Alain is a corporate affairs professional currently serving as Vice President – Sustainability, Social Impact and Government Relations for Loblaw Companies Limited.
In his role Alain oversees the sustainability and community investment efforts for Loblaw and the communities it serves from coast to coast,
Prior to joining Loblaw, Alain held senior political roles at the provincial and federal levels in both government and opposition.
Alain is currently the Vice Chair of Circular Materials and has served on many boards and councils including Multi-Material B.C. (Recycle BC), National Farmed Animal Health and Wellness Council, and the Loblaw Scholarship Fund.
Alain is a Western University alum where he studied Political Science and History. He is a proud native of North Bay, ON. He and his wife live in Toronto with their three children.

Cynthia Shanks serves as Senior Director of Corporate Affairs for Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) Canada, spearheading corporate communications, sustainability initiatives, and government affairs. With a strategic mindset and over two decades of experience, she plays a crucial role in advancing KDP Canada’s environmental and corporate objectives.
Since joining KDP Canada in 2012, Cynthia has been instrumental in embedding sustainability into the Company’s core strategy. Her leadership has driven transformative packaging innovations, significantly reducing the Company’s environmental impact.

Before her time at KDP, Cynthia held senior communications positions at Hydro-Québec and Deloitte, and she began her career as a Communications Advisor at Stratège Idées Communication and Project Manager at the Jeune Chambre de commerce de Montréal.

A passionate advocate for the industry, Cynthia is actively involved in key associations, serving on boards that reflect her commitment to sustainability and circular economy practices. She has served in the past on the boards of the Coffee Association of Canada and the Plastic Division of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada, and currently sits on the board of Circular Materials, the Canadian Beverage Association, and the Quebec Beverage Container Recycling Association.
Cynthia earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Montréal, fueling her relentless drive for positive change.

Jeff Bezzo was appointed Executive Director – Plastics Sustainability Project Management Office in September 2023, reporting to Fisk.

In this role, Jeff helps build SCJ’s Strategy 2030 plastic goals and objectives that will drive strategic focus across activities including new product development to encourage refilling and reuse, packaging design to increase recyclability and recycled content, legislative advocacy, and building consumer awareness and behavior change through communications and partnerships. He works across the BUs and numerous functions including RD&E, Procurement, Global Marketing, regional Marketing Commercialization, Government Relations, and Global Corporate Affairs, Communications and Sustainability.

Jeff is a strategic leader with 25 years of SCJ finance experience and a track record of building teams and working cross-functionally to deliver strong results. He has served as Executive Director – SC Johnson and CFO – Lifestyle Brands since October 2020. He also represents SCJ as a Board Member of the Circular Action Alliance, a U.S.-based non-profit Producer Responsibility Organization established to support the successful implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility laws for paper and packaging.

Educated at McMaster University in Canada with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, Jeff subsequently earned a CPA, CMA also in Canada. He is a daily runner, has completed three ultra-distance races to date, and is an avid lover of the outdoors. Jeff spends his free time outside his home adjacent to the Kettle Moraine State Forest and Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Wisconsin. He holds dual citizenship in the United States and Canada.

Brookes Shean is FLO’s Director of Site Acquisition across Canada and the United States, leading a team to secure site host partners for FLO’s owned DC Fast Charging network. He has more than 20 years of experience in sales and product management in the fields of new technologies and digital environments for startup organizations. Brookes has always been on the lookout for cutting-edge innovation, having worked with cloud-based products and services as well as fibre optics and now all things EV Charging. As an avid driver, Brookes converted to electric mobility 6 years ago and has contributed to support the deployments of the over 90,000 FLO EV charging stations deployed throughout Canada and the United States for FLO.

In her current role as a Sr Director Leigh is responsible for Sustainability, Facilities/Engineering, Sourcing and Procurement for Supply Chain, Retail and Corporate locations across Canada. Leigh is responsible for setting the sustainability agenda and identifying key focus areas for the company inclusive of numerous customer facing recycling programs, internal waste diversion, community-based recycling initiatives and energy management inclusive of Staples commitment to renewables and staples decarbonization plan

For her efforts, Leigh was named to Canada’s 2014 and 2016 Clean50, which offers recognition to Canada’s leaders in sustainability for their contributions over the prior two years. The only retailer to have received two clean 50 awards. Leigh has also been honored by Retail Council of Canada twice in the area of Sustainability.

