Aegis Brands hires VP marketing for Second Cup
Mangala D’Sa will be the new VP of marketing and category at Second Cup Coffee Co., whose parent company restructured in November with plans to diversify through acquisitions in the coffee, foodservice and cannabis categories under a new corporate name, Aegis Brands.
D’Sa replaces Vanda Provato, who was named VP of marketing at the LCBO in October after more than five years leading marketing for the coffee chain. She will head up the brand’s marketing, digital/CRM, innovation and supply chain teams.
Second Cup now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aegis Brands. In January, the parent company closed on its acquisition of Ottawa-based Bridgehead Coffee for $9.5 million, a first in what is expected to be a series of acquisitions under a new corporate strategy.
Last month, Aegis Brands reported a drop in same-store sales of 1.6% in 2019 (with a sales decrease of 2.6% in Q4), compared to a decline of 1.2% the year before. It attributed the loss to “the cost of upgrading the senior leadership team as well as slower than expected sales negatively [impacting] the operating results for the fourth quarter.”
The company has submitted applications for seven retail cannabis locations in Ontario, which would include converting five corporately owned cafés into cannabis retail outlets. It continues to seek opportunities for acquisition, and has appointed new leaders across operations, human resources and franchise operations since Steven Pelton came on board as CEO last May.
Prior to joining Second Cup, D’Sa held senior marketing roles in both Canada and the U.S., including VP of marketing at U.S.-based Post Foods, senior director of marketing for Quaker at PepsiCo Foods Canada, and most recently, VP of marketing at Roots. She previously served as strategic consultant to Indigo and is an adjunct professor of marketing at York University.
Loblaw chief customer officer readies to leave the company
Garry Senecal will step down as Loblaw chief customer officer this summer, after having helped the food retailer navigate the worst of the COVID-19 crisis, as reported in Grocery Business.
When contacted by strategy, a Loblaw spokesperson confirmed the news but could not provide any additional details around his planned departure or succession plans.
Senecal first joined Loblaw nearly 13 years ago to lead its Western grocery operations. He was appointed to his current role in 2018, after serving as president of Loblaw’s market division.
Canadian Tire Corp. marketer takes top job at Korite International
David Lui, former VP marketing at Mark’s and Sport Chek, will become chief executive at Korite International, a Calgary-based producer and retailer of ammolite gemstones and jewellery, effective May 1.
Throughout his career, Lui has served as VP marketing for several Canadian Tire Corp banners and divisions. Before that, he worked in marketing at software company Rapid RTC, as well as retailers The North West Company and Nygård International. He currently sits on the Retail Council of Canada’s marketing advisory committee.
Last month, Canadian Tire Corp named Greg Hicks, the former president of Canadian Tire’s retail unit, as the successor to retiring CEO Stephen Wetmore.
New CEO to helm Plan International Canada
Plan International Canada, the local arm of the global non-profit organization dedicated to children’s rights and equality for girls, will welcome Lindsay Glassco as its new president and CEO on July 1.
Glassco got her start in international development as a teacher in rural Lesotho, a country in Southern Africa. She has held executive roles with the International Olympic Committee, Special Olympics Canada and Right to Play. Most recently, she served as secretary general of the humanitarian organization CARE International.
She joins Plan International halfway through its five-year strategic plan and fundraising goals and at a difficult time for many organizations in the non-profit sector.
