Sustainable Growth: Navigating Brand Responsibility and Consumer Demands

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.

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.

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.