AGENCY BRAND MANAGEMENT - Key Persons
Hi, I'm Brad! I am passionate about working with progressive brands that are pushing for change in our food system. This starts with regenerative farming, soil health, and pushing for a predominantly plant-based diet. But this doesn't have to be all at once. Change can start with a seemingly small effort if we remember that action precedes change.
Hi, I'm Cameron! I believe that learning is never (ever) done, especially in the food industry. We need to shift the way food is grown, processed and consumed so we can make a positive impact on climate change. By working with brands that are pushing for exactly this, we are making lasting changes that will impact the generations to come.
Hi, I'm Celia! As an athlete, I believe that food is an integral pillar to ensure a healthy lifestyle and more importantly that everyone deserves to have access to clean and healthy food options. This is why I joined the Agency team. Working with brands that are pushing for clarity on their ingredient list, sustainability, and a better future deserves a place on Canadian shelves. Let us challenge the status quo, together!
Elizabeth is a force for change wherever she is, whether it's working to make healthy food more accessible to consumers in the grocery industry, or inspiring women to find beauty in strength training as a fitness influencer.
She's determined and she's a winner, which means she won't stop knocking on doors until they open. Her goal? "Prioritizing healthier food standards. The health of consumers should be at the forefront of creating a health food system."
She spent 5 years working in key roles in the grocery industry in Nigeria before joining us here at Agency. As a Nigerian woman, she is passionate about the fight for gender equality and brings her care and commitment to helping those around her in her role as Account Manager.
Hi, I'm Heather! At my core, I believe in cultivating healthy relationships from the ground up. When business work together to implement sustainable systems that focus on our local farmers, consumers and our planet (and less on the bottom line) then we create an environment where better decisions can be made. It's what gets me up each and every day.
Hi, I'm Hollman! There are many challenges in this world, but what I love about this industry is meeting people who find new and quirky ways to solve, adapt and answer that very challenge. I believe education is at the very centre of how we find this solution; the more we educate based on equity and inclusivity, sustainability and integrity the more long-lasting change we can make together.
Holly is an all-in kind of woman. When she's not growing her own organic food at home, playing the saxophone, or learning something new, she can be found passionately working to move things forward in the natural foods industry as our Director of Sales.
With a deep appreciation for health and wellness, she sees the pivotal role that progressive food brands play in our future: "Ensuring sustainable and healthy food sources is essential for our survival. It's so important that we look after our planet and ecosystems for our current and future generations".
Holly is a natural listener and loves working with other passionate people "who care about the planet and what we nourish our bodies with." She also sponsors a single mother every year at Christmastime to anonymously recreate "the immense joy of receiving gifts" that she remembers as a child growing up with a single Mom - how wonderful is that? She's a force for good and we love her for it.
Janice never stops learning. When we asked her what she loves most, she exclaimed "Learning!" like it was chocolate ice cream and she was a seven-year-old kid. The woman loves to learn and our team and clients are better for it. "Realizing that I don't know everything inspires me to be curious and open to new ideas," she says.
Janice devours podcasts, documentaries, and books. And she stands up for what she believes in. We never expect Janice to stay quiet; she participates in the discussion 100% of the time-thoughtfully. Regarding food sustainability specifically, she believes that "Ensuring everyone is above the poverty line and has food to eat is the first step in tackling all 17 global goals."
Julia is a people person. A natural connector, she loves working alongside other passionate people to innovate and transform the status quo in the natural foods industry. Like all of us at Agency, she gets excited to see progressive brands grow.
She also has strong values and stands behind them: "I really care about the food I buy, farmers, and local economies I can support with my dollars…We have an opportunity every time we enter a store or market to vote with our dollars to reflect our values, and we get to make this choice weekly, if not, daily. Ensuring that products and brands that reflect my own values are able to grow successfully is why I love working in this industry."
