We had to streamline the company and all of that. We were trying a lot of crazy ideas, and they seemed to be working.Īnd then after those golden years, then came 2008 and it was more difficult for us, like everybody else. So I would call my first 10 to 12 years our golden age. Because that was the time where the brand was totally ready to explode internationally. In the years leading up to the acquisition, what was going on? What led to the decision?įirst of all, I joined the company at a perfect time. Every time we have a new employee it takes time for someone to understand our business model. So you have to learn the Cirque business model. I cannot compare our business to Live Nation or anybody else. He said ‘Daniel, this is more complicated than that.’ And what makes it complicated even today is that there’s no benchmark. It’s funny because I joined the company and I said ‘Guy, I’m a quick learner, give me a couple of months and I’ll figure it out.’ And he was laughing at me. What was different here when you first arrived? The excerpt below, from our recent interview with Lamarre, has been edited.įortune: You had run a variety of businesses before. As Fortune found out, it’s a story worth telling. (Laliberté, who had majority ownership before the acquisition, retains a 10% stake in the company and has moved on to other projects.) That puts the CEO, who now answers to a board of directors mostly made up of its new owners, in a unique position to tell Cirque’s story, past, present and future. Lamarre is one of a small handful of execs who have stayed with the company through this most recent twist. Since then, Cirque has expanded in new ways and brought in a new executive team.
A much bigger change came in 2015, when Laliberté sold the company to a trio of investors led by private equity firm TPG Capital. In 2001, Laliberté brought in Lamarre as head of “new ventures,” promoting him to CEO of the company a few years later, even as Laliberté remained the company’s creative spirit, not to mention financial owner.
That vision was set by one man: Guy Laliberté, Cirque’s co-founder and long-time leader. For most of its history, Cirque’s corporate strategy relied heavily on trying crazy new show concepts and investing in the occasional pet project (think unprofitable restaurants and nightclubs).
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