Casacom turns 25!

Twenty-five years ago today, I founded Casacom.

What I wanted to build didn't exist yet. A firm that puts humanity and excellence on equal footing, and offers every communications and public relations service under one roof. Over the past 25 years, we've built this firm one decision, one encounter, one challenge at a time.
I thought I'd share 25 moments that have shaped our story so far.

1. On September 11, 2001, I walk into our shared offices at the magnificent Montreal World Trade Centre, thrilled by the entrepreneurial adventure beginning. Then, in disbelief, I watch planes fly into the Twin Towers in New York. I rush home to my one-year-old son. That day, despite my newfound grip on my own life, I surrender to something greater than myself.

2. To choose is to give something up. From our earliest days, well-meaning people offer us partisan political mandates. I decide Casacom will accept none, for several reasons. That decision will strengthen our independence and make every decision after it easier.

3. A friend invites me to get involved with Garde-Manger pour tous, an essential nonprofit that delivers over 3,000 hot meals to Montreal students every day. Twenty-five years later, Casacom still stands by them, and they remain one of our team's favorite clients.

4. At our first Christmas, there are four of us. We decide to close the office for the holidays. The tradition still holds today. Recharging is part of a successful professional life.

5. We begin working with Aluminerie Alouette, this wonderful, large company based in Sept-Îles, today our longest-standing client. A relationship of trust that has endured through the years. Thank you, Claude Gosselin and Marie-Claude Guimond!

6. In 2005, Casacom joins Worldcom PR Group, the largest global network of independent public relations and integrated communications firms. Since then, we've shared our expertise, broadened our horizons, and built friendships around the world.

7. In 2006, we move into 407 rue McGill, on the top floor of the building housing Holder restaurant, in Old Montreal. We've expanded the space while keeping room to grow even more. A flagship home built with big ambitions in mind.

8. In 2009, we launch the Casacadémie, our training school — first internally, then externally. Over the years, we keep expanding our training offerings for leaders and their teams. Whole-person leadership, advisory skills, feedback, crisis-management simulations, courageous communications, and AI implementation are now all part of an ever-growing curriculum. Our clients love it as much as our trainers do.

9. In 2010, Gerry J. Doutre, then CEO of Aliments Ultima, calls me. He entrusts us with an ultra-confidential project: creating and launching the iögo brand. Eighteen months of hard work follow, led alongside our client-partner Diane Jubinville, together with my partner-in-crime Annick Bélanger. A dream mandate, with all the hard work and stretching that dreams demand.

10. In 2011, Casacom opens its doors in Toronto. We're marking 15 years in the Queen City. That many years spent building bridges between Canada's two largest markets.

11. They say businesses hit a crisis every seven years. Ours came in year thirteen, in 2014. A cash-flow crisis leaves us reeling for more than 12 months. We learn to stand our ground differently. We come out of it stronger and clearer-eyed.

12. After years of relying on outside partners for our productions, we launch Studio Casacom in 2017. Ads, podcasts, videos, brand identity, digital content: a growing body of remarkable work has followed ever since.

13. That same year, I create Brave, to celebrate the courage that keeps us moving forward despite our fears — the very courage that let me launch Casacom in the first place. The podcast gives voice to stories of grit and invites people to live their best lives.

14. Recognizing the impact mindfulness has had on my own life, I decide to offer training on the subject to my team: meditation, visualization, breathing exercises, and more. This practice is still with us today.

15. In 2018, Jean-Michel Nahas becomes the first employee to buy shares in the company. A solid succession plan takes shape. After 10 years with our firm, he is now our president.

16. When COVID-19 hits, Casacom runs free weekly Casacadémie webinars for our communities across Quebec and the rest of Canada. After 12 weeks of this marathon, the Chambre de commerce du Montréal métropolitain invites us to speak to its members about communications during a pandemic.

17. In 2020, we adopt the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to support sustainable growth. More clarity, more discipline, and a better rhythm to move forward together and stay ahead of setbacks.

18. In 2021, we launch a strategic sustainability consulting service to help our clients improve their practices and their relationships with stakeholders.

19. In 2022, we earn our first B Corp certification with a score of 98.1. We renew it in 2025 with 115.4 points — solid progress that pushes us to aim even higher.

20. In 2022, succession planning expands further. Three more employees — Mylène Demers, Catherine Chantal-Boivin, and Mathilde Saint-Vincent — become shareholders, while Jean-Michel increases his stake. Casacom increasingly belongs to its next generation.

21. The following year, we establish a pied-à-terre in Vancouver. We now serve clients in education, natural resources, and the French-speaking community in Western Canada. And this is only the beginning.

22. In 2024, we transform our brand identity and find even stronger words to carry our mission: Making history. Together. A promise that drives us, for our clients and our employees alike.

23. In recent years, by bringing in expert talent, we've achieved the hat trick of government relations, offering strategic connections at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels — an offering that delivers even stronger results for our clients.

24. In 2025, after supporting so many clients in the National Capital Region, we finally plant our flag in Quebec City.

25. I've just named 24 major moments, but there are thousands more. In fact, one for every time my gaze met that of someone who gave us their time, their talent, their ideas, their energy, and their trust. Employees, clients, partners, and friends — every single one has left their mark. This story carries hundreds of signatures. My gratitude is immense.