Philippe Petit crossed the ocean to work for BRP 18 years ago. Recruited in his native France, he was completing a final year internship at Renault, the biggest French automobile manufacturer. What motivated him to move to Quebec was our products. A motorbike rider in France, he saw a multitude of possibilities to play with these toys for grownups that BRP produced. Almost two decades later, having worked on several advanced-concept projects, played with Evinrude outboards and Lynx snowmobiles, Philippe is Project Lead and Senior Industrial Designer, Ski-Doo.

BRP’s success in design is a result, in his opinion, of complementarity in the team. He gives credit to the people in charge of recruiting, who are able to identify the right pieces that fit the big puzzle. The multiple cultures – 12 at the moment – clash, but enrich the result. “We don’t have the same way of looking at things, but it all clicks together.” Philippe remains modest about his own influence in creating synergies between teams. As a project lead, he must also ensure that the design and engineering teams work together smoothly to successfully complete an initiative.