Paula CourtneyProduct FounderWISE PLUM®

Paula Courtney, a retail strategist with 20 years’ experience, published in 35 countries and advisor to Fortune 100 companies, is trusted

by Canadian and American retail leaders to help them refine and create a superior customer experience. She is the product founder and chief strategist of WisePlum®, a SaaS-based research tool designed to measure retail customer insights. WisePlum® is a collaboration between LoyaltyOne, a global leader in customer analytics and loyalty program design, and the Verde Group, a customer insights consultancy specialized in identifying, measuring, analyzing and resolving the financial impact of customer dissatisfaction.

David LabistourCEOMOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT CO-OP

David brings both passion for outdoor adventure and extensive business experience to his current role. His career started in product design and has, over the past 30 years, included product

development, retail management and strategic planning with companies such as Adidas, a Marks and Spencer affiliate in S.A. and Aritzia in Canada. David is MEC’s first CEO to have been appointed from within the 46-year-old organization. In his former capacity as the Senior Manager of Buying and Design, David was part of the Executive team that transformed the MEC-Brand -shaping its award winning recognition as Canada’s best Omni-channel leader as well as Canada’s favorite and most trusted brand whist equally encompassing sustainability initiatives operation wide.

David Ian GrayPrincipalDIG360 CONSULTING LTD.

David Ian Gray founded DIG360 to help retail and “retail minded” executives deeply understand their customers and their business environments to help discover where healthy growth will next

come from - and to transition their organizations accordingly. David has an innate ability to understand the “human” side of change and tailors the DIG360 approach to work best with cultures and personalities. In times of change David Ian Gray delivers insight, provocative questions, and new metaphors as catalysts for reinvention. David helps retail organizations become more relevant to the right target audiences and connect deeply to them.

Dave RodgersonRetail Industry Lead MICROSOFT CANADA

Dave’s career includes experience both as a line of business executive for some of Canada’s leading retailers and more recently with technology leaders that support the industry.

Dave works closely with clients and industry associations that share an interest in creating a new consumer experience. More recently, he has been sharing stories about digital transformation and its impact on consumers and the Omni channel experience, helping his clients create their own vision for the future of retail.

Angela ScardilloVice President, Marketing & Communications BEST BUY CANADAAngela leads a comprehensive range of business areas including Brand and Creative Services, Retail Marketing, Media, Advertising,

Video and Print Production, Loyalty and CRM, Consumer Insights, Public Relations, Corporate Communications, Community Investment and Digital Communications. Since joining the executive leadership team at Best Buy Canada in 2010, Angela has guided the vision and direction of the Best Buy brand across the country. A champion of best-in-class marketing solutions and innovation within the organization, she has spearheaded comprehensive marketing strategies and major initiatives such as, the restructuring of the unified, reinvigorated Best Buy brand, and the unveiling of the new, industry-leading Experience Stores across Canada.

Andrew SharpeFounder & Chief Executive Storyteller BRANDSPANK

Andrew is an award-winning marketing strategist. For nearly 25 years Andrew has been instrumental at developing brands, creating compelling stories, and affecting change for

dozens of regional, national and international retail organizations. A self-described marketing insight-er, Andrew is a regular blog contributor to influential sites such as Retail Customer Experience and is a recurring on-air guest on both CBC and Global News— for branding and marketing related topics. He is the current President, and former Director of Thought Leadership, with the BC Chapter of the American Marketing Association (BCAMA). He was also the past Board Member and Director of Brand with the Association of Integrated Marketers (AIM).

Speakers

HOW CANADIANS SHOP TODAY

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Presenting Sponsor

Mark StartupVice President MYSTORE™ RETAIL COUNCIL OF CANADA

After dedicating many years to representing, supporting and speaking on behalf of retailers, Mark is recognized as a passionate and knowledgeable advocate for Canada’s

independent retail community. In 1982, Mark joined Retail BC as General Manager. In 1985 he was appointed President and in 1995 he was named President and CEO. In 2008, Retail BC and Retail Alberta joined forces and in 2009, the two associations amalgamated under a new brand, Shelfspace – The Association for Retail Entrepreneurs. In July, 2012, Shelfspace merged into Retail Council of Canada (RCC) and Mark assumed the role of Vice-president, MySTORE. MySTORE is the independent retail division of RCC, serving the needs of independent retailers from coast to coast.

Speakers (cont.)

HOW CANADIANS SHOP TODAY

A P R I L 1 9 , 2 0 1 8 . VA N C O U V E R

Presenting Sponsor