ANCASTER, Ont. — Balzac’s Coffee Roasters has named hospitality industry veteran Ron Cecillon as the company’s first CEO.
“We underwent an extensive search and selection process and met with some amazing candidates,” says Diana Olsen, Balzac’s founder and president. “In the end, all parties unanimously agreed that along with his deep industry expertise, Ron best reflects our company’s values and culture.”
Cecillon boasts a hospitality career spanning 30 years serving as an executive team member for some of Canada’s most iconic brands. With a demonstrated history of success leading teams at Kelsey’s, Harvey’s and Swiss Chalet, Cecillon was recruited into the role of CEO at Nando’s Flame Grilled Chicken in 2011, where he made a significant impact on the transformation of the brand and its business model.
“The Balzac’s story is certainly one to be proud of when it comes to Canadian hospitality,” says Cecillon. “With its strong brand credibility, leading reputation, dedicated customer base and robust long-term success strategy, this is a unique and exciting opportunity. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join Diana Olsen and the team to lead the Balzac’s brand into its next stage of strategic growth and development.”
Olsen will assume the role of Chief Design Officer moving forward, focusing on driving Balzac’s café design into a new era.
As the company looks towards accelerating growth on all fronts, the appointment of Cecillon to CEO comes at an opportune time. “We feel so fortunate to be gaining a leader with Ron’s experience, talent and vision,” says Olsen. “I look forward to collaborating with Ron on the Balzac’s brand as we work towards building on the solid foundation and momentum achieved over the past 25 years.”
