Canadian Grocer Names 2019 Star Women Winners
Every year for the past eight years, Progressive Grocer's sister publication, Canadian Grocer, has honored exceptional women who are contributing to and shaping the industry in unique ways.
This year's 29 winners were nominated by industry colleagues and fall into one of three categories: Rising Stars, Senior Level Stars and Store Level Stars. They represent all parts of the industry from CPG professionals to retailers.
Canadian Grocer's program is similar to Progressive Grocer's Top Women in Grocery program, but it honors women specifically in the industry in Canada.
This year's 2019 Star Women in Grocery will be honored at the Star Women Awards Breakfast in Toronto on Sept. 18. Honorees are:
Rising stars
- Norma Boyle, district manager, Southwest Ontario, Metro Ontario
- Geneviève Dugré, director of retail operations, Rachelle Béry and IGA corporate stores, Sobeys
- Amy Fox, director, customer development, Kimberly-Clark
- Tanja Fraser, director of sales, UNFI
- Kelly Herdin, food marketing manager, Federated Co-operatives Ltd.
- Carolyn Hungate, marketing manager and category team lead, The Clorox Company
- Linda Irvine, senior manager, supply chain and operations development, Pusateri’s Fine Foods
- Valérie Mercier, director of sales, A. Lassonde
- Cathy Roufosse, regional director, Save-On-Foods
- Tressa Scorziello, acting director, grocery, dairy, frozen, Longo Brothers Fruit Markets
- Amanda Sztanek, director of sales, Greenhouse
- Sofia Thompson, customer business lead, Kraft Heinz Canada
Senior level stars
- Melanie Agopian, vice-president, divisional programs & strategy, discount division, Loblaw Companies Ltd.
- Michelle Benoit, vice-president, commercial finance, Walmart Canada
- Diane J. Brisebois, president and CEO, Retail Council of Canada
- Michi Furuya Chang, senior vice-president, public policy and regulatory affairs, Food and Consumer Products of Canada
- Rosa Checchia, vice-president, marketing cheese, Parmalat Canada
- Angela Doro, vice-president of operations, Freybe Gourmet Foods
- Heidi Ferriman, vice-president, people & communications, Save-On-Foods
- Anna Kolakowski, vice-president, merchandising, grocery for Super C, Metro Richelieu Inc.
- Tara Longo, co-founder, The Healthy Butcher
- Fran Mulhern, vice-president and general manager, The Minute Maid Company Canada
- Sophie Ruel, vice-president commercial strategies, Agropur
- Jana Sobey, vice-president of merchandising, community, Thrifty Foods and field, Sobeys
- Ratana Stephens, co-CEO, Nature’s Path Foods
Store level stars
- Stephanie Harnock, store manager, Sobeys
- Bethany Roberts, store manager, Colemans
- Heather Savidant, store manager, Sobeys
- Cindy Waytiuk, store manager, Red River Co-op
Read all about the 2019 Star Women honorees from Canadian Grocer, and don't forget to check out Progressive Grocer's 2019 Top Women in Grocery.