Speakers


Ray Balberman

Director Strategy

Loblaw Media

Balberman is Director, Strategy with Loblaw Media, where his team unlocks growth for CPG brand clients through the company's dynamic retail media offering, which includes eCommerce, in-store media and digital ad products. 

In addition to developing playbooks and best practices for media, Balberman also works as an advisor on Loblaw Media’s...more

Speaking at: 30 mins with a retailer: Loblaw (breakout)


Stacey Biggar

Director, Chocolate Marketing

Mondelez (Cadbury)

Over the past 20 years, Biggar has built award-winning equity campaigns and driven strong business results in various marketing leadership positions. While currently the head of marketing for Cadbury at Mondelez Canada, she’s led teams across cookies, crackers and confectionary brands in Canada and the U.S. for Mondelēz, as well...more

Speaking at: The forces behind next-level innovation


Shawn Bloom

VP, loyalty

Sobeys Inc

Bloom joined Sobeys in 2018, and in this role, he is responsible for overseeing loyalty management, loyalty marketing and partnerships. He has over 20 years of experience in loyalty marketing, CRM and loyalty management across multiple verticals including financial services, retail, entertainment and grocery. Prior to Sobeys, he was VP...more

Speaking at: 30 mins with a retailer: Sobeys (Epic)


Cathy Collier

CEO

OMD Canada

As CEO of OMD Canada, Collier is at the helm of Canada’s largest and most successful media organization. Under her leadership, OMD is transforming into a new type of communication agency. 

Collier is active in advancing the Canadian media industry. She is Board Chair of Numeris, Chairs the Canadian Young Media...more

Speaking at: What's in it for me? A frank discussion with RMNs on their value


Geoff Day

director, loyalty marketing

Sobeys

Day manages the overall value proposition, as well as the go to market approach of the Scene+ program across Sobeys banners and formats. Day joined the Sobeys organization in 2015 and has spent time in both Loyalty Marketing as well as leading the Business Intelligence team as a member of...more

Speaking at: 30 mins with a retailer: Sobeys (Epic)


Leanne Gibson

VP and managing director

Walmart Connect

Gibson has over 25 years of experience in senior roles in consumer facing technology and media companies. Prior to Walmart Connect, Gibson was the Head of Retail, eCommerce and CPG for Meta Canada where she was responsible for driving growth and success for the country's top marketers and executives.

Prior to...more

Speaking at: What's in it for me? A frank discussion with RMNs on their value


Nick Gibson

SMB Team

NielsenIQ

Gibson has worked at NielsenIQ for nearly eight years on various clients large and small, supporting them on numerous important issues from consumer insights to pricing and much more. Today, he supports mostly SMB CPG brands to help them win in a very competitive Canadian marketplace.

Gibson loves using data to...more

Speaking at: NeilsenIQ: The changing climate of sustainability


Ian Hewetson

VP Ad Platforms

Loblaw Media

A veteran of the digital media industry, Hewetson has worked with hundreds of advertisers, agencies and publishers on thousands of campaigns across multiple technology platforms.

Hewetson started his career as an early partner in advertising technology company Eyereturn, which was acquired by Torstar in 2008. In 2019, he joined Loblaw Media,...more

Speaking at: 30 mins with a retailer: Loblaw (breakout)


Don Mayo

Managing Partner, Global

IMI International

Over the past 25 years, Don Mayo has worked with 1,000-plus organizations across 40-plus countries to champion the voice of the consumer, accelerating the performance of go-to-market strategies for every stage of the consumer journey.

As the driving force behind IMI’s focus on innovation, Mayo is constantly in search of more...more

Speaking at: How to win consumers tomorrow? Understand their behaviour today.


Catherine McVitty

Sustainability Communications

Unilever

With a career of over 25 years focused on environmental issues, McVitty brings a wealth of expertise in developing and executing sustainability communications strategies. Most recently her work has focused on telling the stories of Unilever’s journey to net zero, how Unilever is working to protect and regenerate nature, and...more

Speaking at: The forces behind next-level innovation


Cole Pearsall

co-founder and CSO

Acid League

Pearsall's vision is to inspire discovery through acidity by making modern pantry products that help home cooks be more creative in the kitchen. In the last four years, Pearsall and his team have expanded their business to launch over 25 products nationally across the US, Canada and the UK.

Speaking at: Gastronomy meets retail


Lisa Reid

Commercial Operations Leader of Beauty Care

Procter & Gamble Inc

Reid is the Commercial Operations Leader of Beauty Care at Proctor & Gamble Canada, with extensive experience across many of P&G’s iconic brands such as Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Aussie, Gold Series, Old Spice, Secret, Gillette, Ivory, and Olay. 

With 15 years of experience at the consumer-packaged goods giant,...more

Speaking at: The forces behind next-level innovation


Bobby Sahni

Partner & Co-Founder

Ethnicity Matters

Sahni is a veteran and thought-leader in the multicultural marketing and advertising industry. He was previously the Head of Multicultural Marketing at Rogers Communications and has been a pioneer in developing, executing and managing diversity and multicultural marketing initiatives for a number of best-in-class organizations.

He has earned national and international...more

Speaking at: The forces behind next-level innovation


Stewart Samuel

Director of Retail Futures

IGD

Samuel is a recognised thought leader in the retail industry, with a comprehensive understanding of retailer strategies, format evolution, digital transformation, and cutting-edge innovation. His insights have helped numerous companies stay ahead of the curve in this ever-changing landscape.

As part of IGD Solutions, Samuel collaborates with international business leaders on...more

Speaking at: Store of the Future 2030


Rupen Seoni

Chief Product & Marketing Officer

Environics Analytics

With over 25 years of experience in marketing and analytics, Seoni understands business needs and how data and analytics can help solve them. A Chartered Marketer, he has worked with organizations of all sizes to unlock the value of information in decision-making and business strategy. He specializes in helping organizations...more

Speaking at: Changing demographics. Changing strategies. (breakout)


Doug Stephens

founder

RETAIL PROPHET

Stephens is one of the world’s foremost retail industry futurists. His intellectual work and creativity have influenced many international retailers, agencies and brands including Walmart, Google, Estée Lauder, BMW and LVMH. Prior to founding the consultancy Retail Prophet, Stephens spent over 20 years in the retail industry, holding senior international leadership...more

Speaking at: A playbook on how to carve a competitive path (that's not built on convenience or price)


Alfredo Tan

SVP, Managing Director

Loblaw Media

Prior to Loblaw Media, Tan was a pioneering leader at Meta Platforms, being one of the first 1,000 employees globally and helping to transform it into a global media leader. He was also the first Chief Digital Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at WestJet Airlines. Tan has held senior roles...more

Speaking at: What's in it for me? A frank discussion with RMNs on their value


Sherin Yassin

VP of marketing, customer experience and customer care

Walmart Canada

Yassin has over 25 years of experience in senior roles in CPG, telecoms, retail marketing and consultancy. Prior to Walmart Canada, she was the holding chief marketing and brand officer at Majid Al Futtaim, an MAF holding company that owns and develops shopping malls, retail stores including Carrefour, entertainment hubs,...more

Speaking at: 30 mins with a retailer: Walmart (Epic)