Food & Beverage Summit Speakers

With over 11 years of combined experience in the food and beverages industry and agri-food manufacturing, Carly is a passionate and driven leader. As a Red Seal Chef, Carly founded Smak Dab, a gourmet mustard company that believes in the power of home-cooking. They're committed to using high quality, local ingredients to create unique and non-traditional mustards for the home-cook who loves premium food products to elevate everyday dishes.

As President and Founder of Smak Dab, Carly oversees all aspects of the business, from product development and marketing to sales and distribution. She leverages her interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills to build strong relationships with customers, suppliers, and partners, and to deliver high-quality products that meet the needs and preferences of the retail food market. She strives to continuously learn and improve her skills and knowledge, and to foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence within her team.

Christopher has worked for various industries and multinational organizations. He is skilled in IT strategy, mergers & acquisitions, core system transformation and e-commerce.

Often portrayed as hyperactive, David likes to do it all. Self-taught and unable to resist an interesting project, he’s a self-confessed serial entrepreneur. After co-founding RISE Kombucha and the organic restaurant chain Crudessence, David co-founded LOOP Mission to rescue food products that would otherwise end up in landfills.

Between teaching acroyoga and organizing epic parties, David still managed to write seven books on living foods, including three bestsellers translated into five languages. An inspired go-getter who’s not afraid to speak his mind, he likes to disrupt the business status quo with fresh ideas.

Eric Waterman, is an executive with over 25 years of experience in strategic planning, marketing, and management across multinational brands and SMEs. His expertise spans the CPG sector, including food and beauty industries, with notable roles at L’Oréal and at Le Grand Power of Plants and now leads IC Canada’s agri-food sector. Eric’s leadership has driven significant sales growth, operational efficiency, and international expansion. He holds an MBA from McGill University and is fluent in French and English. Board roles include CIBIM, Group Export Agri-Food and Mont X. An avid skier and cyclist, Eric is also involved in community and environmental initiatives.

Hubba Khatoon is the Regional Innovation Director for the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) in the Prairies. With experience at Calgary Economic Development, TCI Global Clusters, and Prairies Economic Development Canada, Hubba has been instrumental in driving innovation and economic growth in the Prairies. Passionate about food innovation, she focuses on reshaping how food is produced, distributed, and consumed, working to connect startups, small businesses, industry leaders, and researchers to drive meaningful change in the Prairies' food innovation landscape.

Jo-Ann spent her first career client-side, successfully connecting brands with consumers and retailers at Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Cadillac Fairview. As a divisional President of Molson Coors, and a member of its North America Management Board, she led the charge to sell more beer more profitably.

Now leading the agency she co-founded, Nourish Food Marketing, Jo-Ann continues to build robust strategies for food and beverage products in Canada, the US, and Europe. She works hands-on with the Nourish Team, guiding the creation of marketing plans that move products off shelves and into consumers’ shopping baskets and, perhaps most importantly, into their hearts.

J.P. Gervais is Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist at FCC. His insights help guide FCC strategy, monitor risks and identify opportunities in the economic environment. In addition to acting as an FCC spokesperson on economic matters, J.P. provides commentary on the agriculture and food industry through videos and the FCC Economics blog. Prior to joining FCC in 2010, J.P. was a professor of agricultural economics at North Carolina State University and Laval University. J.P. is a Fellow of the Canadian Agricultural Economics Society. He obtained his PhD in economics from Iowa State University in 1999.

Peter Chapman not only understands the food industry, he has a passion for seeing others succeed. Peter’s experience includes the entire supply chain and retail merchandising. Starting at store level, he learned the importance of listening to consumers and the challenges of implementing strategies at retail. He went on to Canada’s largest food retailer, Loblaw’s, for nearly twenty years -- expanding his knowledge working in various departments, including merchandising, marketing and advertising.

In 2007, Peter started a company to provide customized services to producers, processors and retailers across Canada. SKUFood works directly with producers and processors to help them understand their customers, the retailers. Peter is the author of A la cart, a supplier’s guide to retailers’ priorities and he was the national president of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers in 2021. He has provided food industry insights to Canadian Grocer, The Globe & Mail, Maclean's magazine, Canada AM and he writes a monthly column in the Grower.

Shawn has spent the majority of his life as a first responder, joining the Canadian Forces as a combat eEngineer at the age of 17 and becoming a police officer at the age of 21. Sheepdog started as the result of a passion and hobby on the side between shifts as a first responder. Sheepdog opened their doors to their first production facility and store front in July 2023 and have rapidly expanded across the province. Today, they’re found in almost 200 retailers. . Their flagship line of nitro-canned cold brew coffee is a shift in the coffee market and they stand alone as a leader in their space.

Sheena Russell, a Nova Scotian entrepreneur and founder of Made with Local, draws inspiration from her farm roots in Prince Edward Island to create a more equitable and sustainable world through delicious, nourishing Real Food Bars and more. At Made with Local, she leads with a triple-bottom-line strategy that prioritizes the well-being of people and the planet.

Starting from a small farmers market table in Halifax, Sheena has grown the company to over 3000 retailers across Canada and the U.S. Her vision is to establish Made with Local as one of the world's most sustainable food companies.