Over the last decade, Rodeo FX has established a strong position in the visual effects industry, garnering accolades like Emmy, VES and Academy Awards and Montreal’s Top Employer plus an increasing number of gargantuan contracts on shows like Stranger Things and HBO’s Lovecraft Country. “We’ve been really focused on giving our artists high-end projects, top tools, and the freedom and environments necessary for strong culture and creativity to flourish,” says CEO and founder Sebastien Moreau. “And as we’ve expanded, I’ve recognized that I need someone with experience in strengthening operations and solidifying culture...this will give me more time to plan for and strategize on our ambitious goals.”
Enter David Marotte, a graduate of Université de Sherbrooke and the elite coaching program at the École d'Entrepreneurship de Beauce. In 2002, he co-founded an IT company which eventually grew to open offices worldwide. Last year, he decided to sell his share of his company and take his family on a road trip across Canada: “Having an expanded view of the world was important for my life in general. I wanted my kids to understand there was more to life and to our country than what immediately surrounded them,” Marotte explains about the bold move.
Marotte will oversee support operations in collaboration with management and executives, ensuring departments are scalable and aligned with the business strategy. “We needed more support on day-to-day operations and culture and David will really ensure that everything we do keeps us all working towards our ambitions,” says Moreau.
“When I got a copy of Rodeo’s 2019 yearbook, I was blown away by what this one creative company makes in a year—the level of artists here, the complexity, the scope—I saw all the ingredients for an amazing and sustainable culture.” A large part of Marotte’s mandate will be to oversee culture and human resources and help to deploy the strategic planning process and execution.
Right now, the company’s ambition is to stay at pace with the constant reinvention of entertainment and advertising with visual effects at the core—Rodeo FX has all the skill sets to make imaginary worlds from animation to virtual production, and from idea to reality. “We’re getting prepared for the future demands of filmmaking and plan to meet them at the level required,” says Moreau. “We’re always aiming to stay connected to our values, especially the notion of caring, while keeping pace in an industry that’s exploding.”