"A Forward Thinking Leader"

Elyse Boulet, President & Managing Partner, Pigeon Brands, is an out-of-the-box thinker with an energetic and entrepreneurial spirit that is highly contagious. A forward-thinking leader, she is known for her honest and collaborative approach that creates impactful brand strategies and creative solutions which deliver business ROI. As such, she has been on a transformation mandate since she joined Pigeon almost six years ago. Pigeon is a well-known design and branding company that has been building brands for 46 years. With a core business helping CPG companies define or redefine their brands and stand out on the shelf. For years, the company had laid the groundwork for further growth and expansion and put Elyse in place to deliver to this broader mandate, given that this is where her strengths lie.

Elyse gave wings to her people to do what they do best: develop brilliant brand strategies and express them through brand design across multiple marketing and communications channels. Elyse’s approach almost immediately enabled Pigeon to attract new clients and a broader service offering which has been the building blocks for the agency’s expansion into a full-service brand strategy, design and communication agency, working across many verticals across Canada and on the global stage.

Whether it is being a guest speaker, an article where she is quoted, or being part of the Première en affaires female led businesses’ list, friends, female (and non female!) clients and many others have reached out to Elyse, knowing that it is part of her values set to support other women in business. “I have made it one of my personal missions to demonstrate to women that they are a valued part of the business community and that anything is possible for them if they can dream it and work for it,” she elucidates. “Part of this mission is to hire with diversity, equity and inclusion in mind and am proud to run a company that is well balanced in that regard.” Elyse wants to inspire others being more ambitious. For her, ambition emanates from within. “Ambition for a better tomorrow where everyone, no matter their background, their ethnicity or their gender is able to contribute, for everyone to benefit,” says Elyse. “All decisions and actions are impacted by that mindset. Whether it be training, mentoring, or day-to -day activities, it is the driver that puts everything into motion. And although the work remains the main activity, other decisions and actions are important so we live our values and support the communities we live in”.

Through its proprietary Brand Thruth Model, Pigeon builds brand value with every engagement. They help brands navigate a changing world with thoughtful insight, brilliantly creative and relentless execution. “At a time where trust is at an all-time low, truth has never been more important. As design and communication thinkers, truth is the lense that helps us build brands by finding a place for them in people’s changing lives. Truth is not only our rocket fuel, it’s the currency of positive collaboration. Our model helps us in our work for clients, and it also builds a strong culture within our organization”.

One of Pigeon Brands' best achievements is that their approach has helped them build or expand long-lasting relationships with their clients and employees. In an industry that has high turnaround, it is quite rare to see an average client tenure of 14 years. Working with renowned brands like Danone for 25 years or expanding a 7 years collaboration with IKEA into a broader scope are just examples of those great relationships. This is the same for their average employee tenure of 8 years. “Both are milestones that I am immensely proud of,” says Elyse.

For the road ahead, Pigeon Brands will continue their expansion here and abroad by keeping on their toes for what’s new, how the market is evolving and nurturing the strong partnerships they have created over the years and the new ones they are creating now. “We see the world as one big playground and it’s up to us to continue to showcase our expertise and business understanding to make brands come true,” adds Elyse. WL