Leigh has fiscal responsibility for the capital and expense budgets for all Facility related initiatives for all Staples locations inclusive of Supply Chain, Retail and Corporate in Canada and oversees procurement inclusive of non-trade supplies and Corporate Travel.

Leigh started with Staples in 1997 as a Management Trainee and has held several store management roles.  In 2002 Leigh assumed responsibility for centralizing facility management for the retail locations. A team of one that over 22 years as grown is size, scope and sophistication of process.    .

Leigh was elected to the Connex (formerly Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association) Board of directors in 2014 and was elected as the 2016-17 Chair of Board.  The second female in 25 years to hold the role and the first Canadian in the position. 

Leigh currently sits on the board of Directors for the Ontario Volleyball Association and Lighthouse Learning and Development centre a non-profit educational facility for those K-12 with autism, neurodivergent and intellectual disabilities in Aurora Ontario.

Sam has been with Recycle BC and Multi-Material Stewardship Western (MMSW) for eight years where he oversees the operations team responsible for collecting, receiving, reporting, and responsibly recycling all material within the respective extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs for packaging and paper products. In his role, Sam is responsible for identifying new and innovative approaches to responsible recycling and ensuring chain of custody of obligated materials through standards, audits, and due diligence. Sam holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University and an MBA in International Business from Marquette University.

Cedric Dever is the director of the Consumer Goods Forum plastic waste coalition. This coalition is composed of 43 industry leaders from the consumer goods sector, including retailers, manufacturers, and packaging producers, united in their commitment to make circularity the new standard for plastic packaging.

Cedric is a strategic leader in sustainability, specializing in circular economy initiatives and innovative sustainable plastic solutions. He has 20 years of experience in circular & sustainable plastic packaging through various roles of Global Packaging expert at Consumer Goods companies such as L’Oréal, Ikea and Danone and lastly at the Boston Consulting Group. Cedric’s extensive academic background, including a PhD in Polymer Chemistry, coupled with 18 patented technologies and 4 startups issued from his work, underscores his commitment to innovation and sustainability. Cedric is living in France.

Katie Decker is the Managing Director for Kenvue Canada Inc., where she drives market best practices to unlock value and deliver strategic growth, while advancing Kenvue’s mission through innovative leadership and a commitment to employee engagement. 

Previously, she served as Kenvue’s Global Head of Essential Health, transforming the business model and fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurial leadership for global brands in Baby Care, Oral Care, Feminine Care, and Wound Care. Katie also served as Executive Sponsor for the company’s Healthy Lives Mission sustainability framework, leading this work with a core team responsible for the design and implementation of a portfolio-wide strategy to advance human and planetary health.  Kenvue’s sustainability framework focuses on advancing both human and planetary health through addressing preventable diseases and reducing the negative impact on the environment. 

Throughout her 20+ year career, Katie has worked to scale innovation and drive transformational change to enable future forward growth for the organization, position Kenvue as a partner of choice with global retailers, while facilitating a delightful and consistent consumer experience.  

Katie began her career in sales with IBM as a client representative.  She received her BBA in marketing from University of Georgia and obtained an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business.  

Daniel Reshef is a dedicated sustainability professional with a proven track record in developing and implementing sustainability strategies. With experience in various industries, including waste management, recycling, transportation, and retail, Daniel has a comprehensive understanding of environmental challenges and solutions. He is passionate about driving positive change and advocating for sustainable practices.

As the Director of Sustainability at Nestlé Canada, Daniel is responsible for developing and executing the company’s sustainability strategy, coordinating efforts across the Canadian market, and leading initiatives that contribute to Nestlé’s environmental commitments. With his expertise in sustainability, project management, and stakeholder engagement, Daniel is committed to making a meaningful impact on Nestlé’s Net Zero journey.

