MANAGEMENT TEAM
Simon ChrétienAlways on the lookout for innovation in his field, Simon Chrétien fully invests in the projects he undertakes. Curious by nature, he enjoys taking part in international conferences and conventions to keep up to date on the latest developments in agronomy in order to benefit his clients.
As founder, president and CEO of Horizon Agrobiotech, he plays a front-line role in developing the products and services offered. In addition to demonstrating excellent skills for management and marketing, he makes his knowledge available as books, in talks and through training. He is also well known among horticultural companies and library networks for his dynamism, expertise and congeniality.
To make his knowledge even more accessible, he keeps a blog on a number of subjects related to horticulture and agronomy. Visit it and enjoy its many tips, tricks, advice and recipes!
www.simonchretien.com
Biography
Simon Chrétien studied at Laval University where he earned a Bachelor of Geography and a Master of Plant Biology. He is a member of the Ordre des agronomes du Québec.
At the beginning of 2000, he started his career strongly by creating Horizon Agrobiotech Inc., a consulting company specialized in the agri-food industry. During the same period, he used his knowledge to give courses on Greenhouse Growing at Laval University*.
Also in 2000, Simon Chrétien joined the management team at the Faculty of Agriculture and Food at Laval University. Then aged 26, he was given the mandate to manage the Ferme Joseph-Rhéaume, the Jardin botanique Roger-Van den Hende and the Pavillon Envirotron. During the first four years, he was also involved in managing the Horticulture Research Centre. In 2002, he was asked to manage the Faculty’s test research greenhouse complex. Over the years, he has developed excellent management skills and enthusiastically used his expertise for his organization.
Among the projects in which he is actively participated and is especially proud, he was involved in designing and setting up a high-performance greenhouse complex for the research. Funded by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, this complex is at the forefront of industrial technologies for protecting the environment, and managing climate and horticultural production. In a short period of time, Simon Chrétien also restructured the management of the Jardin botanique Roger-Van den Hende and turned it into a major player in the recreational-tourist industry of Quebec City. In addition to having an educational mission, this garden welcomes visitors who like to use the site for relaxation and enchantment. Under his guidance, the number of visitors more than doubled and the infrastructures were restored and considerably improved.
In 2008, he was named Young Business Person in the Category of "Public, Parapublic and NGO" by the Jeune chambre de commerce de Québec.
In March 2009, he left Laval University to fully devote himself to his new company Horizon Biopharma and continue to develop Horizon Agrobiotech.
*: As part of the ongoing training program "Certificate in Horticulture and Green Space Management".