Our Leaders

Frédéric Guichard joined Danone over 25 years ago and currently serves as General Manager for Danone Canada.

Throughout his career at Danone, Frédéric has held several leadership positions internationally of increasing responsibility including his most recent role as General Manager for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), where he led the regional and cross-category business unit (Dairy, Plant-Based and Specialized Nutrition) since 2021. During his tenure, he accelerated sales growth and profitability while also leading the teams towards important milestones on Danone’s Sustainability roadmap (Danone Impact Journey) and achieving its first B Corp certification in 2023 with a high score. 

Prior to this role, Frédéric served as General Manager for Evian Volvic International where he developed our brands and business across more than 100 countries, especially in Asia and the Middle East. He then served as General Manager in Poland for four years, driving Danone Waters teams to sustainable profitable growth and market share turnaround, before leading a major transformation project across CEE. Earlier in his career, Frédéric held various marketing roles in the Dairy business unit, until he moved to the French waters division of Danone in 2009 as Vice President of Marketing. Before joining Danone in France in 1999, Frédéric began his career in marketing for Pernod-Ricard in Canada.

Frédéric holds an engineering degree from the Arts et Métiers engineering school in Paris as well as a master’s degree in marketing & communication from ESCP Business School. Frédéric currently resides in Montreal.

Angie Balian is a talented executive with over 20 years of experience in marketing, portfolio strategy, brand management, innovation, product development, commercial strategy and sales, having worked among some of Canada’s largest CPG companies. She currently serves as the Senior Vice President, Marketing, e-commerce & digial at Danone Canada, leading the development of its food and beverage categories which include industry-leading brands such as Activia, Oikos, Danone, Silk, International Delight, evian and SToK. 

Prior to joining Danone in 2025, Angie served as the Chief Brands Officer at United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI), where she managed the company's owned brands portfolio and business for the US market. 

Angie also previously served as Vice President and General Manager at Weston Foods in Toronto. In addition, she spent 16 years at Coca-Cola Canada, where she held several key leadership roles, including Vice President of Commercial and Franchise Leadership, as well as Vice President of Marketing for the Still Beverages categories, overseeing Hydration, Ready-to-Drink Teas, and Emerging Brands. Angie’s career began at Kraft Foods, where she worked in brand management, laying the foundation for her expertise in sales, marketing, and team building. Passionate about leading iconic brands, Angie excels at driving holistic consumer and commercial strategies while fostering the development of her team through capability-building and empowerment. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and Management from the Schulich School of Business at York University. 

Daniel Crane is a seasoned operations executive with over 25 years of expertise in the food and beverage industry. His career has been dedicated to driving sustainable growth, enhancing profitability, and fostering team engagement. Daniel joined Danone in 2004 and currently leads Planning, Logistics, Customer Service, Manufacturing, Procurement, Quality, and Projects. 

Daniel has a proven track record in developing new enterprise capabilities, optimizing daily operations, and building high-performing teams. He takes pride in transforming two plants into top-performing factories under his leadership and successfully developing multiple business cases for large capital investment projects that have enhanced the company’s capabilities.

In 2024, Daniel joined the Dairy Processors Association of Canada Board of Directors. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Université de Sherbrooke and an MBA from DePaul University Kellstadt Graduate School of Business in Chicago.

Natalie Holloway is an accomplished leader in the CPG industry and has held progressive leadership roles at Danone since 2002. Her collaborative spirit and exceptional ability to drive transformation and growth within the organization has been instrumental in navigating market shifts, consumer trends, commercial opportunities, and strategic insights. As a staunch advocate for financial management and business development, Natalie has consistently delivered sustainable financial results and spearheaded initiatives that fuel business expansion and operational excellence. Natalie’s leadership is not just about meeting targets; it’s about setting a course for the future, inspiring her teams to reach new heights, and nurturing the next generation of leaders within Danone. Her impact is evident not only in the company’s success but also in the professional growth of her colleagues, who have flourished under her mentorship and guidance. Natalie holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta.

Marc Lavoie is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a seasoned executive with over 15 years of progressive and broad-based finance experience in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia at tier 1 consumer companies such as Johnson & Johnson and L’Oréal. In 2015, Marc joined Danone, where he served as the Senior Director of Finance – Sales & Marketing until 2019. Following that, he held the position of VP Finance at Vega from 2019 to 2022, before returning to Danone as the current VP Finance.

Marc is passionate about team development and is committed to enabling profitable and sustainable growth through organic and strategic levers. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from Université de Sherbrooke and an MBA from Université du Québec à Montréal.

Mélanie Lebel is an established HR professional with over 20 years of experience in strategic human resources management across pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, and consumer products companies. Her passion lies in creating dynamic workplaces that foster employee growth and organizational success. Currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Danone since January 2022, she has been instrumental in shaping the HR landscape at Danone Canada. 

Prior to her current role, Mélanie was the Vice President of Human Resources for Danone in Canada, a position she held from November 2016 to January 2022. She is a member of the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréées (CRHA), holds a certification in the KonFerry Assessment of Leadership Potential, and is a graduate of McGill University in psychology and human resources.

Iannick Melançon is a highly accomplished executive with over two decades of experience in the Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) industry, including SC Johonson and PepsiCo Canada.

During his 14-year tenure at Danone, Iannick has held a variety of pivotal sales leadership positions. Notably, he spent 10 years in Europe, where he played a crucial role in leading Danone’s global customer strategy and commercial leadership sections in the United Kingdom. Additionally, he made significant contributions to the waters division in Spain, demonstrating his versatility and expertise across different markets and product categories.

Iannick’s expertise has been instrumental in enhancing Danone Canada’s field sales operations, strategic planning, and account leadership. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Marketing from HEC Montréal.

Dr. Pierre Morin is an accomplished R&D and innovation leader with a strong technical background in Food Science and Technology. His professional journey began as a post-doctoral researcher at Agriculture Canada. In 2007, he joined Agropur Cooperative where he spent 12 years on various capacities including Senior Director of Innovation & Product Development. 

In 2019, he joined Danone Canada as Vice President of Research & Innovation, where he is responsible for R&D strategy and execution for the Canadian Business Unit. In addition to his professional roles, Dr. Morin has been an active member of various committees and boards, including the Consulting Committee of Quebec Innovation Zone on Agrifood Quality and Sustainability, Novalait Project Steering Committees as well as the Dairy Technology Foundation of Quebec. Pierre completed his PhD in Food Science and Technology at Laval University, Quebec, Canada, in 2006.  

Isabelle Rayle-Doiron is Senior Vice President, General Secretary & General Counsel at Danone Canada, with over 25 years of international experience in the areas of legal and corporate affairs. Isabelle began her career at Philips Electronics, working in the international legal department in Paris and New York, and later joined Hydro-Québec to lead various legal teams in the Montreal headquarters. She was responsible for legal issues relating to the generation and construction activities, including environmental and aboriginal law matters. 

In 2013, Isabelle joined Danone, where she leads the team in charge of Communications, Legal & Regulatory affairs, Governmental Affairs and Sustainability. Isabelle holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from the University of Ottawa (1992) and a Master’s Degree in European Law from Université Aix-Marseille (1994). She is a member of both the Quebec and New York Bars. Additionally, Isabelle sits on the board of Breakfast Club of Canada and chairs its HR committee.