Laurent Robert BeaudoinCC OQ CMG (French pronunciation:[loʁɑ̃ʁɔbɛʁbodwɛ̃]; born May 13, 1938) is a Canadian businessman fromQuebec. From 1979 to 2003, he was the CEO of the transportation company Bombardier.

Beaudoin was born inLaurier Station, Quebec. In 1959, while studying accounting at the University of Sherbrooke, he married Claire Bombardier, daughter of Canadian businessmanJoseph Armand Bombardier.^[1]

Beaudoin began his career in 1961 in Sherbrooke, Quebec by founding a firm of chartered accountants, Beaudoin and Blais, soon followed by a second firm, Beaudoin, Morin, Dufresne & Associés. In 1963 he joined the family business, L’Auto-Neige Bombardier Limited, as comptroller.^[2] He was named president of the company in 1966, shortly after Bombardier's death. He became chairman and chief executive officer ofBombardier Inc. 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 during the 1970s used the funds thus raised to grow Bombardier into a large rail transportation company.^[3] In 1986 he oversaw Bombardier's entry into the aviation field through acquiring the assets ofCanadair, which had been manufacturing Challenger business jets and amphibious aircraft. He led the acquisition of other cash-starved companies; by 1992 he controlledShort Brothers,Learjet,^[4] andde Havilland.^[5][6]

In June 2000, Beaudoin was named a member of the advisory board ofLazard Canada.

Paul Tellier, CEO of Bombardier Inc. resigned as CEO and a director on December 13, 2004. Non-management independent directors Michael McCain and Mrs. Jalynn Bennett also resigned as directors of Bombardier Inc. at the same time.^[7]

A new Office of the President was then established with Executive Chairman Laurent Beaudoin as chair. His son, Pierre Beaudoin, then President and Chief Operating Officer of Bombardier Aerospace, became a member of the Office of the President and was appointed a director of Bombardier Inc.^[8]

In 2018 Beaudoin retired from Bombardier after 55 years.^[9]

Ribbon	Description	Notes
	Companion of theOrder of Canada (C.C.)	Awarded on: November 17, 1988 Invested on: April 12, 1989 [10]
	Officer of theOrder of Canada (O.C.)	Awarded on: June 19, 1973 Invested on: August 2, 1973 [11]
	Officer of theNational Order of Quebec (O.Q..)
	Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal for Canada	1977 As an officer of the Order of Canada, monsieur Beaudoin is awarded with Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal][12]
	125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal	1993 As an officer of the Order of Canada, monsieur Beaudoin is awarded with the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal[13]
	Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for Canada	2002 As an officer of the Order of Canada, monsieur Beaudoin is awarded with Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal[14][15] Canadian version
	Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for Canada	2012 As an officer of the Order of Canada, monsieur Beaudoin is awarded with Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal[16][17] Canadian version
	Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George	2013[18]

In 1973 Beaudoin was named Officer of theOrder of Canada. In 1989 he was named a Fellow of theOrdre des comptables agréés du Québec, and also Companion of theOrder of Canada. The next year he became and Officer of theNational Order of Quebec.

In 2000 Beaudoin was named one of the great Quebecers of the century by the Académie des Grands Québécois.

In 2008 he was presented with the International Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award' by the Ireland Chamber, United States, and also received theBest Global Business Award from theCanada China Business Council in Beijing. The next year he was presented with theGrosse silberne ehrenzeichen mit dem stern by the President of the Republic of Austria.

In 2013 Beaudoin became a Companion of theMost Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George, for services to British industry, particularly in Northern Ireland.^[19][20] The next year he was presented with the Philip J. Klass Award for Lifetime Achievement byAviation Week & Space Technology magazine^[21]

Beoudoin has received honorary doctorates from theUniversité de Montréal,York University,Université de Sherbrooke,Université Sainte-Anne,Bishop's University,Queen's University, Belfast (Northern Ireland),University of Toronto,Carleton University,McGill University andConcordia University.

• Laurent Beaudoin atThe Canadian Encyclopedia
• Office of the Governor General of Canada.Order of Canada citation. Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved May 24, 2010
• Laurent Beaudoin's profile at Bloomberg

• 1938 births
• Living people
• Bombardier Inc.
• Businesspeople from Quebec
• Companions of the Order of Canada
• Officers of the National Order of Quebec
• People from Chaudière-Appalaches
• The Carlyle Group people
• Canadian chairpersons of corporations
• Canadian chief executives
• Canadian Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
• Bombardier family

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