VP Thought Leadership, North America, NielsenIQ

Carman Allison is NielsenIQ’s vice president of thought leadership for North America. He is a member of NIQ’s global thought leadership team, a group of consumer-packaged goods (CPG) experts responsible for leading consumer research projects across 23 countries. Carman constantly has his finger on the pulse of the Canadian and American CPG markets, and manufacturers and retailers rely on him and his colleagues to provide solutions they need to make strategic business decisions. He has over 30 years of experience consulting on consumer and retail trends and has been featured in numerous trade and news media, including Grocery Business, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and MarketWatch.

Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer, AIR MILES

As Chief Strategy & Commercial Officer at AIR MILES, Jason Beales helps steward Strategic Partnerships, Business Development, and the AIR MILES Rewards portfolio. He is motivated by working with partners to uncover unrealized value, advising on growth-driven corporate improvement, and optimization of client businesses (notably driving top line efficiencies).

CEO, CJR Wholesale Grocers

Inder is the CEO of CJR Wholesale Grocers. He is passionate about optimizing supply chains and driving the growth of Ontario’s independent grocers through brand innovation and strategic partnerships with CPG leaders. Under his leadership, CJR Wholesale Grocers was named DCI’s Partner of the Year in both 2021 and 2023. Inder’s commitment to excellence continues to shape the company’s success and its impact on the grocery industry.

President and CEO of Retail Council of Canada (RCC)

Diane J. Brisebois has been the president and CEO of RCC since 1995. She has been leading industry associations in Canada for more than 45 years. RCC represents over 53,000 retail establishments across Canada which account for more than 75% of all retail sales in the country. As the CEO, Diane is the spokesperson for the industry, leading a team that is responsible for advocating and lobbying on behalf of the industry, which includes grocery, quick service restaurants, drug chains, mass merchants, and specialty retailers of all sizes and formats across Canada.

She currently serves on the Advisory Boards of St. Mary’s University David Sobey Centre for Innovation in Retailing and Services, Federation of International Retail Associations, the Golden Pencil Food Industry Executive Advisory Committee, the Federal Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Minister’s Disability Inclusion Business Council and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundations.

Creator, Host of Podcast Chatter that Matters

With a name synonymous with excellence in marketing and advertising, Tony Chapman is a trailblazer in the industry, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape. Inducted into both the Marketing Hall of Legends and the Canadian Advertising Hall of Fame, Tony’s journey is a testament to the transformative impact of passion, innovation, and fearlessness.

In the dynamic realm of advertising, Tony Chapman distinguished himself by founding and building two internationally renowned advertising agencies and a cutting-edge research firm. His visionary leadership and keen understanding of market dynamics propelled these ventures to unprecedented success.

President & CEO, FMS

Robert Graybill, President & CEO of FMS, joined the company in 2000, and has over 20 years of experience in the retail grocery industry. Currently, Robert leads the FMS team in meeting their goal of helping retailers to succeed through benchmarking, best practices, and decision support.

President and CEO, Yummy Market

Adrian Gianello is a business executive with a wealth of experience. He took over the company in 2023 from the founders with plans for further growth and expansion.

CEO, Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP)

Michael Graydon is Chief Executive Officer of Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP) the national association voice of Canada’s food, health and consumer products sector. A seasoned business executive, Michael has more than 20 years of visionary CEO leadership across multiple industries, driving proactive and collaborative stakeholder engagement and consistent corporate results. Since joining FCPC in 2016, his leadership has dramatically repositioned the organization into a driving force on industry issues as diverse as Canada’s Healthy Eating Strategy, free trade and tariff issues, environmental sustainability, product labelling and the changing dynamics of the supplier/retailer relationship.

Senior Economist & Vice President, BMO Capital Markets

Aaron analyzes performance and risk across a diverse selection of industries and countries. His research is regularly distributed to clients and the media and is also used as an input to internal risk management functions. In addition, Aaron provides macroeconomic support to the team and plays a central role in the development of The Goods, the department’s monthly commodity price publication.

Head of Culinary – Retail (Research, Development & Technology), Maple Leaf Foods

Chef Samantha Lazuric, AKA Chef Sam, has more than 15 years’ experience combining her passion for food with corporate culture and sustainability. As the Head of Culinary – Retail (Research, Development & Technology), Chef Sam leads Maple Leaf Foods’ culinary department to achieve the highest standard of excellence through products which nourish Canadian families from coast to coast. She combines her skill and business acumen to apply consumer insights, which determine flavour profiling and emerging food trends and leads the development of the hundreds of delicious recipes for Canadian families on mapleleaf.ca.

President, Canadian Produce Marketing Association

Ron works in the fast-paced world of perishable products that manoeuvres through global regulatory swings, supply chain disruptions, variable climate, food safety outbreaks, disruptive technology advancements, and ever-changing consumer demands and expectations.

In his role as CPMA President, Ron represents the needs and interests of over 870 Canadian and international member companies that are responsible for over 90% of the fresh fruit and vegetable sales in Canada.

