Meet our CEO

As CEO of Fairtrade Canada, Julie Francoeur ensures her team can thrive so that Fairtrade can thrive. Having been with Fairtrade for more than 13 years, running field operations for Fairtrade International, working from the ground up with farmer coops, brands, traders, millers, factories, unions, governments, and more in 13 different countries, it feels as if it is part of her core identity. Julie felt a calling for social justice at a young age – her school yearbook says she is the most likely to do a presentation on child labour. She has lived and worked abroad in Ghana, Bolivia, the Caribbean, and Argentina, touching on everything from responsible cotton imports to closed-loop municipal waste management. She knows from hands-on experience that sustainable supply chains and improving conditions for farmers and workers is messy, hard work that often fails. But she has also seen success and is adamant to help others scale up that impact. She has an MBA in Emerging Markets, a BA in International Development, and a Diploma in African Rural Development. In addition to her role as CEO, Julie is on the Global Fairtrade Executive Team. She has also been a guest lecturer at York University, Dalhousie University, Schulich Business School, and McGill University.