November 27, 2023 – After a 36-year career at the company, François Anquetil—president of Sonepar Canada—will be retiring.

“I am very proud of how we grew the business in Canada, and in the development of careers for our associates,” said Anquetil. “It’s very gratifying to watch someone who started as a sales account manager grow their career to lead a large functional area of the organization today.”

Over the course of his career with Sonepar, Anquetil has served as president of Lumen, and vice-president of vendor relations and chief financial officer for Sonepar Canada. He also served as president of two divisions at Sonepar France: CCE and Franco Belge.

Anquetil will remain as acting president through March 2024 as he transitions responsibilities to incoming president of Sonepar Canada, George McClean, the former president of National Tire Distributors.

McClean has spent his career at companies like General Motors and W.W. Grainger. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Western University, a Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School, and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business. He is also a chartered professional accountant.

“George has deep expertise in developing strategic roadmaps, leading acquisitions, accelerating adoption of analytics and digitization within an organization, and developing talent,” said Rob Taylor, president, Sonepar North America. “With François having led a very well-run operation in Canada, I expect a smooth transition.”