Lindsay Colley is currently the Associate Vice President, ESG Strategy & Integration at Canadian Tire. She is responsible for driving the implementation and integration of ESG across the Canadian Tire family of companies, with specific accountabilities for climate, circularity, waste, community impact, culture and education, and reporting. Lindsay is also a CPA, CA and previously held sustainability roles at the Canadian Public Accountability Board, Tim Hortons, and Ernst & Young LLP. She has also taught ESG at both the University of Toronto and York University for many years. Outside of her professional endeavours, Lindsay is active in her community. In 2017, Lindsay was named an Action Canada Fellow and provided climate change policy recommendations to the federal government. She has previously served on the boards of Fairtrade Canada, the Toronto Public Library Board, and the Canadian Environmental Association, among other volunteer activities. She lives in Toronto with her partner and three boys, and loves acroyoga, hiking, public libraries, and stewarding her local Buy Nothing group.

Adam Kehler is a director in FCC’s Strategy & Impact division. His team focuses on ways FCC can enable the Canadian agriculture & food industry to be a global leadership in sustainable food production, today and tomorrow, as sustainability expectations, at home and abroad, continue to evolve.
Adam came to FCC in 2011 to put his statistics and actuarial science background to use to advance data-driven decision-making throughout the organization – ranging from customer & market research to finance & risk management. This set him up well to appreciate the analytical advancements needed to keep pace with evolving sustainability expectations.
He is a prairie boy born and raised with a passion for telling the sustainability story of the industry – which has done a lot over the past two decades since he cleaned bins and hauled grain on the family farm in Saskatchewan.

Patrick is the Founder, President and CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of GFL Environmental Inc, a Canadian multi‐sector environmental services company headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario.
In 2007, Patrick had a vision to create a company that is a “one-stop shop” provider of environmental solutions. Since then, drawing on the discipline he learned in his earlier hockey career, Patrick has driven GFL to become the fourth largest environmental services company in North America. Patrick has instilled an entrepreneurial culture in GFL’s leadership team with a focus on operational excellence, sustainability and safety as core values.
In 2017, Patrick was recognized by Waste360 with a Top 40 Under 40 Award, and in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year TM Ontario Awards, as Entrepreneur of the Year in the Power & Utilities Sector.
Patrick is also driven by a passion to give back to charities in our host communities. In addition to being a regular supporter of charities supporting local family and health initiatives, in 2019 he contributed $5 million to help create the Dovigi Family Sports Medicine Clinic, a first of its kind sports medicine research and care facility providing support to individuals with sports-related injuries.
Patrick is a devoted father of 5 children and currently serves on the board of directors of the Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation.

John Hayes is President of H2 Compliance North America, a leading Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in Ontario. John oversees the company’s EPR, take-back and consulting services. With over 28 years of experience, John has a strong background in environmental compliance and sustainability, John is dedicated to helping businesses achieve their environmental goals and remain compliant, particularly in the areas of Blue Box, E-Waste, and Battery recycling. John has a BSc in Biotechnology and a PhD in Physical Chemistry. John’s experience has been applied to many different scenarios including Government Affairs and regulatory program management in companies such as Procter & Gamble and HP. John is a founder of H2 Compliance with almost 70 staff located around the world. In 2016 , H2 Compliance became a part of the Landbell Group, a group managing 45 PROs around the world.

Anthony is currently the VP- Product Development & Innovation in the Consumer Brands Division.  There he fuses his engineering background with the worlds of consumer research, strategic marketing and product/service design. 

After receiving his B.A.Sc. from the University of Toronto in Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Anthony continued his studies completing a Masters in Engineering Design.   Anthony then spent almost a decade in the automotive industry at Ford, Magna, and Martinrea in various positions involving project management, product design and testing, R&D and engineering management.  In 2007 he joined Canadian Tire’s Innovation Management Group building new competency in the organization around product development and innovation for Canadian Tire’s Private Label Brand portfolio.  Anthony has spent the last few years building out the Owned Brands strategy and org structure to support Canadian Tire’s purpose of Making life in Canada better. Anthony is strong supporter of academic/industry collaboration and has run initiatives with UofT engineering, Schulich School of Business, and the Rotman School of Business – Design Works Studio.   

