Xavier Poncin, CEO of Expo Canada France, SIAL Canada, has died suddenly. He was 50 years old.
Poncin began his career in trade shows in 1997. He joined Expo Canada France in 2009 as executive director. He led SIAL Canada for 14 years and worked tirelessly to promote and grow one of Canada’s largest and most popular food expositions.
Poncin, who described himself as “a self-made man with lots of luck” spent two years at an international business school before deciding to pursue a football career as a quarterback of the French national team, where he played at the highest level in Europe for 17 years. In 1997, he shifted gears and became a junior sales manager for an international print industry show.
Wanting to gain international career experience, he moved to Canada in 2009 to take on the role of executive director of Expo Canada France, with a three-year commitment to develop and grow the SIAL Canada brand. In 2013, he decided to stay in Montreal with his family to continue to develop SIAL Canada. In 2016, he was named CEO.
