Carpentry is rewarding, but physically demanding work. Frederic’s parents wisely suggested he continue his schooling to keep career options open. His love for math and science, along with early exposure to construction, led him to pursue engineering, where he excelled. No doubt his karate training also played a role, teaching him focus and discipline. He still practices today and holds a black belt! But his greatest source of pride to date? Earning the award for best master’s thesis among all engineering disciplines at Polytechnique Montréal.

Frederic joined RJC as a design engineer after two years of consulting with another firm. He was only the second team member in Montreal when Benoit Boulanger hired him in 2020. Since then, they have grown the team exponentially and are making waves in the Quebec market—a still relatively new region for RJC. The market has unique challenges in that many of the building professionals working here come from the same large established firm which has dominated for years; they share a lot of the same standard approaches and aren’t necessarily known for innovation. Frederic believes RJC stands out as the new kid in town, drawing on the firm’s collective 75 years of experience across the country while also challenging the status quo with fresh ideas.

He wears many hats; in addition to his technical responsibilities as a design engineer Frederic also serves as a recruiter, supports business development, and even provides translation for the Montreal office. He points to collaboration and a willingness among everyone to pitch in as a driver of the team’s success to date. Frederic also lists good communication as essential for young professionals in the field. He knows from personal experience that engineers often have great ideas, but if they can’t be shared clearly with team members or clients, then they don’t amount to much. And he credits Benoit with giving him time and space to learn on the job. A natural curiosity and patience will create the conditions for building the expertise that only comes with experience. 

Frederic will always have a foot in his family’s business because he has a passion for building. He even suggested that if he wasn’t doing this job—structural engineering—he’d pursue a related discipline, like electrical engineering. And interestingly, he also has a natural curiosity about astronomy. What a wonderful combination. Frederic is firmly grounded, but always looking around and up to learn. That’s no paradox…it’s his secret to success.