Empire's Michael Medline to receive 2024 Canadian Grand Prix Trailblazer Award

TORONTO, March 26, 2024 /CNW/ - Retail Council of Canada (RCC) is honoured to announce Michael Medline, President & Chief Executive Officer of Empire Company Limited and Sobeys Inc., as the recipient of the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix Trailblazer Award.

The Canadian Grand Prix Trailblazer Award recognizes individuals or families who have demonstrated outstanding service and dedication to the Canadian retail and grocery industries, spearheaded historic, transformational change in their sectors, and exhibited both passion and courage in their leadership.

"Michael has always been a passionate and vocal advocate of the retail sector and has never shied away from standing up and speaking out on the issues of greatest importance for our industry," said Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO, RCC. "His commitment to being authentic and courageous, and leading with compassion each and every day has left an indelible mark on our industry and his professional and philanthropic pursuits perfectly exemplify the essence of a true Trailblazer.

"Michael has played a significant role in strengthening the foundations and resilience of our industry while demonstrating exceptional and unwavering passion to respectfully serve customers, employees, and the community at large."

Appointed President & Chief Executive Officer of Empire Company Limited and Sobeys Inc. in January 2017, Mr. Medline is a proven leader with a strong track record of success in Canadian retail. He held senior retail leadership positions at Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC), including President & Chief Executive Officer of CTC.

Mr. Medline serves on the Board of Directors for Scotiabank, the Board of Trustees for SickKids, the Board of Governors for Huron University College at Western University, the Board of Directors for The BlackNorth Initiative and the Sobey Foundation. He is past Chair of the Retail Council of Canada as well as The Grocery Foundation and was formerly on the Board of Governors for Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and Board of Directors for SickKids Foundation.

Mr. Medline joins a distinguished list of past Lifetime Achievement and Trailblazer recipients from across Canada that include Sobeys' Chair Emeriti, Donald and David Sobey, Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee Co-Chairmen, Paul Higgins Jr. and Michael Higgins, Longo's President and CEO Anthony Longo and the Longo Family, Cindy and Tina Lee of T & T Supermarkets, as well as Burnbrae Farms' President & CEO, Margaret Hudson, Pattison Food Group's President, Darrell Jones, Morrison Lamothe Inc & Club Coffee L.P. CEO, John Pigott, and Metro Inc.'s Former Senior Vice President Procurement & Corporate Brands, Serge Boulanger.

The Trailblazer Award will be presented to Michael Medline at Retail Council of Canada's Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards Gala on May 29, 2024, at the Toronto Congress Centre. Joining Mr. Medline at the Gala is Dino Bianco, Chief Executive Officer, Kruger Products Inc., who is receiving the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix Lifetime Achievement Award from Retail Council of Canada & Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Canadian New Product Awards here .

The Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards Gala will close the second day of Canada's biggest retail conference, STORE 2024 , May 28/29, 2024.

Media are invited to attend.

About Empire Company Limited
Empire Company Limited (TSX: EMP.A) is a Canadian company headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. Empire's key businesses are food retailing, through wholly-owned subsidiary Sobeys Inc., and related real estate. With approximately $30.7 billion in annual sales and $16.6 billion in assets, Empire and its subsidiaries, franchisees and affiliates employ approximately 131,000 people.

About Retail Council of Canada
Retail is Canada's largest private-sector employer with over 2.3 million Canadians working in our industry. The sector annually generates over $91 billion in wages and employee benefits. Core retail sales (excluding vehicles and gasoline) were over $501B in 2023. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members represent more than two-thirds of core retail sales through small, medium, and large retail businesses across the country. This includes 54,000 storefronts including department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers, online merchants and quick service restaurants. Our grocery members alone represent more than 95 per cent of the market in Canada.

SOURCE Retail Council of Canada

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