About us

Thrilled and driven to enable cutting-edge innovation to shine by providing it with the best environment required for its development, Veronique has been involved in the creation and management of four biotechnology start-ups launched by AmorChem, an early-stage venture capital fund based in Montreal. Trained in microbiology, virology and immunology, she enjoys managing teams, developing new partnerships, negotiating, and closing deals. Passionate and rigorous, Veronique is an executive board member of BIOQuébec, the largest biotechnology and life sciences network in Quebec. Mme Bougie is supporting Aplantex as its Strategic Development Advisor.

Lauren Rathmell, a biochemistry graduate of McGill University, co-founded Lufa Farms with the vision of building a better food system by growing food where people live and growing it more sustainably. It started with the world’s first commercial rooftop greenhouse in 2011, and it has since grown to encompass more than 500,000 sq ft of growing space and hundreds of local producers who supply an online farmers’ market, distributing directly to customers throughout Quebec. Since its inception, Lauren has been responsible for greenhouse operations, R&D, and the development of sustainable farming practices, as well as directing communications efforts and guiding strategic vision, team management and mentorship, and recruiting plans as she helped Lufa Farms scale substantially into the Montreal provider it is today. Today, Lauren remains an active advisor and board member with the company. At Aplantex, she will put her rich and highly relevant experience as adviser – efficient and sustainable biomass growth.

Stéphane holds a Bachelor's degree in Marketing from Université Laval and has completed the International General Management program at the Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD). He has over 20 years of experience in product development and marketing in the highly competitive beauty industry. Following his first steps in the marketing group of Procter & Gamble, a leading multinational consumer packaged goods company, Stéphane joined L'Oréal, where he successively held the positions of Marketing Director and General Manager for the L'Oréal Paris brand in Canada. From 2013 to 2019, he successively held the position of Chief Marketing Officer for Canada and Western Europe. For the past 5 years, he has held his current role as President of the Consumer Products Division for Canada. Stéphane is renowned for his passion for innovation and technology. An expert in brand creation and integrated strategic planning, he acts as strategic market development advisor for Aplantex.

After several years as a lawyer specializing in business law, commercial litigation, and intellectual property with one of the largest firms in the Quebec market, Anthony founded Hub6 in 2017, a multidisciplinary team of professionals including accountants, lawyers, tax specialists, and human resources specialists, to offer an alternative to traditional firms with an approach based on proximity and the use of technology to support innovative SMEs in Quebec's emerging industries. Mr. Quevillon brings these areas of expertise to Aplantex in his role as advisor for all its activities and also acts as Aplantex's legal director.

Expert in product development and international commercialization – Business valuation advisor

With a degree in industrial and product design, Louis-Martin has close to 20 years of experience in product development and international marketing. Following his first steps in a renowned team of industrial designers, he founded his own design company and from one success to the next has mastered all facets of creation and marketing of products in America, Europe and Asia. KnapperMD is the leader in marketing state-of-the-art equipment for the sport of Ball hockey. Recognized as a born entrepreneur, he acts as a business valuation advisor for Aplantex.

Polytechnique Montréal graduate Patrick Beck has over 25 years of experience managing multidisciplinary groups in the field of technical services across Canada, in the US and in Europe. Recognized for his operational rigour and his ability to collaborate and build trusting relationships with both employees and clients, he has trained and guided experienced teams throughout his career to create profitable and lasting growth. More recently, he has been managing the complete integration process for a strategic acquisition within SGS, where he also chairs the Board of Directors. Patrick serves as management advisor for Aplantex.

Based in Gowling WLG's Montréal office, George Elvira is a partner and registered patent agent in Canada and the United States. With close to two decades of experience in the intellectual property field, George helps innovative organizations in Canada and abroad customize, develop and implement intellectual property management programs and strategies that align with their business and strategic objectives – resulting in tangible and measurable business value for senior management. His combination of intellectual property advisory work and extensive scientific knowledge enables him to effectively advise clients in building and leveraging intellectual property assets such as patents, trade-secrets and trademarks, as well as in several key global sectors, including biotechnology, clean technology, cannabis, pharmaceuticals, animal health and advanced materials. He serves as intellectual property advisor for Aplantex.

