Alain Champagne’s people-first leadership: 250 visits that change everything!
With over 250 residence visits to date, Alain Champagne hasn’t just been observing, he’s embodying a modern approach to leadership. At a time when performance metrics so often drive decision-making, his approach offers a compelling alternative – one built on listening, accessibility and trust. And it shows that sustainable business growth doesn’t have to come at the expense of human connection. In the end, perhaps true leadership is simply about being present, opening doors… and helping people shine!
Alain, since joining Le Groupe Maurice, you’ve been averaging close to 80 residence visits a year. Why so many?
That’s simply how I lead. I’ve always needed to be in the field, and since joining Le Groupe Maurice, that’s become even more important. What we create here are living environments – places people call home. If I’m not staying connected to employees, residents, to people in general, then I’m missing what truly matters.
Beyond being present, these visits are also a very practical way for me to stay in touch with the day-to-day reality of both our teams and our residents. As that reality continues to evolve, being on-site enables me to quickly identify concerns, opportunities and successes; but above all, to identify solutions and spark new ideas.
What’s behind that sustained pace?
When I first joined the company, I needed to be around people who could relate to what I had just gone through after the loss of my daughter Amélie… people with life experience, who had already been through a great deal themselves. Older individuals, in my view, have a remarkable ability to bring calm through their presence: their listening is exceptional, and the advice they offer is often exactly what I need to hear.
Over time, it also became a way for me to ground our customer promise in reality – to give back to residents what they so generously offer me every time I see them: meaningful, quality time. And that necessarily goes through the teams in our residences, who are responsible for putting everything in place to ensure residents’ well-being. I simply want to make sure they have everything they need to do that, and ultimately, to ensure residents are happy in their home.
Still, 80 visits a year is no small commitment! The residents must give you something meaningful for you to keep going back at that pace?
Without a doubt. Residents have an extraordinary clarity about life and what really matters. Their words, their expressions, their smiles… they’re genuine gems in my life. I have many stories that come to mind showing just how much they enrich my daily reality, and how deeply they stay with me over time.
I think, for example, of a woman I recently told was radiant. I asked her how she managed to smile so consistently every time I crossed her path. She simply said, “I let my smile be the window to my soul.” What do you even say to that? It says everything.
Why is it so important for you to be the one out in the field, rather than sending someone from your team?
Because two people can look at the exact same situation and walk away with completely different takes on it. I need to see things with my own eyes – it helps me make better calls. This is really part of a broader management approach I believe in: servant leadership. It’s a philosophy where leaders see their role as being there for their teams, not the other way around.
You have to understand that without the people working on the ground, there would be no Le Groupe Maurice. They’re the ones who make sure that words get turned into action; that follow-through actually happens. My visits are a way for me to really get a handle on their workload and what their real priorities are, so that the decisions we make up here actually make sense for what they’re dealing with day to day.
In the end, what we’re all aiming for is fostering genuine human connection within the residences. And for that to happen, the staff need to spend as much time as possible with residents, and as little time as possible buried under administrative busywork.
How would you describe your management style?
I see myself as a kind of gatekeeper – someone who tries to open doors and keep things moving smoothly between departments. But there’s another image that probably captures it even better: I’m the one with my hand on the dimmer switch, making sure everyone has the right conditions to shine at their full potential.
I often say that I’m rarely the smartest person in the room. Instead, I focus on making sure the room itself is as brilliant as it can be. That said, I do reserve the right to adjust the lighting and change the light bulbs if and when needed! Come to think of it, I’m probably more of a lighting designer than a gatekeeper, really. (laughs)
Le Groupe Maurice often says that it puts people at the heart of its decisions. Isn’t that a bit easy to claim in 2026 – just saying you’re a “human” company? What business would claim the opposite?
That’s a fair point. Most companies say they put people first, but in practice, that’s not always what happens. In some organizations, decisions are driven purely by quarterly results, with no real regard for what employees or clients actually need. I find that deeply concerning, because it tends to reward short-term thinking at the expense of a longer-term view.
Our management philosophy at Le Groupe Maurice is a clear break from that model. Our values aren’t just words we stick on posters; we genuinely make decisions based on what’s right for both our employees and our residents. And if we get that part right, the financial results will naturally follow.
But how do you balance ambition with compassion? Because at the end of the day, you do need profitability to keep the business going, right?
Absolutely, it’s a tightrope we have to walk. You have to be ambitious and push the organization forward, but always with people as your North Star. The two aren’t mutually exclusive; in fact, they reinforce each other.
We’re currently in the middle of some major organizational transformation projects that really illustrate this balance. These are big, complex undertakings that demand a lot of agility and hard work from our teams. And honestly, they’ve shown incredible resilience, commitment and professionalism throughout this pivotal period. I couldn’t be more grateful to them for that.
And in return, we never take our people for granted. We make it a point to regularly revisit priorities based on workload and what the teams can actually handle. Even during busier periods, we aim to keep work-life balance front and centre; and that’s a direct reflection of the corporate culture we stand for. We don’t just claim to be a people-first company. We aim to demonstrate it through our actions, not just our words.
That’s also one of the main reasons I visit our residences so often – to take the pulse of the organization, to assess the “human health” of the business and to make sure that balance is being maintained.
In one sentence, Alain, what’s your mission as president of Le Groupe Maurice?
To build bonds of trust across every part of the organization – residents, staff, managers, shareholders – and to make sure every decision we make actually lines up with the values we stand for.
And it shows, crystal clear! You can tell right away that this company genuinely practices what it preaches, with someone like you leading the way! Because make no mistake, you shine just as brightly. Thank you Alain, for such an enlightening exchange – and more than that, for one that was so wonderfully human!