Episode 3: How Cirque du Soleil survived a $1B revenue loss

Stéphane Lefebvre, CPA, and president and CEO of Cirque du Soleil, recounts going from an annual revenue of over $1 billion down to zero within a week, and what his team did to recover.

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On this episode, we speak with Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group’s president and CEO Stéphane Lefebvre about his experience facing what seemed to be the worst-case scenario for the entertainment giant. In March 2020, Cirque du Soleil had six shows in Las Vegas with another 10 shows touring around the world. Then suddenly, within just six days, their revenue plummeted from over a billion dollars per year to zero.

In his previous role as CFO, Stéphane helped identify new sources of funding for the company, and now, as CEO, he is leading the company's renewal efforts. Lefebvre recounts how he and his team were able to navigate this period of extreme uncertainty. Not only did his team need to manage to keep the company afloat, they also had to contend with the challenge of getting hundreds of performers and employees, located all around the world, back to their respective homes safely.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect those of CPA Canada

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