Cirque Runs Company in Unique Way

Who would pay someone to interrupt meetings with sarcastic comments? Cirque Du Soleil, that’s who.  Founder Guy Laliberte found that his employees as the company’s headquarters in Montreal were too serious about their jobs.  In response, he hired a comedian to work some 20 hours a week and poke into offices and meetings to inject some fun.  The comedian, Madame Zazou, also attends the company’s annual creative summit to heckle.  Zazou isn’t the only unconventional business practice of Cirque Du Soleil.

First, Cirque Du Soleil does not have a board of directors.  There is both a creative and a business team.  The creative team has Laliberte, CEO Daniel Lamarre and two other members.  When a new show is developed, a team of three is picked to develop an outline and another team works on the business side of the show.  Most Cirque shows take three years to develop.  The time allows each show to be impressively attentive to detail.

Along with Cirque Du Soleil’s shows, they also perform for customers and have been hired by companies like Fiat to promote new products.  The plan seems to be working as Cirque Du Soleil has close to 4,000 employees and rakes in about $800 million a year.  To see this amazing spectacle, visit StubHub.com for Cirque Du Soleil tickets.