In the face of significant international trade pressures and a dynamic market, Winnipeg-based Palliser Holdings Ltd. has made a decisive move to fortify its leadership, appointing seasoned industry veterans to guide its flagship subsidiaries, Palliser Furniture and the modern design brand EQ3. The strategic appointments of Cary Benson as president and CEO of Palliser Furniture and Jim Hunt as president of EQ3 signal a deliberate effort to leverage deep institutional knowledge and proven leadership to navigate a complex economic landscape. These changes, effective immediately, place two executives with extensive histories within the organization at the forefront, tasked with steering the iconic Canadian brands toward sustained growth and stability. This transition underscores a pivotal moment for the parent company as it balances operational restructuring with ambitious goals for market expansion and profitability in an industry marked by both formidable challenges and significant opportunities. The decision reflects a blend of looking to the past for proven success while preparing for the future.
A Strategic Shift in Leadership
The Return of a Proven Leader
Cary Benson’s reappointment as president and CEO of Palliser Furniture marks the return of a familiar and highly regarded leader, a move that brings a wealth of experience back to the company’s core operations. Benson, who previously held the same role from 2010 to 2017, is credited with significantly enhancing sales performance, bolstering profitability, and forging strong, lasting relationships within the company’s crucial retail network. His prior tenure established a solid operational foundation that the company has built upon for years. Since 2018, the Texas-based executive has been at the helm of Encore, Palliser’s highly successful cinema seating division, where he guided the unit through a period of remarkable expansion, culminating in record-breaking results in 2025. Peter Tielmann, president and CEO of the parent company, Palliser Holdings Ltd., endorsed the appointment, describing Benson as a “known entity” and expressing deep confidence in his ability to once again lead the furniture division. Taking the reins from Steve Ambeau, Benson steps into his former role with a renewed vision, stating, “I believe in Palliser’s people, our product offering and our future, and I’m ready to lead the company forward.”
Benson’s return is set against a backdrop of significant economic and organizational change, highlighting the strategic importance of his appointment at this critical juncture. The company has recently faced what Tielmann termed a “mixed bag” of a year, with a major challenge being the 25% tariff imposed on the furniture sector by the U.S., a market that accounts for over 60% of Palliser’s sales. This external pressure necessitates astute and experienced leadership to maintain competitiveness and profitability. Internally, Palliser has also undergone a substantial executive restructuring, streamlining its leadership team from eight members to four and eliminating 11 administrative positions in Winnipeg. This leaner structure requires a leader capable of driving efficiency and maintaining morale through a period of transition. Benson’s recent success with the globally-focused cinema seating division, which saw “massive growth” in contrast to the tariff-affected furniture segment, demonstrates his capability to deliver results even in varied market conditions. His appointment is a clear signal that the company is relying on his proven track record to navigate these complex challenges and steer its largest division toward a more secure and prosperous future.
An Internal Ascent at EQ3
At the helm of the contemporary design brand EQ3, Jim Hunt’s appointment as president represents a natural progression for a leader whose career has been deeply intertwined with the organization’s evolution. Hunt brings a rich and varied history to the role, having first joined EQ3’s head office in 2008 as the vice-president of retail operations. During this initial tenure, he was a pivotal figure in guiding the brand through its critical transition from a franchise-based model to a more integrated corporate retail structure, a move that has defined its market presence today. In 2016, he transitioned to the parent company, Palliser, where he spent nearly nine years leading sales teams across the United States and Canada, gaining invaluable experience in broader market dynamics. His career came full circle in 2024 when he returned to the retail-focused side of the business, most recently serving as chief commercial officer across both EQ3 and Palliser. This dual role provided him with a unique, holistic perspective on the entire enterprise. Succeeding Mark Letain, who retired last year, Hunt expressed a deep connection to the brand, stating, “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together and I’m excited to lead EQ3 into this next era.”
The selection of Jim Hunt to lead EQ3 is a strategic endorsement of his profound retail expertise and established leadership within the company. Peter Tielmann specifically highlighted Hunt’s strong retail background and leadership qualities as key factors in the decision, noting the organization’s excitement for him to step into this expanded capacity. Founded in 2001, EQ3 operates as a distinct, modern entity within the holding company, responsible for designing, manufacturing, and selling its furniture through 11 dedicated retail stores across Canada. This vertically integrated model demands a leader with a comprehensive understanding of the entire product lifecycle, from initial design concepts to the final customer experience on the showroom floor. Hunt’s career path, which spans retail operations, North American sales, and overarching commercial strategy, makes him uniquely qualified to manage these interconnected functions. His promotion from within signals a commitment to leveraging institutional knowledge and ensuring a seamless continuation of the brand’s vision, while his recent experience as chief commercial officer suggests a future focus on enhancing the synergy between EQ3’s design-forward retail approach and Palliser’s extensive manufacturing capabilities.
Navigating a Complex Market Landscape
A Tale of Two Divisions
The leadership changes at Palliser and EQ3 arrive at a time when the parent company is navigating a bifurcated market reality, with its divisions experiencing starkly different fortunes. The primary challenge has been the significant tariff imposed on the furniture sector by the United States, a crucial market where Palliser generates the majority of its revenue. This trade barrier has exerted considerable pressure on the company’s core furniture business, complicating sales strategies and impacting profitability. In stark contrast to these headwinds, Palliser’s cinema seating division, Encore, has flourished on the global stage. Free from the specific tariffs affecting the residential furniture segment and catering to a worldwide customer base, this division has achieved what the company described as “massive growth.” This divergence underscores the complex environment in which the new leaders must operate. While Cary Benson is tasked with revitalizing the traditional furniture segment in the face of protectionist trade policies, the success of the cinema division provides a powerful example of successful market diversification and resilience within the broader organization.
The contrasting performance between Palliser’s main furniture operations and its niche cinema seating division highlights the strategic value of a diversified portfolio in today’s volatile global market. The Winnipeg-based company, which has an eight-decade history, employs a total of 2,000 people, with a significant portion of its manufacturing workforce, 1,400 employees, located at its facility in Mexico. This cross-border operational structure, while efficient, has made the company particularly vulnerable to U.S. trade policies, amplifying the impact of the recent tariffs. The challenges in the core furniture market have necessitated difficult decisions, including the recent executive restructuring aimed at creating a leaner, more agile leadership team. Simultaneously, the exceptional growth of the cinema seating division offers a blueprint for future expansion, demonstrating the potential of specialized, globally-oriented product lines. The new leadership at both Palliser and EQ3 will need to balance the imperative of shoring up the traditional business against the opportunity to explore and expand into new, less volatile market segments, leveraging the company’s deep manufacturing expertise across its entire portfolio.
A Renewed Path Forward
The strategic appointments of Cary Benson and Jim Hunt reflected a deliberate move by Palliser Holdings Ltd. to install leaders with deep-seated company knowledge and proven track records. By turning to veterans who understood the organization’s culture, operational complexities, and market position, the company aimed to create stability while simultaneously driving a new phase of growth. The decision underscored a belief that intimate familiarity with the brands was the most effective tool for navigating the intricate challenges of tariffs, internal restructuring, and a rapidly evolving consumer market. The new leadership structure was therefore positioned not as a radical departure, but as a confident reaffirmation of the company’s core strengths, guided by hands that had already successfully shaped its past. This approach signaled a clear strategy: to build upon a strong foundation rather than starting anew, entrusting the future of its iconic brands to those who knew them best.