Anthony has a passion for user-centered design and is an advocate of both design thinking and doing.  He has built Canada’s largest consumer product design and development team; focused on the innovation that results when business strategy, user-understanding, and design methods merge. 

Lyndsey is the VP, Program Engagement with Recycle BC and Multi-Material Stewardship Western (MMSW) in Saskatchewan. In her current role, Lyndsey is responsible for marketing communications, stakeholder relations, customer service and Indigenous engagement. Her eight years working on the Recycle BC program have provided the opportunity to build positive and productive relationships with team members and partners, explore creative solutions advance recycling and bring the brand to life in a meaningful way. Prior to joining Recycle BC and MMSW, Lyndsey worked with 2010 Legacies Now, VANOC, the Vancouver Canucks and Molson Coors in various capacities in marketing, communications, brand engagement, partnerships and event management.

Olivier Lemire is President of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) Canada, overseeing the Company’s strategic initiatives, brand portfolio growth, and operational excellence within the Canadian market. With a tenure that spans back to 2011, Olivier has held various leadership roles within KDP, including Vice President of Commercial Strategy and Vice President of Human Resources, in addition to leading teams across sales, supply chain, and partner brands.

With over two decades of experience in global sales, strategy, and operations within the retail industry, Olivier is renowned for his transformative leadership and collaborative approach to fostering corporate culture. Prior to joining KDP, Olivier held pivotal roles in business operations and sales management with industry titans like Procter & Gamble and Nike, where he significantly contributed to their market dominance.

During his tenure at KDP, Olivier played a critical role in shaping the Company’s trajectory. Most notably by spearheading the strategic merger of Keurig Canada Inc. and Canada Dry Mott’s Inc., which resulted in a seamless transition and strengthened the Company’s market position.

Olivier holds an MBA from Laval University and the Grenoble School of Management. Before transitioning to sales and management, he pursued his passion for professional sports and studied kinesiology.

Mylène Champagne is the Director of Environment and Risks at METRO Inc. since March 2022. In her current role, she concentrates on reducing carbon emissions, addressing food waste, and enhancing material diversion rates. With 13 years of experience in sustainability and dual master’s degrees in sustainable development and management, coupled with a law certificate, she has a broad background in environmental management across consulting, education, telecommunications, and retail sectors.

Heather Mak is the Principal Advisor of Heather Mak Consulting and the co-founder of Diversity in Sustainability, a member network focused on re-imagining a more inclusive sector of sustainability. Heather has over 15 years of experience in the private and non-profit sectors on food, retail and consumer goods sustainability issues in North America and Europe. Heather is a known connector, convenor and facilitator, and also specializes in strategy and integration, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and reporting and communications on complex sustainability issues. She was the co-author of Signed, Sealed…Delivered? Behind Certifications and Beyond Labels, a white paper focused on how certification and labeling tools are used by businesses to define, deliver and demonstrate more sustainable practices, and the future needed to create sustainable impact. She has been featured in the Globe and Mail, Corporate Knights, The Toronto Star, GreenBiz, Ethical Corporation, and Business Insider.

Heather holds a B.Com with Distinction in Marketing from McGill University, and an MBA with Honours in Sustainability from Schulich School of Business, York University.

As Vice President, Producer Responsibility for Eco Entreprises Quebec, Philippe leads the team handling producer relations, audits, fee setting, Eco modulation, packaging design and recyclability.
He holds a master’s degree in environmental science and has dedicated most of his decade to shaping Extended Producer Responsibility policies and programs for paper, packaging, electronics, appliances, and other consumer products.
Atypical projects, consensus building and change management are some of his key motivators alongside his love for his family, good food, languages, and travel.

In his current role, Sam is responsible for driving Walmart Canada’s food, general merchandise, health and wellness and apparel businesses, helping customers meet their everyday needs at everyday low prices. 

Prior to his current role, Sam served as Chief Operations Officer responsible for the performance of more than 400 stores from coast-to-coast serving more than 1.5 million customers daily. 