With a wealth of experience in growth management for Canadian and US brands across both countries, Julia has seen brands grow from the ground up. In her own words, "working directly with founders is exciting, as their passion for what they do is so evident and being able to see a brand grow as a result of your support gets me super excited!"
Needless to say, she's an inspiring force on our team as Brand Manager and we are thrilled to have her!
Every day Katie works with brands that are changing the grocery landscape in North America and for a woman who is obsessively interested in food system innovation, this makes her day-to-day pretty darn enjoyable. "I love the satisfaction I get from helping progressive brands get on shelf and into people's hands!" she says with an enthusiasm that really warrants at least three more exclamation marks.
For Katie, climate change and food sustainability are directly linked. If we combat climate change, we can improve food sustainability. She does her part by actively contributing to Community Supported Agriculture through a program that her husband founded. A fondness for food sustainability runs in the family.
Hi, I'm Kurstin! I'm a firm believer in cultivating change, making a contribution, and leaving a smaller footprint for the next generation. If we act now and focus on where our food is coming from and how it's grown, harvested, and processed, then we have the power to change our food system from the inside out. This is what drives and ignites my passion, my goal is simple: to be better tomorrow than I am today.
Hi, I'm Laura! I believe that how we shop for food has evolved tremendously over the past decade and it will continue to change in the years to come. Technological advancements, environmental concerns and affordability issues will be influential factors that drive the grocery industry to adapt and evolve. These issues are only going to get worse in the future unless important changes are made to the way we produce and consume our food.
Quinn is a purpose-driven woman who thrives on the culture, people, and innovation that come with working in the progressive grocery industry.
Having started working with natural foods businesses 25 years ago, she clearly sees the link between progressive food production and its positive impact on the environment: "Growth in the industry means growth in processes and products that nourish both the consumer and the earth. It promotes sustaining our natural resources, reducing greenhouse gasses, and preserves biodiversity."
A creative, focused, and resourceful addition to our team, Quinn is always up for a new and exciting challenge! Her love of learning and appreciation of the entrepreneurial spirit means she gets our clients and our shared purpose to create positive change, whether it's filling grocery store shelves with progressive natural foods brands or advocating for climate change.
Sabrina is a details woman. We're talking down-to-the-minutia kinda of details. Nothing falls through the cracks with Sabrina because there are no cracks to fall through. She's proactive and passionate. A one-two punch for our brands. Someone who asks hard questions and creates smart solutions. "If we analyzed areas that can produce more localized food in our communities, we could reduce shipping and warehouse costs and increase the accessibility of food for all," she says.
Sabrina is passing on the importance of food sustainability to her children. "We're raising our kids to be conscientious about their health and the products they consume and to be aware of the environment and that their actions have an impact." We think the next generation is in good hands.
Sakshi is, at her core, a problem solver. She's a numbers woman and an analytical powerhouse who uses data to inform her decisions. When she has an idea, we listen. And she has a lot of great ideas. "I love that Agency wants my voice," she says. "I can innovate here." And innovate she does.
Sakshi appreciates the privilege of being able to make a difference in people's lives. It inspires her to cultivate change in all aspects of her life. "I commit to goals. I persevere. I collaborate well. And I love feedback; that's how we learn and grow," she says. We can attest to all of these. Sakshi is a colleague is driven to transform the most challenging and complex data into powerful insights to help our agents work smarter, not harder.
Shelagh has a big heart, a focused mind, and a passion for the uncomplicated. She's an unwavering optimist-we attribute this characteristic to her ability to always be the last car on the ferry! She's an advocate for less packaging-"It's a simple thing that food brands can focus on to ensure healthy food systems in the future." She also leads by example: "I recycle and reuse everyday packaging."
In her role at Agency, Shelagh is a connector in the deepest, truest sense. This woman breeds connection and we are here for it (and so are our retailers). "When I visit with my retailers, their personalities come forth. We share stories and experiences which typically delights us both and enhances the whole sales experience, making the time spent at Agency less about sales and more about the relationship."