As 2025 comes to a close, it feels like a good moment to pause and reflect, not only on the year behind us, but also on why we created xNorth in the first place.
Since day one, I have believed in one simple thing: executive interim management can help build stronger and more resilient companies in Canada. Not through big promises or long speeches, but through execution, in real situations.
This year clearly reinforced that belief.
A Demanding Context for Canadian Organizations
2025 was not an easy year for many companies. Economic growth in Canada remained modest, around 1–1.5%, financing conditions stayed tight, and leadership teams across industries had very little room for error.
Whether in industrial and manufacturing environments, services, technology, healthcare, consumer goods, or private equity-backed businesses, the challenges were different, but the pressure was the same: move faster, execute better, and reduce risk.
In that context, one thing became very clear to me: companies didn’t need more theory. They needed experienced leaders who could step in and execute.
Why xNorth Exists
Our mission is to help our clients accelerate transformation by bringing in seasoned executives who know how to operate in complex situations. These are leaders with many years of experience in senior roles: CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CHROs, and functional leaders, who have already led organizations through growth, transformation, and sometimes crisis.
Many of these executives are no longer looking for traditional full-time corporate roles. They are not stepping away from leadership. They are choosing a different way to practice it, with more focus on impact, accountability, and execution, and less on hierarchy or politics.
Interim leadership creates that alignment, both for executives and for companies.
Our mission at xNorth
From the start, xNorth was built with a very clear mission: help companies accelerate transformation by giving them access to experienced leaders exactly when they need them.
Canada has many great companies and a lot of leadership talent. But too often, during periods of change, execution becomes the real challenge. Interim leadership is a very effective way to address that, by bringing in executives who have already done it and who are ready to take ownership, not just give advice.
I also want to say how grateful I am to the interim executives who choose to work alongside xNorth. Their commitment, experience, and mindset are what make this model work, mission after mission.
I strongly believe this approach can help Canadian companies become stronger, more resilient, and better prepared to navigate uncertainty.
Building Awareness in Canada
In Canada, interim leadership is still not always well understood. In some parts of Europe, this model has existed for many years. In North America, and especially in Canada, it is still developing.
At xNorth, we chose to grow by showing value through real mandates and concrete results. What became very clear in 2025 is that once companies experience interim leadership in the right way, their perception changes. It is no longer seen as a fallback or a temporary fix, but as a real leadership solution, focused on execution.
Our Team and Our Collective
2025 was also an important year for structuring xNorth.
Beyond client mandates, we continued to strengthen the ecosystem around the firm: a trusted advisory board, long-term partnerships, and a growing collective of experienced operators.
This ecosystem brings different perspectives, from governance and strategy to operations, finance, and transformation, and helps make sure our work stays very grounded in real business realities.
At the same time, we expanded our collective of interim leaders: executives with strong operating experience, a delivery mindset, and the ability to step into complex situations with clarity and accountability.
This collective approach allows xNorth to move quickly, stay close to execution, and deliver senior-level leadership when it is really needed.
What We Delivered in 2025
In 2025, xNorth supported organizations at critical moments, across different industries and ownership models.
Some needed to stabilize operations or regain control in uncertain situations. Others were navigating transformation or turnaround phases where decisions could not wait. We also supported private equity-backed companies that needed experienced leadership right after transactions, especially during the first 90 to 180 days post-close, when execution is key.
These situations were very different, but they all had one thing in common: the need for experienced leaders on the ground, with real accountability.
Local Execution, Global Experience
Together with Valtus Alliance, we are active across 28 countries and we support more than 1,000 interim executive mandates globally each year. Our clients benefit from strong local execution combined with deep international experience.
As more companies operate across markets while facing very local challenges, this balance becomes a real advantage.
Looking Ahead
As we move into 2026, the focus will remain on disciplined growth, transformation, and execution. The companies that succeed will be those that strengthen leadership at the right moments.
At xNorth, our commitment remains the same: help companies move faster, reduce execution risk, and build stronger leadership foundations.
Thank you to our clients, partners, advisory board members, and interim leaders for the trust throughout 2025.
The journey continues.
Wishing you all a restful end of year.
— Benoit Créneau
