The French specialist in canned and frozen vegetables Bonduelle announced this Saturday the death of its former boss figure in the economic world of the North, Bruno Bonduelle, at the age of 89 on Friday.
A member of the fifth generation since the creation of the family business, Bruno Bonduelle was CEO from 1985 to 1994, a mandate marked by the takeover of its competitor Cassegrain in 1989.
He then took over as head of the supervisory board before becoming a member of the board of directors.
“Bruno Bonduelle was a key player in the transformation of the group, which he supported in its expansion in France (…) and internationally by extending the activity to Spain, Portugal and Central Europe. “, underlined the company in a press release.
It "salutes the memory of a great captain of industry whose entrepreneurial spirit and audacity have enabled the economic and social development of many players in the Lille metropolis".
The mayor of Lille, Martine Aubry, hailed the memory of a man "of character, creative, who put his determination at the service of the Lille metropolis and the north".
Great sadness at the announcement of the disappearance of Bruno Bonduelle.
A man of character, creative, who put his determination at the service of the development of the Lille metropolis and the north.
pic.twitter.com/61l72nJ1ra
— Martine Aubry (@MartineAubry) September 16, 2022
Important player in the Lille metropolitan area
Apart from his managerial functions, Mr. Bonduelle had invested a lot in the promotion of the Lille region, notably being president of the Association for the international promotion of Lille Métropole (APIM).
He was also president of the employers' association Comité Grand Lille, promoters of Lille's candidacy for the 2004 Olympic Games and president of the Lille Métropole Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Bruno Bonduelle had also made a short foray into politics by appearing at the 1998 regional in Nord-Pas-de-Calais under the label Génération Écologie.