Luis Garneau decries the toxic work environment at his company

Just before a press conference on Tuesday, focused on his latest art project, the businessman caused surprise by publicly claiming he was “the victim of a toxic senior manager” at his own company.

Luis Garneau, now a minority shareholder in the company, now on sick leave due to professional exhaustion, wanted to set the facts straight.

“I warned the board of directors, but I did not listen. I was beaten,” he said in an interview the sunOn the sidelines of a press conference.

In recent years, the arrival of a group of investors and a new management team to revive the company, which was on the brink of bankruptcy, has changed the working environment, mainly through the intimidation and harassment activities of a senior he maintains. A manager he doesn’t want to be named.

“Many employees have left or are on sick leave,” he said.

According to him, this is not an isolated case

He doesn’t believe his situation is an isolated case. According to him, toxic climates within organizations are still common, he notes. “I see them in different areas and it’s unthinkable that we can tolerate them in 2024.”

“We must condemn such behavior, and today, I am not afraid to do so. I have nothing left to lose. I am not going to remain silent.”

— Louis Carneau

Although he does not want to become a spokesperson for this reason, he says he will continue his legal efforts if necessary.

“I want my business back and I feel like we’re missing out.”

— Louis Carneau

Storage paint

In recent months, Louis Garneau has returned to painting and found peace, he says. He didn’t hide it, the process was difficult. He also had dark thoughts, he revealed the sun.

He challenged himself to paint a series of 100 portraits of the forgotten African-American cyclist Major Taylor, a former cycling champion.

The project, largely carried out during an intense 24-hour creative session on May 21, plunged the businessman back into an “artistic bubble” that allowed him to move forward in his personal and professional life. “He was a man who inspired me a lot. His strength. His resilience,” she explains.

More specifically, the project aims to raise funds for the production of a documentary on the life of this American cyclist. Louis Carneau hopes to raise a million dollars. The first painting, #1, had already been sold to a National Bank executive for US$10,000.

Following the planned opening in Boston on June 27, most of the paintings will be sold in the United States.

“This project sparked my thinking. I could have had a better publication without revealing anything about the toxic climate I was experiencing. But it wouldn’t have been authentic. It wouldn’t have been aligned with my values,” explains Louise Garneau.