Innovation In Our DNA
Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Quebec City, Previan is a corporate umbrella that oversees two autonomous, independent, platforms – one providing leading-edge diagnostic technologies and the other offering advanced data insights and in-line inspection services – ensuring the health of infrastructure and critical assets. As entrepreneurs, we are passionate about challenging norms to create value for our customers and deliver positive change to our industry. We believe that technical intimacy with our customers is paramount to our success, providing us with the insights we need to develop the next generation of infrastructure sustainability solutions. Through fault detection to advanced diagnostics to data analytics, our solutions promote the safety of people, the protection of the environment, and the productivity of assets in industries the world counts on every day. Our technologies are vital to our customers’ ability to achieve operational priorities and meet and exceed environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals.
Together, our two independent platforms have a combined workforce of 2,100 employees across 30 offices worldwide includes engineers with backgrounds ranging from mechanical, to electronic and software engineering. Our people are central to the innovation and collaborative focus that gives us our powerful competitive edge in market. With a unique, mission-critical value proposition, we have built deeply embedded relationships with our customer base, which comprises some of the world’s largest and most respected companies in the energy, power generation, civil, transportation and aerospace sectors.
Leadership Ahead of The Curve
Previan’s approach is unique in the market. Our core expertise is instrumentation – we understand the science of sensing, and look to tackle the most difficult problems by leveraging the most advanced sensing modalities, electronic designs, and industry-leading software capabilities. We also understand the complexity of acquiring quality data in difficult environments and analyzing it to reveal insights that drive informed business decisions. The solutions delivered by our platform empower our customers to meet and exceed their safety and regulatory requirements and achieve their ESG priorities.
Owners, operators and stakeholders around the globe must comply with asset integrity standards. As our critical infrastructure ages, environmental considerations escalate and regulations intensify, the demand for effective, cost-efficient hi-tech solutions is unprecedented, and urgent.
Previan is responding to the call. Today, through strategic acquisition and development, we have successfully carved out market and technology leadership positions across our industry. Our solutions serve customers in over 110 countries through a global footprint of dozens of office locations worldwide. And our growth is not slowing. We are building a comprehensive suite of solutions that address a broad range of infrastructure and critical assets – from sensing to data acquisition and analytics – to ensure relevance, as well to reach into new markets, such as water and rail.
Independent Platforms
Employees
Management Team
MARTIN THÉRIAULT
Martin drives Previan’s overall strategic vision. A late-blooming entrepreneur with a solid corporate background, Martin is committed to building an exceptional company that goes above and beyond the norm. His business passion revolves around technology, customer-centricity, and accomplishing what others fail to envision. He acquired a wealth of experience in engineering, sales, marketing and business management throughout Canada, the US and Europe. He was VP/GM of Zetec, a Roper Technologies company, from 2007 to 2010, and occupied a progression of mandates with industrial gas and chemicals giant Air Liquide from 1994 to 2007. Martin holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from McGill University and an MBA from Duke University.
LOUIS-GEORGES GAUVIN
With over 20 years of professional experience, Louis-Georges has held the position of CFO with multiple organizations, including Groupe Alta and Biogénie/EnGlobe. Prior to joining Previan, he completed seven years as CFO at Groupe Unipex, a company operating primarily in the development and marketing of cosmetic active ingredients. There, he contributed to Unipex’s impressive international market growth and success via a combination of organic development and strategic acquisitions, up to and including its successful sale to new owners in 2015. Louis-Georges is a CPA, member of the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec and holds both a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA from Laval University.
SIMON RICHARD
Simon combines more than 20 years of experience in business development, mergers & acquisitions, and strategy. He began his career as an attorney and then provided strategic consulting services with the global firm McKinsey & Company. Since 2010, he has held various leadership positions in the aviation, manufacturing, and energy sectors. Prior to joining Previan, he completed five years at Camso Inc., a global manufacturer and distributor of specialized off-road tires & tracks. There, he led the corporate development function overseeing a rapid succession of acquisitions and spearheading the successful sale of the company to the Michelin Group in 2018. Simon holds a Bachelor of Civil Law (B.C.L.) and Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from McGill University and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University. He is a member of the Quebec Bar.
Board Of Directors
MARTIN THÉRIAULT
Martin drives Previan’s overall strategic vision. A late-blooming entrepreneur with a solid corporate background, Martin is committed to building an exceptional company that goes above and beyond the norm. His business passion revolves around technology, customer-centricity, and accomplishing what others fail to envision.
“I am tremendously proud of our many accomplishments to date, both as a disciplined executive management team, and as a dynamic, high-performance company. There is, however, still a lot of hard work ahead of us if we are to fulfill our ambitious objectives. We are extremely privileged to have such a group of fantastic players around the table, who all share a commitment and determination to take Previan to the next level, and beyond.”
ANDRÉ LÉVESQUE
For over 10 years, André Lévesque has held the position of Managing Director, Québec, at La Caisse (formerly CDPQ), where he manages and executes strategic investments in Québec companies. His mandate is to support their growth, both organically and through acquisitions.
Prior to this, he spent eight years as Regional Vice-President, Investment, at Desjardins Capital, after serving six years as Senior Director at the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).
Throughout his career, André has sat on numerous Boards of Directors of successful Québec companies. He is currently involved with Previan, NDT Global, H2O Innovation and Solmax. He is a graduate of the Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR).
DAVID LEWIN
David is a Lead Senior Partner within the Technologies Group of Novacap. He is responsible for identifying and executing new M&A deals, working closely with portfolio companies as an active board member and supporting management teams with strategic initiatives.
Prior to joining Novacap, David was a Manager at PSP Investments in Montreal where he was involved in the evaluation and execution of private equity transactions. Prior to his experience with PSP Investments, he worked in investment banking at National Bank Financial Markets where he focused on the technology, media and telecommunications sector and diversified industries.
David currently sits on the Board of directors of Nuvei and PKWare.
PIER-OLIVIER LAFLÈCHE
Pier-Olivier Laflèche is Director, Québec, at La Caisse (formerly CDPQ), where he manages and executes strategic investments in mid-market and large companies. His mandate is to support their growth, both through targeted acquisitions and the expansion of existing operations.
Since joining La Caisse in 2020, Pier-Olivier has held several roles within the Québec private equity team.
In addition to Previan, he currently serves on the boards of Golf Avenue, and Plastrec. He holds a master’s degree from McGill University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Université de Sherbrooke.
SAMUEL NASSO
Samuel Nasso joined Novacap in 2012 as one of its first Analysts and became Partner in 2023. He has led numerous investments, M&As, IPOs, and take-private transactions, building deep expertise across technology sectors. Samuel played a pivotal role in growing Novacap’s presence in Ad-Tech and has expertise in non-destructive testing technologies.
He is Chairman of the Board for Static Media and Cadent, and a board member for NDT Global. His previous board roles include Nuvei and Onstream.