He is also the Chair of the Global Coalition for Fresh Produce which brings together 11 fresh produce associations from around the world to create resilient global value chains for fruits and vegetables and bring a myriad of economic, environmental, and societal benefits. Additionally, Ron is a member of the Grocery Code of Conduct Steering Committee.

Fractional Chief Commercial Strategy Officer
StrategicGrowthFactor.com

Rachel Loui is a visionary international growth executive who helps companies use quantitative and qualitative data to inform innovation, expansion, and market differentiation. Rachel was most recently at Google as an International Growth executive. There, she helped clients identify and optimize market expansion opportunities across a multitude of industries, including retail.

Rachel Loui is a visionary international growth executive who helps companies use quantitative and qualitative data to inform innovation, expansion, and market differentiation. She specializes in finding creative ways to help companies achieve their growth and revenue potential in existing and new markets. Her talent is optimizing a company’s full value proposition by understanding customer needs through “big” and “small” data, translating the offering into business language that best resonates with existing and new customers, and deploying insights through innovative sales and marketing activities that drive customer action.

Managing Editor Member Content, Path to Purchase Institute

Cyndi has been a member of P2PI’s editorial team for more than 10 years, covering the merchandising and marketing activities of retailers, including Target, Kroger and Dollar General. She also serves as the in-house retail media analyst, reporting on the growth of retailer media networks and related partners, and their impact on the commerce marketing landscape.

Brand Activation Manager, Perrier/Nestlé Canada

Erik Mili brings over 15 years of expertise in the hospitality industry, including a decade dedicated to the super premium and luxury sectors. With a dual degree in Hospitality and Business Management, Erik’s background spans high-end spirit and beer sales, leading to his current role as Brand Activation Manager at Perrier/Nestlé Canada. In this capacity, he orchestrates high-profile events and collaborations with top-tier hospitality groups, including venues recognized in the “50 Best Bars” list both locally in Canada and with partners across the globe.

Founder, Bottom Line Matters

Stephen O’Keefe founded Bottom Line Matters following a corporate career running Loss Prevention and Risk Management for Walmart Canada and other top brands. Specializing in advisory services for retailers and solution partners, the philosophy of Bottom Line Matters is to place focus on the health of a P&L relative to the amount of loss incurred through waste, inefficiencies and crime. Stephen holds an undergraduate degree in Sociology and Psychology, and was honoured with a lifetime achievement award by an industry of his peers.

President, Rabba Fine Foods

Rick Rabba is the President of Rabba Fine Foods, a chain of 37 urban markets recognized as a “Toronto institution since the ’60s” by the Toronto Star. A Chartered Professional Accountant with decades of retail grocery experience, Rick is a respected business executive and leader of a diverse and complex organization. He has led the company to multiple awards, including the Canadian Grocer Impact Award for both sustainability and for community service. Rick has served on the board of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers since 2019 and currently sits on its executive committee.

Sr. Vice President Policy & Advocacy, Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers

Gary Sands is Sr. Vice President Policy & Advocacy with CFIG and has been with the association for 24 years. Gary has extensive experience in government at the political level as a Chief of Staff and helped oversee Government entities such as Ontario Place, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Ontario Lottery Corporation and the Niagara Parks Commission. He was also part of the team that negotiated bringing the Molson Indy to Toronto. Gary also helped develop and pilot through the Legislature, landmark reforms to municipal governance, elections and financing ̶ changes that still stand today.

During his tenure with CFIG he was elected the Chair of the Small Business Matters Coalition, composed of over 23 national trade associations which at the time of its existence, was the largest voice for business organizations in Canada. The Coalition helped spearhead reductions in Canada’s small business tax rate and credit card interchange fees.

He is part of the Interim Board of Directors that brought to fruition the Grocery Code of Conduct. Gary is also a recipient of CFIG’s Spirit of the Independent Award.

Director of Sales, Five Continents International

Don is a Sales Development Leader with over 9 years of experience in sales, marketing, and operations within the multicultural industry. He excels at leading teams of inbound and outbound sales development representatives through call coaching, role-playing, strategy sessions, and more. Passionate about leveraging analytics to identify and track consumer trends and behaviors, Don is committed to driving performance and growth.

Leading Digital Marketing Strategist & Entrepreneur

Ross Simmonds is an entrepreneur and marketing strategist who helps B2B & SaaS brands use content marketing, SEO, content distribution, and technology to unlock new levels of organic growth. He is the founder of Foundation Marketing, a B2B content marketing agency that combines data and creativity to support successful and ambitious software brands in the world. Foundation works and has worked with brands like Canva, Procore, Unbounce, Jobber, Snowflake, and more. Ross is considered one of the leading experts in Content Distribution coining the phrase “Create once. Distribute forever”.