Sam has been with Walmart for more than 20 years and started his career through the Asda Graduate Program in the UK. He joined the Canadian business in 2008 and then took on an expatriate assignment with Walmart International in 2011 where he led Strategy for the EMEA region. Upon his return to Walmart Canada, Sam assumed leadership of the General Merchandise team before moving into Operations in 2016 to lead the Western division. In 2019, Sam assumed the role of Senior Vice President of Central Operations. 

He currently sits on the board of advisors to LIMA Canada, an organization focused on growing the licensing industry in Canada. 

Sam holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Quality Management from the Nottingham Business School. 

As CEO, Allen is responsible for leading Circular Materials through the development of Ontario’s new blue box recycling system while expanding the organization’s operations into other provinces, starting with New Brunswick. His mission is to support producers with a robust not-for-profit service offering that advances the circular economy, delivers national harmonization of extended producer responsibility (EPR) services and harnesses competitive procurement to provide the best value for producers.

Prior to joining Circular Materials, Allen served as the President and CEO of Return-It, British Columbia’s very successful used beverage container management program in Canada. In this role, Allen oversaw the modernization of Return-It’s collection network, which consists of more than 170 collection sites, including Return-It depots, Express Plus and Express & GO stations. Return-It has routinely exceeded a 75% recovery rate for used beverage containers in British Columbia, and its network has supported the collection of new materials, including waste electrical and electronic equipment.

Allen also served as the Managing Director for Recycle BC, the first 100% EPR program for paper and packaging in North America where industry assumed full financial and managerial responsibility for the residential recycling system.
Allen currently serves as an Advisory Board Member for the Washington State Recycling Development Centre.

Tim Faveri is Vice President, Sustainability & Stakeholder Relations at Nutrien Inc. In this capacity, Tim provides strategic leadership and oversight for Nutrien’s global sustainability strategy and governance, sustainability disclosure and performance, stakeholder engagement, community relations and investment, and Indigenous relations.

Tim joined Nutrien from Maple Leaf Foods Inc., where he was VP Sustainability & Shared Value, leading the organization to become the first major food company in the world to become carbon neutral, and the first food company in Canada to set science-based targets. Prior to Maple Leaf Foods, Tim led Sustainability & Responsibility at Tim Hortons Inc., one of North America’s largest publicly-traded restaurant chains and iconic Canadian companies.

Tim currently represents Nutrien on the Board of Directors of US Farmers & Ranchers in Action. He holds a Bachelor’s degree (Biology) from Queen’s University and a Master’s of Health Science from University of Toronto.

Nutrien is a leading provider of crop inputs and services, helping to safely and sustainably feed a growing world. We operate a world-class network of production, distribution and agriculture retail facilities that positions us to efficiently serve the needs of growers. We focus on creating long-term value by prioritizing investments that strengthen the advantages of our integrated business and by maintaining access to the resources and the relationships with stakeholders needed to achieve our goals.

Jonathan Ménard has been a leading figure in the waste and recycling management industry since 2008. With extensive expertise in optimizing MRF design and a deep understanding of cutting-edge technologies, he is a recognized authority both in North America and internationally. Jonathan is also a respected public speaker, having presented across various industries on market trends and innovations.

Jonathan joined Machinex in 2008 as Project Director in the Sales Department, where he designed advanced technical solutions using Machinex’s state-of-the-art separation technologies. His work primarily focused on the European and international markets, with particular expertise in residential, commercial MRFs, waste-to-energy, and mixed waste treatment.

In 2016, Jonathan was appointed Executive Vice-President of Sales and Strategic Positioning. In this role, he has driven Machinex’s expansion across international markets and led strategic diversification efforts in emerging sectors such as e-commerce warehouses and deposit return schemes. He also supports the Sales Engineering Team with his deep expertise when needed, continuing to ensure Machinex delivers turnkey solutions to its clients.

Martin Vogt started his career over 30 years ago in Germany, where in 1998 he designed and installed the first curbside film processing line for his father’s company. In the following years, he was the Lead Engineer, developing and operating fully automated mixed plastics and film processing systems at Vogt-plastic GmbH in Germany.

