TORONTO — Alain Champagne has resigned as president of McKesson Canada to head sales training and development firm Optimé ­International.

Alain Champagne

As partner and chief executive officer, Champagne will lead Optimé’s strategic direction and management.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Alain to the Optimé team,” said chairman Hugues Gibeault. “He is a proven leader with an outstanding track record of achieving breakthrough results in highly competitive business environments within Fortune 100 companies.”

“Alain has been a valued client, a true champion for sales capability, and is one of the very best customer-driven business leaders I have had the opportunity to interact with,” added Gibeault. “To have him join Optimé is a testament to the momentum and results we have achieved with our clients and our outstanding ­colleagues.”

“I have been so impressed with the Optimé team and their ability to drive results with my sales teams over the past 18 years that I decided to join the company,” remarked Champagne. “I’m thrilled with the unique opportunity to bring my expertise to the company and the potential of contributing to our clients’ revenue ­acceleration.”

Champagne will operate out of Optimé’s Montreal and Toronto offices.

As president of McKesson Canada, Champagne was responsible for leading development and execution of the company’s overall strategy. He oversaw operations of three divisions: pharmaceutical distribution, retail banner management and technology solutions.