Kim Furlong is President & CEO of the Retail Council of Canada (RCC), bringing over two decades of experience at the intersection of public policy, business, and advocacy. Known for her strategic mindset and collaborative approach, Kim leads RCC at a pivotal time for the retail industry—championing members’ interests, shaping national policy, and building strong partnerships across sectors. 

Before rejoining RCC in 2025, Kim spent six years as CEO of the Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA). There, she played a key role in elevating the voice of Canada’s private capital sector, influencing public policy, and strengthening the country’s investment ecosystem. 

Prior to CVCA, Kim spent a decade at Amgen Canada leading External Affairs, and also served as a senior political aide in two federal ministerial offices. 

Throughout her career, Kim has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor and effective advocate, with a deep network spanning business, government, and media. She is passionate about building consensus, delivering results, and helping industries thrive in an evolving economic landscape. 

Kim is an avid cyclist, enthusiastic foodie, and lifelong book lover. Originally from the picturesque town of Percé, Quebec, she is a proud French Quebecer. She now lives in Toronto with her husband and their twin boys—affectionately known as “the Peanuts.” 

Kathleen McLaughlin is executive vice president and chief sustainability officer for Walmart Inc. She is responsible for programs that help Walmart create opportunity through jobs and sourcing, enhance sustainability of retail and retail supply chains and strengthen community resilience.

Through business initiatives and philanthropy, her teams work with Walmart associates, suppliers, nonprofit organizations and others to make significant and lasting improvements to economic, social and environmental systems. For example, Walmart has engaged more than 5,900 suppliers through Project Gigaton™ – an initiative created in 2017 to avoid or reduce one billion metric tons (a gigaton) of greenhouse gases from product value chains by 2030 – achieved in 2024, six years early.

Kathleen serves as chair of the Walmart Foundation Board of Directors. For more than 10 years, she was president of the Walmart Foundation and has helped advance corporate philanthropy, building strategic philanthropic programs that complement business initiatives to achieve greater impact while facilitating local giving and community engagement through Walmart’s tech-powered Spark Good platform.

Kathleen serves on the boards of the World Wildlife Fund and World Resources Institute and as an advisor to The Nature Conservancy’s Impact and Financial Markets team. She previously served on the board of the Council on Foundations.

In 2026, Kathleen was selected by the NRF Foundation for their List of People Shaping Retail’s Future. She was also ranked #1 by Sustainability Magazine among their 2026 Top 250 Women in Sustainability. In 2023, Kathleen was named to Time Magazine’s inaugural “TIME100 Climate List,” recognizing the most influential climate leaders in business. In 2018, she was recognized as one of “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” by Fortune – a title given to leaders around the world for their work to transform the world and inspire others to do the same.

Kathleen is a frequent speaker about the role of business in society at forums hosted by the New York Times, Fortune, the Wall Street Journal and the World Economic Forum.

As Colgate-Palmolive’s Chief Sustainability Offi cer Ann is a member of Colgate’s Sr. Leadership team and leads Colgate’s Global Sustainability strategy and key initiatives, integrating a strong technical foundation across our enterprise Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy Core Ambition pillars – Driving Social Impact, Helping Millions of Homes and Preserving our Environment. Ann holds a BA degree in Applied Science, a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, and a Master’s of Engineering degree in Manufacturing Systems. Most recently Ann has completed a Certifi cate in Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. She currently serves as the Chair of the Board of the UNGC Network USA and is newly appointed to the GHG-Protocol Steering committee.