Jean-Francois Bouchard

As Creative Guide, Jean-Francois Bouchard supports the company;s creative ventures, all the while providing challenging opportunities to talented young designers. Jean-Francois joined Cirque du Soleil in 2001, following three years as a freelance contributor. He first made his mark with the design of the boutique connected with the La Noubatheatre in Downtown Disney West Side in Orlando. He was then appointed Senior Director of Creation and became a key member of Cirque's Special Events design team.

Jean-Francois Bouchard has many years of experience in design and a solid artistic and technical background. In 1982, armed with a college degree in civil engineering and additional training in science, he joined the new environmental design program offered by the Universite du Quebec a Montreal. As part of his studies, he designed a prototype for a backpack that converted into a tent. The US Army acquired the finished product! Upon graduation in 1984 Jean-Francois started his own design company, which quickly reaped success in the Montreal area. Between 1985 and 1990 he designed interiors for several financial institutions, including branches of the Bank of Nova Scotia and the Royal Bank.

Between 1990 and 1995, his designs set the tone and atmosphere of a dozen downtown Montreal bars and restaurants. He followed this with designs for shops and exhibition stands specializing in the field of fashion. In 2010 Jean-Francois was named Vice-president, New Show Creation and, two years later, he became Vice-president, Creation and Development. In 2013, he was Chief Creative Content Officer until he assumed the function of Creative Guide. Jean-Francois Bouchard was born in the city of Sept-Iles, Quebec.