Trends International CEO Steps Down

Phil St. Jean, founder and chief executive officer of Trends International, has stepped down after 30 years of leading the company. In addition, Bruce Morrison, president and chief operating officer, will assume CEO responsibilities of the company.

St. Jean began his career in 1972 as a salesman for an Edmonton, Alberta-based poster distributor. After the owner abruptly ended wholesale operations in 1986, he scraped together every dollar he could and bought the company’s remaining inventory, officially forming Trends International in 1987.

During the 10 years that followed, the company diversified its product lineup to include coloring activities (Art Zone) and decorative wall calendars (DateMaker). Throughout the years, the company made a number of acquisitions including Mead’s U.S. poster division, Satline (posters), Funky (posters), Antioch Publishing (bookmarks and journals) and Sandylion (stickers), among others.

During his retirement, St. Jean plans to spend more time with his family and pursue his passion for flight more frequently. Furthermore, The Trends Cares Foundation, which sponsors 14 kid-focused charities across North America, will continue to be the beneficiary of his support and active charity work.

Meanwhile, Morrison will assume the position of CEO. He joined Trends International in 2016 as president and chief operating officer and has worked closely with St. Jean for the past year. Prior to joining Trends International, Morrison held a number of senior level positions with The Walt Disney Company, The Little Tikes Company and Hallmark Cards.