In 2006, Martin moved to Canada and founded EFS-plastics Inc. Currently, he is the President & CEO of the EFS-plastics Group of companies, one of the leading post-consumer plastic recyclers in North America, operating in 4 different locations across Canada and the US, with more than 160 employees.

As the President and CEO of Burnbrae Farms, Margaret is a 4^th generation member of the Hudson family working in the business, which has been in the family since it was founded in 1891.  Burnbrae Farms is recognized as a food industry leader with egg grading, processing, and farming operations in five provinces across Canada.  In her role Margaret is responsible for leading strategy development and implementation, operations, innovation and brand portfolio growth and succession for the business and family ownership. 

Margaret has overseen a number of initiatives contributing to environmental and community stewardship including diverting more than 90% of their waste from landfill in their grading and processing operations, the commissioning of both a solar powered layer hen farm and solar field on two of their layer hen farms,   as well as supporting a wide array of charitable initiatives including breakfast programs, food banks, disaster relief charities, environmental causes, and student education around agriculture.

One of Margaret’s passions has been to educate non-farming Canadians about farming.  She served on the Royal Winter Fair Board for 6 years and has been a leader in promoting transparency as a means of building trust.  Margaret represents Burnbrae Farms on the GS1, FHCP and Grocery Foundation boards and has been honoured with a number of industry awards and recognition including the Golden Pencil (2020), Grocery Business Hall of Fame inductee (2021) and Canadian Grand Prix Lifetime Achievement (2022). Margaret holds a B.Sc. and an MBA from the University of Toronto and lives in Toronto with her two children, Evelyn and James Rogan, and enjoys travelling, her farm and cottage, and spending time with her family. 

I’m committed to helping organizations to thrive and grow while playing a responsible role in finding solutions to the social and environmental challenges facing our world. I lead complex projects related to social, economic and environmental issues including working with organizations to develop and execute high-performing sustainability strategies, engage stakeholders and Indigenous partners in transformational projects and enhance transparency and disclosure. I work alongside a multidisciplinary team that includes scientists, engineers, CPA’s and creatives to make an impact that matters. 

Marijke (pronounced Mar-eye-ka) is an experienced merchandising and ESG professional, sustainable living enthusiast and avid world traveller. Building a career in retail, she successfully led portfolios of up to $1.1B in annual sales during her tenures at Indigo, LS Travel Retail and the LCBO. A lifelong passion for sustainability brought Marijke to Canadian Tire where, as part of the ESG Strategy & Integration team, she has applied her background in category management and her knack for inspiring change to help guide the strategic work in reducing the environmental impact of CTC’s products by finding ways to better design, make, reuse and recycle them. Outside of work, Marijke is a keen practitioner of yoga and ardent champion for low waste, joyfully follows a plant-based lifestyle, and takes every opportunity to travel the world—she’s just visited her 102nd country! 

Selwyn Crittendon is CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA Canada, a world-leading home furnishing retailer. For more than 40 years, Canadians have welcomed IKEA into their homes, and have been strong supporters of the IKEA brand, product range and its vision “to create a better everyday life for the many people”. Selwyn joined IKEA in 2002 at the IKEA Woodbridge, VA store as the Customer Convenience Manager. During the last 20 years, Selwyn has held numerous roles across the organization from driving an excellent customer experience to developing and strengthening leaders.
Today, Selwyn leads the ongoing transformation of the Canadian business to create a more affordable, accessible, convenient, and sustainable shopping experience for the IKEA customer and more importantly, a rewarding place to work for IKEA co-workers nationally. Throughout this omnichannel, people-focused transformation, IKEA continues to explore new store formats, enhance the in-store experience, invest in new digital experiences, improve its service offer, and optimize its distribution networks.
Selwyn’s passion for people, transformation, and change, fuels his focus on strategic growth that will propel IKEA Canada for many years to come.
An avid foodie and father of two, Selwyn has settled with his family in Oakville, ON.

Alex is the Director of National Facilities, Maintenance & Office Services for Holt Renfrew.

