Michelle Saunders is Vice President of Sustainability at Food & Consumer Products of Canada. Representing Canada’s food, beverage and consumer goods manufacturers, she oversees all policy and advocacy efforts related to environmental sustainability, including plastics and packaging. She led her organization to become the first trade association in Canada to have endorsed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, co-founded the Canada Plastics Pact, and sits on numerous boards and advisory committees of organizations focused on advancing a circular economy and implementing Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging. In 2024 she received Senior Level Star Women of Grocery award by Canadian Grocer.
With 20 years of experience offering strategic public policy and government relations guidance to the business community and on-the ground advocacy at all levels of government, Michelle’s perspective on advocacy builds on her background in politics. Prior to her work in trade associations she worked as a political advisor in the Ontario government, both in the office of the Premier and in the offices of a number of Cabinet Ministers.