Mars Wrigley Canada appoints new Canadian GM

Mars Wrigley selected Chantal Templeton, the former general manager of Mars’ ice-cream business in the U.S., to be its next Canadian general manager.

During her more than 20 years in CPG, Templeton has worked across four markets for Mars, holding various roles across marketing, sales and and demand strategy. Prior to Mars, she spent over 10 years at P&G. She will now help lead a division whose portfolio includes M&Ms, Mars, Snickers, Twix, Skittles, Starburst, Excel, Hubba Bubba and Juicy Fruit.

As a professional coach by training, Templeton has been recognized for her mentorship of emerging leaders. She helped create and lead Mars Canada’s Women’s Network.

Afterpay picks former Amazon exec as first Canadian GM

Ryann Carruthers stepped in as Canadian general manager for “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) provider Afterpay – a new role for the company that is marking one year in Canada.

Carruthers, who most recently led Canada’s first national field sales team at Amazon, will work to accelerate the company’s growth in the local market, overseeing sales, client relationships and partnerships. Prior to Amazon, she held various sales and leadership roles at Samsung and has prior experience from Virgin Mobile, XM Satellite Radio and Rogers Communications.

BNPL providers like Afterpay have become more prominent since the pandemic began, offering flexibility during hard economic times. Today, Afterpay works with brands including Urban Outfitters, Lululemon, Pandora and Shiseido, and is the most widely used BNPL service provider in Canada, according to Citi Research.

Cogeco’s Canadian cable business appoints Quebec GM 

Cogeco Connexion, the Canadian cable subsidiary of Cogeco Communications, has named Nancy Audette as VP and Quebec general manager. She started the role on July 26.

Audette has more than 25 years of experience in Quebec and global markets. She had served as VP and GM of Fido Mobile in Canada since 2016 and held prior executive roles in marketing, sales and operations as TC Media, Rogers, and Microcell.