In his role, Alex overseas the day to day facility maintenance for all Holt Renfrew locations inclusive of stores, distribution, and offices nationally. Alex is also responsible for all Building/Lighting automation systems, facility capital projects, maintenance service contracts, CMMS management, and key sustainability and waste initiatives.

Embracing his 25 years of facility maintenance and management experience, Alex has driven Holts to new heights in helping them strive to attain sustainability goals. Holt Renfrew was the first retail company to set scientific based targets in 2021 and set a company target of 65% carbon emissions reduced by 2030. Currently they are well on their way as to date they have reduced their carbons emissions by 36% against their 2019 baselines with key initiatives completed at all locations and have also reached a 80% waste diversion target this year by finding key recycling strategic diversions within the store.

Alex has previously studied Mechanical Engineering with a trade background in Millwrighting and Gas fitting. He is a proud resident of Brampton, Ontario with his wife and three children. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for Brampton hockey as well as gives back by devoting his time to coaching two hockey teams for Brampton hockey in his spare time.

Crystal Howe, is the Director of Sustainability for the Ice River family of companies. Ice River is a vertically integrated manufacturer, recycler, brand owner and innovator that specializes in the design and production of sustainable products and packaging that help support the growing circular economy in Canada.  With a background in organic farming and a passion for business with a purpose, Crystal drives sustainability best practices within the organization, the community and with their supplier and customer partners.  She has championed many initiatives in areas of recycling, zero waste to landfill, Operation Clean Sweep, energy reduction, and manufacturing efficiencies to minimize the environmental impact and maximize the effectiveness of the business.  Crystal also collaborates with various government and non government groups to promote positive action for the health of our planet.

Pascal Lachance joined Danone Canada in 2011. As Director of Sustainability at Danone Canada, Pascal is leading the sustainable development agenda of the company. In 2018, he successfully led the process for the company to become the country’s largest consumer-facing certified B Corporation. Since then, Danone Canada was recertified twice in 2021 and 2024. Under his leadership, Danone received in the past 4 years the Canadian Grocer’s Impact Award in the Sustainability, Support employees and Diversity, equity and inclusion categories amongst other recognitions. Pascal played a central role in the creation and the on-going work of the Circular Plastics Taskforce (CPT), a NGO aiming at finding solutions for the recycling of plastic packaging across Canada. Working with Danone’s flexitarian portfolio of trusted brands enables Pascal to provide insightful brand perspective on the role brands can play in our evolving society.

As Vice-President, Recycling – North America, Stephen’s leadership guides the success of GFL in advancing resource recovery across North America. He plays a leading role in developing strategic partnerships and driving key initiatives across the business. His expertise in these areas combines an understanding of operating successful facilities under different regulatory frameworks and creating solutions that address the needs of GFL’s customers.

Leveraging his decades of experience, Stephen is part of a leadership team that successfully navigated the implementation of EPR programs across Canada. He uses his in-depth knowledge of market dynamics, commodity sales, contract strategy and innovative MRF design and operations to drive performance in the recovery and recycling industry. Under his direction and oversight, the company was awarded new contracts, expanded recyclables processing and sales operations to new territories, designed and built award-winning MRFs that embraced the increased demands of end markets, and advanced recovery rates through cutting-edge technology and training.

Randi Marshall is the Regional Head of Sustainability & Public Affairs for H&M Americas, joining the company in 2022. Randi leads the fashion retailer’s public policy strategy and oversees the sustainability compliance efforts for the business in the region, including EPR and due diligence mandates. Randi holds a master’s degree in public administration and public policy from the University of Baltimore, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Massachusetts Boston. A native of the California Bay Area, Randi now resides in Washington D.C. with her husband and 4-year-old daughter. 

Catherine is the sustainability communications lead at Unilever Canada. With a career of over 30 years focused on environmental issues, she has gained extensive experience in developing and executing sustainability communications strategies.
Most recently her work has focused on sharing stories of Unilever’s journey to net zero, how Unilever is working to protect and regenerate nature, and innovations and collaborations to reduce its plastics footprint. In addition to communications, Catherine’s responsibilities include regulatory affairs on issues related to plastics, packaging and extended producer responsibility.

