David Bensadoun

Biography

David Bensadoun is Chief Executive Officer of the ALDO Group.  Most recently, he served as president of ALDO Group North America (AGNA) and ALDO Product Services (APS).  He holds an honours degree in geography and history from Queen’s University and a master's degree in economics from Cambridge University. Prior to joining the ALDO Group, he spent several years working in real estate development in the area of commercial leasing, working for such companies as Devencore and Intrawest. Over the course of David Bensadoun’s more than 20 years with the ALDO Group, he has overseen a cross-section of the company’s divisions. When he joined the team in 1995, David Bensadoun worked as a project manager in the sales and operations division, implementing the store opening system, a method still in use to this day. In 1997, in his role as director of corporate planning, he led the creation of the merchandise planning department. Then as the head of the IT department in 1999, David implemented RETEK. In 2001, he took on the role of general manager for the ALDO Group’s SPRING banner. In 2009, by then group vice-president for ALDO, and having already overseen major growth in the U.S. and the U.K., David Bensadoun added the rest of the ALDO Group retail divisions to his portfolio. In 2012, he was named president of ALDO Global Retail (AGR) and ALDO Product Services (APS) and added real estate and e-commerce to his responsibilities. APS, the ALDO Group’s foray into wholesale, private label and licensing, became a $100 million company in a matter of 18 months. David Bensadoun’s love for retail focuses on two areas: recruiting to find the best people and optimizing ALDO’s day-to-day processes to improve the business. His philosophy is simple: “Create a great process, then assign the best people you can find, and then leave them alone to get the job done.” Never one to micro-manage, he believes that his team needs autonomy and empowerment to be motivated for success. When asked what makes a great leader, David Bensadoun cites the trust and support of his world-class team. As well, he points to principles his father imparted: the importance of treating everyone with respect, possessing a passion for the product, and truly enjoying what you do. David Bensadoun is an avid motorcyclist and racing enthusiast. He received a bronze medal at the World Enduro Championship in 2003, placed 5th in the Canadian Touring Car Championship in 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively, and has ridden his motorcycle literally all around the world – from London to Capetown, from Caracas to Tierra del Fuego; in Madagascar, Italy, Greece and Turkey. He also achieved a life-long dream of completing the Dakar Rally - a grueling 14-day race from Argentina to Peru - becoming the first Canadian driver ever to do so in a car. Through his participation in that same race, David helped raise over $200,000 for AIDS research, a cause that the ALDO Group has long supported. Most recently, he took part in the Silk Way Rally, racing across 10,734km from Moscow to Beijing with Aldo Racing. Being the only team to represent Canada, the team finished in an impressive 12th place for their first time entering the competition. David Bensadoun is committed to a variety of causes including support for hospitals, youth programs and scientific research.

Research Interest

Business