Rising Like a Phoenix from the Ashes with Stéphane Lefebvre, President & CEO of Cirque du Soleil

About Rising Like a Phoenix from the Ashes with Stéphane Lefebvre, President & CEO of Cirque du Soleil

“In less than one week, we went from forty-four productions worldwide and over $1 billion in annual sales to zero shows and no revenue”.

During the first stage of the lockdown in March 2020, Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil had to cancel all 44 shows worldwide, lay off almost 5000 employees - 95% of their workforce and were forced to file for bankruptcy protection which was one of the most complex bankruptcy filings in Canadian corporate history.

Tune in to this unique conversation as we embark on his personal journey as a key figure for Cirque du Soleil’s return with an exuberant revival, what it took to pull the ship out of such turbulent waves, as well as learn what his drivers and values are in becoming a true leader.

Themes explored:

• How did an art aficionado with finance background reached the top at Cirque du Soleil?
• A day in the CEO's life of a world renowned theatrical producer in the history of entertainment industry
• Artistic opinion vs. Artistic expertise in business decisions
• Stephane's leadership philosophy and style - how it was formed?
• The brand name on his personal identity 
• Asking the golden question - how can I help you do your job better?
• The audacity and being a catalyst in building connections with Cirque du Soleil
• The future of the brand - what is Stephane's personal goals and objectives?
• Stephane's role and ability in the revival of business
• Importance and value of succession plan
• Emotional intelligence while navigating a business crisis
• The impact of a leaner manager structure on company culture
• The aftermath in managing expectations of new owners, board of directors and employees
• How does Cirque du Soleil look like today and the growth momentum now?
• What would be Cirque du Soleil's next 'blue ocean strategy'?