Nathan Steeghs is a Partner in Deloitte’s Sustainability & Climate Change practice with over 17 years of experience working in climate, energy and carbon management. Nathan currently leads Deloitte’s climate services nationally which includes supporting clients across industries with a strong focus on sustainable agriculture and food production. Nathan has worked with some of the largest agrifood producers and retailers in North America and recently led the development of an open-source framework for climate-smart agriculture focused on scaling sustainable food production in Canada.

Monica Hadarits is the Executive Director of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB), a multi-stakeholder not-for-profit organization that advances, measures and communicates continuous improvement in sustainability of the Canadian beef value chain. She leads the strategic direction, management, and funding for the organization.

Monica holds a master’s degree from the University of Guelph. Her research focused on climate change and adaptation in agriculture. She has family farm roots in Saskatchewan, experience working with rural communities across Canada, and international agriculture research experience in South America.

Cliff Hacking is the founding president and CEO of the Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA), the most comprehensive end-of-life electronic stewardship program in North America. EPRA, under Cliff’s leadership, has recycled over 1.3 Million tonnes of e-waste since the organization’s inception. Through EPRA’s Recycle My Electronics programs, EPRA has helped Canadians divert e-waste from landfills and illegal export with over 3,150 collection sites across Canada.

In prior roles, Cliff increased revenue and profitability at such industry-leading companies as Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, and Canadian Tire. He holds an MBA from Western University and has an ICD designation from the Rotman School of Business.

Cliff is an expert in driving lower costs and increased economies of scale on a national level. Under his tenure, EPRA has introduced new programs in Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, while expanding efforts in British Columbia and evolving within new legislative requirements in Ontario. Cliff also brought efficiency and consistency to EPRA’s 8,200 stewards.

Cliff is the host of A Welcome Diversion, EPRA’s podcast that covers sustainability and recycling. Cliff has elevated public awareness of EPRA as a leader in the environmental and technology sectors reaching today’s on-demand audience. The podcast series is available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts.

As Senior Manager of Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Business, Jackie serves as a consultant to organizations looking to decarbonize & reduce costs by using less of Earth’s natural resources. Through her 15 years with the business, she’s developed an expertise in designing sustainability and utilities management programs for companies across the retail, hospitality, and food & beverage sectors.

Jackie excels at putting herself in a client’s position and working alongside them to build custom solutions related to decarbonization, data management, emissions reduction strategies, and cost reduction opportunities. As a senior and tenured member of the Schneider Electric team, clients value and trust her expertise, while her colleagues appreciate her role as a coach and mentor.

Jackie has amassed significant expertise in the sustainability industry during her 15 years of experience at Schneider Electric. She is an active member of her community in Louisville, KY, serving on the board of several non-profits in the environmental sustainability space. She graduated as the top student in her class from The University of Louisville with a BA in International Business and a BA in Spanish.

Cher is the Managing Director of the Canada Plastics Pact (CPP), which is focused on convening key stakeholders within the plastics value chain to advance a circular economy for plastics in Canada. CPP’s purpose is to keep the right plastics in the economy, and all plastics out of people, animals and nature.

Prior to CPP, Cher was the founder and CEO of Provision Coalition Inc., a food system sustainability consultancy, which was acquired by Anthesis Group. Cher’s career also included time with the Guelph Food Technology Centre (now NSF International) where she established and directed the Sustainability Consulting Business Unit, and she has held several executive positions in environmental economics and policy at the research think tank, George Morris Centre.

Julie Dabrusin was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Toronto—Danforth in 2015. She has served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources since 2021.
Parliamentary Secretary Dabrusin helps lead on Clean Electricity, Canada’s Green Building Strategy, Zero Emission Vehicles, and Zero Plastic Waste by 2030.
Prior to entering politics, Ms. Dabrusin was an active volunteer in her community. She founded Friends of Withrow Park, served on the Board of Directors of Park People, and started initiatives such as the local Second Harvest Hunger Squad. In 2012, she was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her community service.