In addition to running Foundation Marketing; Ross is the founder of a wide range of different businesses including Hustle & Grind, an eCommerce brand described as the voice of modern entrepreneurs. Ross has invested in a handful of SaaS start-ups and sits on the board of directors for non-profit organizations. Ross has been named one of the most influential marketers in the world by multiple marketing publications and firms like BuzzSumo, SEMRush, and more. He’s been published or featured in a plethora of industry publications and mainstream media channels like Forbes, HuffPost, VentureBeat, BET, and CBC.

President, Vince’s Market

Giancarlo Trimarchi is the President of Vince’s Market, an independent grocery chain in Ontario, and a respected leader in the Canadian grocery industry. He has served on the board of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) for several years, culminating as Chair from 2021 to 2022. Giancarlo was nominated by CFIG to be the independent retail member on the Industry Working Group that developed the Canadian Grocery Code of Conduct, ratified in 2024. His extensive experience and commitment to the industry make him a key voice in shaping the future of grocery retail in Canada. Giancarlo will be receiving the 2024 Life Member Award from CFIG at the Independent Grocer of the Year Gala.

President, Tea & Herbal Association of Canada

For almost two decades, Shabnam Weber owned and operated her own tea company in Toronto, Canada. With retail stores and a wholesale business, her company was one of the first of its kind in Toronto. Her passion and love of tea led her to become involved with the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada as a Director, sitting on several committees, most notably the Education Committee where she wrote the Tea Sommelier® program.

Shabnam has been President of the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada since 2018 and has transformed the association through the programs and resources it offers members and become an industry leader. She is the Canadian representative on the UN FAO’s Intergovernmental Group on Tea (IGG/Tea) and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the group. She sits on several working groups of the IGG/Tea, is Co-Chair of the Advocacy pilar, Vice-Chair of the working group on Smallholders and co-Chair of the working group on Tea and Health.

President & Founder, Rodmell & Company

Patrick Rodmell is President and Founder of Rodmell & Company, an integrated consulting and creative agency specializing in brand and customer experience optimization for grocery clients throughout North America.

Patrick is renowned for his strategic insights into consumer behaviour and innovative approaches to value creation. With experience spanning over three decades, Patrick has shared his perspective on the future of retail at countless international conferences and through leading business and retail publications.

President, Shikatani Lacroix Design (SLD)

Innovator, designer, strategist, futurist, transformer of brands for growth, Jean-Pierre Lacroix is President of Shikatani Lacroix Design (SLD). Jean-Pierre Lacroix is strongly committed to design innovation. In addition to pioneering the successful firm, Jean-Pierre is also Past President of The Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario, Past President of DIAC (Design Industry Advisory Committee), board member of SEGD (Society of Environmental Graphic Designers), as well as former Director of the Packaging Association of Canada. SLD is a global branding firm specializing in transforming customer experiences for financial institutions and retailers brands. A key tenet of the company’s approach is the constant review of trends and market dynamics influencing ideal transformation outcomes

Kinda Whisky Incorporated

Over the span of two dynamic decades, Beth Havers has fully immersed herself in the spirits world. Today, she stands tall as a luminary in the realm of whisky, revered as a pioneering force for women both in Canada and across the globe.

Honoured with the esteemed Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky Ambassador of the Year Award, Beth has been entrusted with the art of shaping unique expressions for Glenfiddich, the pinnacle of Single Malt whisky. With a certification from the International Sommelier Guild, she brings a refined palate to her craft.

Now at the helm of Kinda Whisky Incorporated, Beth serves as a consultant, sharing her expertise with emerging distilleries and collaborating with renowned brands to create captivating brand activations and influencer gatherings. Adding a delightful twist to her repertoire, Beth also wears the hat of proprietor at Aunt Beth’s, a whimsical whisky bakery nestled in the vibrant heart of downtown Toronto. She also champions brand advocacy for Fever-Tree Premium mixers, adding sparkle to every sip.

President & CEO, Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers

Ron is a proven organizational leader with a bias for action and a successful track record of developing & executing strategy, collaborating, building trust with internal and external stakeholders, developing talent, managing risk, fostering innovation, and brand development. Ron processes a strong legacy of building partnerships and leveraging resources to accomplish ambitious objectives.

Ron has held progressively responsible positions during his 32-year career at Federated Co-operative Limited (FCL). Most recently, Ron was the Associate Vice President of Food at FCL, which had him leading all aspects of both Co-op’s Food and Independent Businesses, as well as the Pharmacy, Liquor and Convenience Business units.

Ron was previously a Board Member of Ecobain Naturals and Mother Labs and served on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) from 2013-2022. His time on the CFIG board included 2 years as Chairperson (2019-2021). Ron was inducted into the Grocery Business Hall of Fame in 2024.

Driven by his desire and ambition to be the best in the business, Guyanese, Canadian Chef Devan Rajkumar (aka Chef Dev) has no boundaries when it comes to culinary exploration.

Chef Devan Rajkumar is on a mission to create food worth sharing that modernizes the craft, traditions and tastes of East and West Indian cuisines.