A lifetimeof dedication and success honoured

President and CEO of Bentley & Co LTD, Walter Lamothe, receives prestigious retailing honour in recognition of a legacy that continues to grow

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It’sa rare feat these days to spend more than a couple decades within one industry or profession. And, as a result, it goes without saying that achieving more than forty years of success and positive results within that work is even less common. However, in the case of Walter Lamothe, President and CEO of Bentley & Co LTD - Canada’s leading retailer of luggage, handbags, leisure, and travel products – it’s a legacy of success and results that he continues to accrue. It’s in honour of his current and past accomplishments that Retail Council of Canada (RCC) recently presented him with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Excellence in Retailing Awards gala.

A lifetime in retail

Lamothe, an industry veteran with more than 40 years of experience operating within retail, has helped a number of different retailers and brands enhance their offerings and overall businesses.

Through his years of work, he’s served as a stock boy at Jack Fraser, Manager of a Tip Top Tailors store in Hull, Quebec; Director of Stores at Shirmax where his hard work and leadership was later recognized, earning him the position of Executive Vice President of Operations; President and CEO of MEXX Canada; as well as various leadership roles at Reitmans Canada, including his appointment as President and CEO.

He was appointed President and CEO of Bentley & Co LTD in 2018, and has been instrumental in successfully restructuring the company, and navigating it through an incredibly difficult pandemic period and economic uncertainty while maintaining his innovative spirit and the growth of the Bentley & Co LTD brand.

Finding his passion

Lamothe’s successes to this point in his career are extraordinary, and have helped garner him the respect and admiration of those around him. Many consider him to be the type of leader perfectly fit for an industry as fast-paced and challenging as retail. And, he says, it’s all down to a passion for retail that he discovered very early on in his life after growing up in small town rural Alberta.

“I worked as a welder on pipelines when I was 17 years old,” he explains. “It was the highest paying job that you could get at that age. But I hated every minute of it. So, I quit and decided to find my passion. But I had no idea what my passion was. How are you supposed to follow your passion if you don’t even know what it is? So, I took a stockboy job at 3 dollars an hour for 12 hours a week at the local grocery store. It didn’t pay the bills very well. But what it did do was teach me a thing or two about myself and the way in which I should approach the work I was about to do. And let me tell you, throughout my career, the retail industry has provided me with the most educational environment I ever could have hoped for.”

Continuous learning

Today, after years of learning, and a plethora of awards, recognitions, successes and achievements as a leader within the Canadian retail industry, Lamothe says that he isn’t even close to being done the job that he’s been doing these many years. In fact, he says that it’s his intention to continue growing within the academic institute of retail for many more years to come.

“Retail is the most challenging businesses to be involved in,” he says. “You only get moments in time. You win one moment, and you celebrate that victory, because who the hell knows what’s going to happen next week. Today, we’re talking about AI and cybersecurity. I remember about 10 or 15 years ago, I figured that the biggest challenge I might face is if I ran out of things to learn. Well, forget that noise. Now I want to make sure that I’ve learned enough to be able to continue teaching for the next 15 to 20 years.”

Dedication to retail

The passion and commitment with which Lamothe approaches each role that he’s served in are characteristics that those closest to him are well aware of, including RCC President and CEO Diane J. Brisebois.

“Walter’s illustrious and long career serves as a testament to his steadfast dedication to the Canadian retail industry. His ability to navigate through challenges with resilience and creativity, coupled with his passion for innovation, are undeniable proof of his unwavering commitment to excellence,”

Visit the official RCCTORE24 Conference website to view a full list of past winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award, and for more information about Retail Council of Canada’s Excellence in Retailing Awards of Distinction Program.