J. Robert Ouimet, MBA, PhD

Chairman and CEO of Holding OCB. Inc, Cordon Bleu International and  Ouimet-Tomasso which is the  most important  producer and marketer of Italian pasta frozen food products in  Canada. 

Dr. Ouimet holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor in Political and Social Sciences, MBA from Columbia University, and PhD in Economic and Social Sciences.   He has been on the Board of Directors of National Bank of Canada, Petro-Canada,  Zellers,  Société Générale de Financement, Corporate Foods,    Industrial Life Insurance Company,  Industrial Alliance Financière, and Grocery Products  Manufacturers of Canada.    

“As managers, we must carry in our hearts the colossal importance of what impact our management will have on our employees.” His unorthodox style spills over into the company’s headquarters. Expensive wall hangings are replaced with simple posters carrying messages like, “Be the Light,” “Kindness,” and the Serenity Prayer. Rather than whipping his managers into a production-oriented frenzy, morning meetings begin with a quiet prayer. 

Each factory is equipped with a non-denominational silent room. Ouimet describes the rooms as a lighthouse in the competitive world. “We do more than $110 million a year in a very competitive industry. We are continuing to increase productivity and efficiency. But at the same time, we try to bring to our workers some beautiful and profound values that often do not reach a workplace.“I challenge any leader to run an organization and to grow it over 20 or 30 years in well-being as well as productivity, without help from the spirituality of one’s choice. It will eat you up.”

Managers are instructed to go out anonymously twice a year and serve the poor in a community soup kitchen. They were to hold conferences with the workers and listen to their problems. A contest would be held every year with $1,500 going to the worker who best exemplified efficiency while reinforcing human dignity. 

And when a manager laid-off a worker, he had to meet with that person for lunch within the next year to see how he or she was doing. 

“Layoffs are inevitable. They are awful and they are tough if the manager has a heart. Sometimes we get discouraged, but if we are plugged into the one Creator, we can be better for it. We can have faith and hope in our hearts.” www.atlargemedia.com

Keynote: How Spirituality in Management Works to Reconcile the Growth of Human Well-Being with Productivity and Profits: 35 years of Experimentation: MISSION POSSIBLE!
Sunday, January 27
Ballroom 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm

The experimentation discussed in the keynote essentially aims at how researching and fine-tuning various non-traditional management activities, some of which are very innovative. The company’s personnel i s encourage to participate in these activities.  They foster, over time and for those who want to use them, a cluster of deeply human values, when used on a daily basis in the company’s work places. These values allow people to pursue the experimentation’s objectives.

Goal:
To experience some of the management activities and how they can transform the workplace.

Learning Objectives:
To explore how to implement the biennial strategic plan through the use of the following new management activities,

• authentic hand shakes,
• unusual meetings with laid off people,
• dinner of two couples before hiring,
• community meals,
• small group meetings between the president and personnel,
• the Prize of the Heart,
• wall posters,
• annual bonus sharing for everyone.
• the remarkable activity called, "The Gesture",
the Balance Score Card

Workshop: Real Life Practices and Activities in the Work Place: Transforming Management from a Heart of Stone to a Heart of Flesh.
Sunday, January 27
Ballroom 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Experimentation happening in Ouimet's companies essentially aims to research and fine-tune various non-traditional management activities, some of which are very innovative. The company’s personnel are encouraged to participate in these activities. Over time, they foster deep values in the company’s work places. These values allow people to pursue the experimentation’s objectives.

Goal: To experience some of the management activities and how they can transform the workplace.

Learning Objectives:
• Experiment with more than 20 activities in the work place that bring to personnel profound human and spiritual values.
• Descibe the main activities of the work place, their functions and the results they bring to the work place.
• Qualify and quantify these results.