France Fournier’s life path has swerved as much as it has surprised. But it’s thanks to those swerves—and her long-time commitment to the community— she was recently appointed president and CEO of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce (OCC).
A Montreal native, Fournier was living in Calgary when her husband was called to another job in Oakville in 1995. Although Fournier was initially adamant about going back west, she and her husband have been Oakville residents ever since.
“I love this community. Oakville is a fabulous place to live. I don’t see myself living anywhere else,” Fournier says. “When I say we live in an engaged community, all you need to do is look around, and you’ll see it everywhere.”
When she moved to Oakville, Fournier worked as a CIBC account manager at the Lakeshore Rd. and George St. branch. She stayed at this location until 2000 when she decided to stay home after the birth of her second daughter. Still, Fournier was eager to engage with the community around her, seeking out roles at organizations like the Oakville Parent-Child Centre and the United Way.
In addition to her community work, Fournier enrolled in culinary school at George Brown College. It was this achievement and passion for cooking that brought her to Oakville’s first Whole Foods Market in 2005, where she worked in the Marketing and Communications department, helping to create the store’s catering department. In her 13 years at Whole Foods, Fournier fondly remembers how immersed she became in the Oakville community, from working with local schools and children’s groups to opening the store to breastfeeding clinics and organizing community dinners with local organizations, like Arthouse Halton and the Oakville & Milton Humane Society.
During her time at Whole Foods, Fournier joined the OCC’s board of directors in 2011.
“The non-profit community is so supportive of each other,” Fournier says. “The Oakville Chamber of Commerce has fabulous members who share information and look out for each other. So many people come to mind who are such great business leaders and are so generous with their time and knowledge.”
In 2014, Fournier entered a vice chair role of the OCC, later moving up to executive vice president in 2016. Now that current president and CEO Drew Redden stepped down to return to his home province of Nova Scotia, Fournier was appointed to take over the 889-member OCC.
“I’m very honoured that the board has the confidence in me and in my vision to continue the work Drew and I have been doing to move the Chamber forward,” says Fournier.
Fournier and Redden have worked closely together in the last four years, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, Fournier says she’s ready to continue the progress Redden has made with the OCC and in the Oakville community.
“As we move out, we need to understand the needs of the business community. It’s going to be different from a few years ago. There’s no turning back the clock now,” Fournier says. “Our members who digitized their processes were able to move online. Businesses that have lagged behind had a bit more difficulty.”
Fournier’s role of president and CEO will officially begin on Jan 1, 2022, but her leadership work in the OCC has long preceded her appointment. In addition to distributing more than 100,000 RAPID tests at the 193 Church St. Canada Post office this year, the OCC recently started distributing skids of Lysol wipes at the same location. The Love Local campaign is another way the OCC is appealing to Oakville residents and shop owners alike, encouraging people to reinvest in their community by supporting local businesses.
“Our Chamber is such a rewarding place to work, and I talk to the staff about this all the time, that we’re building community here,” Fournier says. “My biggest goal [as president] would be making the Chamber an inclusive, engaged member of the community so we can work at all levels and make Oakville the best place to live.”