A graduate in engineering and a fintech analyst, Georges co-founded and was responsible for operations and finance at Radish, a company operating in the digital food industry. Since 2023, Georges has been using his talent, insight, and expertise to identify and support promising Quebec companies at Investissement Québec. Conducting numerous due diligence assessments annually and supporting portfolio entrepreneurs in their growth, he has extensive experience in business support. Georges Kattar serves as an institutional financing advisor for Aplantex.

Co-founder and CEO of RISE Kombucha for over 10 years, Julian is well aware of the many challenges faced by any startup – especially in industries where innovation disrupts the status quo. He then founded Hearth of Impact, a company specializing in coaching entrepreneurs who want to adopt next-level leadership. Together with Esplanade Québec, an accelerator dedicated to companies with social and environmental impact, he has helped the leaders of over 100 companies successfully navigate their many challenges. Julian Giacomelli serves as human capital development advisor for Aplantex.

Shawn Batten is an accomplished entrepreneur with over 25 years of leadership experience across the construction, software, and biotechnology sectors. As Founder and President of Groupe SIP for 25 years, he led a team delivering construction projects in highly regulated industries, including data centers, pharmaceutical facilities, and food processing plants. The company specialized in electrical systems, automation, instrumentation, and industrial control systems for complex, mission-critical projects. Since 2016, he has been Founder and President of Controlperfect, a recognized Quebec-based company developing an integrated software platform for the structured management of security, inspection, and operational control activities. The solution is deployed across industrial, real estate, pharmaceutical, food, banking, military, public security, academic, and healthcare environments. Shawn serves as Chairman of the Board and Founding Shareholder of Aplantex and also acts as Project Manager for special projects of a strategic and innovation-focused nature.

An expert in financial, strategic, and governance management, Frédérick has a significant track record of growing many innovation-focused companies in a variety of industries. Leveraging his operational skills acquired as COO for Les Aliments Europe’s Best and his financial expertise while working, among others, as Director, Investment Banking, at CIBC World Markets, Frédérick joined Novacap as senior partner and contributed to the remarkable growth of the portfolio companies over his 14 years tenure. Frédérick Perrault serves as Executive Chairman of the Board and Shareholder at Probiotech International Inc. As a strategic advisor, investor, and Board member he will help Aplantex reach its full potential.

A professional actuary and member of the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, now retired, Michel Méthot held positions at Alcan Aluminium for over thirty years, first as an actuary for Canadian pension plans and then as Chief Actuary for all of Alcan's pension funds, mainly in Canada, the United States, England, and Switzerland, as well as Vice President of Pensions. In this capacity, he was also part of the company's mergers and acquisitions team. Michel began his career at a large Canadian insurance company and later at a Quebec-based actuarial consulting firm.

Consultant in organizational leadership, strategic planning and optimization of the manufacturing process.

Entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in the field of consumer goods, Philippe’s main accomplishment is the transformation of the family business, Trudeau Corporation, from a local distributor to an internationally recognized leader in kitchen accessories. He was instrumental in the creation of the Trudeau trademark and the creation of sub-brands to meet various market segments. Most recently, he orchestrated a major upgrade of the Adrien Gagnon brand, a leader in the natural supplements industry, rejuvenating its brand image while propelling it to new markets nationally and internationally. His areas of expertise are particularly focused on business development, operations, and product development. President and head of operations at TCED, Philippe sits on various boards of directors, is a coach for start-ups and is a regular guest speaker at various MBA classes at universities in Quebec. He acts as a strategic market development advisor for Aplantex.

A researcher in pharmaceutical development turned entrepreneur with more than twenty years of experience in drug development, François was trained in physical chemistry at McGill University and has expertise in drug development, from discovery to phase II. He also contributed significantly to an approved NDA, gaining valuable insight into regulators' expectations. François has worked on a variety of pharmaceutical products, from small molecules to peptides, and has participated in the preparation and execution of clinical trials while operating in virtual environments of pharmaceutical companies. At Inversago, he led three rounds of funding totaling more than US$110 million in less than 4 years. With an experienced management team and an extensive network of experts, Inversago quickly brought its first CB1 peripheral blockers to the clinic. Clinical proof of concept studies are ongoing following the recent acquisition of the company by the multinational Novo Nordisk for a value of up to $1,075 B. He acts as strategic advisor - US financial markets and pharmaceutical industry. He recently joined the senior management of Innospera Pharma, a biotechnology company developing GPCR modulators targeting Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and other inflammatory and metabolic conditions. At Aplantex, he serves as a strategic advisor - US financial markets and pharmaceutical industry.