR has made us the go-to company. We are currently in discussions with Calgary Airport, they are still using high-pressure sodium lights and they want to change everything to LED.
And we also light a lot of sports facilities…
In Eastern Canada, we’ve probably lit 30 sports fields by now - soccer, baseball, national and international competition tennis courts. We have our own national standards for lighting in Canada, so not every Schréder sports lighting luminaire is available, but the ones that are have been tremendously popular.
There’s no such thing as a typical day…
This job is never boring! What I do is really business development. We work on a project basis, it’s a case of seeing what is out there, looking for major infrastructure works, seeing what’s happening on the market, thinking ahead. When we get a new project where we really fit in, it's very exciting. Working with the engineers, the architects, the landscapers, the customer, it’s fascinating to see how we make it all happen. We work with them at every stage of the process, which can take years.
The Wilfrid Pelletier tennis courts are one of the many sports centres lit by Schréder.
Lunch and learn is a vital part of my job…
We have a lot of meetings with the engineers that we do, including the “lunch and learn.” Here in Canada, engineers are usually paid by the hour as part of the project. So they have a certain number of hours to work on projects, and lunch is about the only time they have free. So we arrange lunch and then we do our presentation of a new product, solution or system! We present, they eat.
Schréder is a great company to work for…
I love the international aspect - a few years ago I went to Belgium and met my colleagues from all over the world. We have a lot of training and career development. Almost every other week there are new webinar that we can attend, they are really accessible. We are kept up to date with new developments – it’s a very innovative company.
And we’re a really diverse office…
I work with a very diverse team from different cultures… in fact I’m the only one who was born in Canada! I have colleagues from Belgium, the South of France, Colombia, the Middle East, South Africa… It’s really enriching to have so many different perspectives.
My proudest achievement…
Is getting our airport lighting business off the ground. At the start, I would go from airport to airport with my big suitcase, presenting the OMNISTAR. And honestly, it was so big and heavy, it was like I had a dead body in there. I’d get funny looks when I checked in the case. It was a lot of work, but the engineers and airport electricians really appreciated the fact that we made the effort to come to them. They are also my favourite projects to see - I always get a good look when we’re taxiing or on the runway.
Our products are designed for extreme conditions…
Which matters here. We installed the OMNISTAR in Yellowknife airport, which is really, really far north. The average temperature in January is around −40°C (−40°F). So when customers ask me about extreme weather resilience, I just show them this project! We also illuminate snow sheds - an essential part of keeping our roads safe in the Canadian Rockies in winter.
The team is currently relighting Ville Marie Tunnel in Montreal, one of the longest tunnels in the country.
And also make places sparkle…
Saint John in New Brunswick, is becoming a really popular tourist destination. They have cruise ships coming and wanted to upgrade the Waterfront. They are installing the SHUFFLE with WiFi, cameras, loudspeakers and light rings – it’s a really pretty city and this will just be a great way to arrive there.
Outside of work, I like to get outside…
I’m going on another trip next month. Camping, biking, whatever takes me outdoors. I try to find different places to hike every year but my favourite destination for outdoor adventures has to be Costa Rica.
Connect with France on LinkedIn.