Canada-based HVACR distributor The Master Group announced Oct. 1 that it has appointed Rémy Langelier President, effective immediately, with plans for him to succeed Louis St-Laurent as CEO in the first quarter of 2027.

St-Laurent will remain CEO through the transition, then serve in a mentoring role through December 2027 to support Langelier and the company’s executive team.

Langelier joined Master in January 2019 as CFO. His background includes more than 14 years at aerospace manufacturer Héroux-Devtek, where he rose to Vice President of Corporate Development, Mergers and Acquisitions, and earlier controller roles at Bombardier Transportation.

At Master, Langelier’s responsibilities have extended across technology, strategy and enterprise transformation. Most recently, he led the company’s enterprise transformation program.

“Rémy brings that depth and understanding, along with the experience, judgment and commitment to continue to lead Master forward,” St-Laurent said.

The succession plan follows a series of leadership changes earlier this year. In February, heavy equipment and industrial parts distributor Wajax named former Master Co-CEO George McClean its President and CEO, effective March 3. McClean had spent the previous four years as Master’s Co-CEO.

Master also appointed Keith Strachan President of Canadian Operations earlier this year. Strachan, who joined the company in 2020, was tasked with leading Canadian operations, helping shape the company’s Canadian strategy and coordinating execution across its national branch and distribution center network.

The leadership changes come as Master continues expanding in the U.S. On June 22, the company announced its acquisition of Distributor Corporation of New England, a Malden, MA-based Carrier distributor with eight locations serving Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

The deal marked Master’s first U.S. expansion since its March 2023 acquisition of Ohio-based Refrigeration Sales Corporation. Master entered the U.S. market in late 2021 through its acquisition of Virginia-based Value Added Distributors. Financial terms of the DCNE transaction were not disclosed.

Master — No. 6 on MDM’s 2026 Top Distributors List for HVACR — operates nearly 100 branches across Canada and the U.S.