LONGUEUIL, QC – Canadian-based Synergy Medical announces the appointment of internationally recognized business leader, project engineer, and product packaging expert, Stephane Banville, to the role of senior vice president and general manager.

Formerly vice president Americas of Sidel Canada Inc., a worldwide provider of packaging products for the food and beverage, home goods and personal care industries, Banville brings the better part of two decades of experience with him as he joins a company fresh from its recent merger with Parata Systems, a larger, more expansive technological force in providing automated solutions to the modern pharmacy, headquartered in the U.S.

“Given the scope of the company’s recent acquisition, the time was right to seek strategic perspectives from a decidedly new angle without preconceived notions,” explained Jean Boutin, founder and president of Synergy Medical. “Stephane’s ability to see the larger picture amidst the pressures of continuing and accelerating growth, while working to attract and retain our people, is going to be crucial as we work to reframe the organization for the future.”

Synergy Medical’s partnership with Parata Systems naturally means bigger and better things for both companies, but for his part, Banville is singularly focused on the “better” part of the equation as he readies plans for a re-energized, full-scale push into the Canadian market and beyond.

“For the last five years, the company has been growing at an average rate of about eight percent. We’d like to see that increase to around 20 percent per year,” Banville said. “So correspondingly, that will require new resources and systems on the infrastructure side, as well as a renewed commitment to making Synergy Medical an attractive place to work on the people side.”

Even though many of the changes will likely be substantial, Banville sees them more as a reflection of Parata’s influence rather than a reproduction. The distinction is an important one, he stressed, especially in regard to staying true to the entrepreneurial beginnings of the company.

“Synergy is a company created largely by the singular will, determination, and inventiveness of its founder, Jean Boutin, and as such, should continue to feature aspects of his mindset going forward. While we certainly have to become ‘leaner’ in areas where Parata can be a collaborative partner in conserving cost, we also have a responsibility to inspire ourselves with good practices as we always have.”

For now, while Synergy Medical may still be in the process of fine-tuning, the foundation of the enterprise will not change, nor will the senior leaders in place.

“We’re looking at consolidating offices and production under the same roof, finding ways to increase efficiencies, investing in new finance and production modules, expanding our manufacturing footprint, and so on,” Boutin said. “And yet, I’ve never been more confident in the company than I am today and in its new GM to take us where we need to go tomorrow.”

That’s high praise, but as Banville says, “Equal only to the height of the bar Jean set all those years ago.”