2024 Star Women in Grocery Award Winner Cynthia Shanks (Q&A)

Cynthia Shanks

Head of Sustainability, Communications and Government Affairs
Keurig Dr Pepper Canada

How did you get your start in the CPG business?

At the start of my career with Deloitte, I was instantly fascinated by our Consumer goods clients' events; it's an industry that looked like it was constantly evolving, filled with energy and supported by dynamic, adaptable leaders. I have always been a foodie, too. So, when I joined KDP [Keurig Dr Pepper] back in 2012, plunging in the world of coffee was an absolute pleasure! I enjoyed learning everything about coffee, from farming practices, responsible sourcing certifications and roasting to sustainable packaging challenges. Years later, when Keurig Green Mountain merged with Dr Pepper Snapple Group, it felt like I was entering into a whole new world and a completely different organization, learning about cold beverages supply chain, commercialization, and deposit-return systems, among other things. CPG and food feel like a space where my energy is always leveraged to its fullest potential: there is always something new to learn, a new challenge to raise, a new partnership to develop!

What keeps you motivated at work?

I am motivated by my capacity, in my role, to be a change-maker. I can have a positive impact on our business by supporting the reduction of our environmental footprint and that of our products, but also on the communities we operate in through meaningful partnerships that help vulnerable populations in many ways. I feel privileged to have led our sustainability strategy and efforts across Canada since 2012. I believe that through our collaborative approach, both internally and externally, we’ve been able to catalyze positive change on many fronts, from responsible sourcing (Keurig trading being the biggest purchaser of fairtrade coffee in the world for over a decade now), to helping shape new blue box recycling programs and deposit-return systems in various provinces. I am surrounded by brilliant inspiring leaders and engaged employees, and that’s my daily boost.

What is your best quality?

I am curious and I love to learn new things and solve puzzles/challenges. I think this curiosity pushes me to go find out how things work and how we can optimize processes and systems. I like to reverse engineer things. That’s exactly what we did when we created the Circular Plastics Taskforce a few years back, to tackle recycling challenges with a handful of like-minded organizations. Members of the plastics recycling value chain didn't communicate much, and that was hindering our capacity to produce high quality recycled materials and build a circular economy. So, we created a taskforce to help ensure a better alignment between market needs and recycling actors to propose concrete solutions and pilot projects to optimize plastics management along the value chain. This organization has now attracted support from governments and industry partners across North America and provides great insight to help move the needle toward a more circular economy. I am also known for my capacity to rally teams and people together, spark collaboration and help stakeholders move towards common goals and objectives.

What is your leadership style/philosophy?

I believe I am a supportive leader—meaning I put team first, and I focus on the growth and well-being of my colleagues with the mindset that we can thrive together. I am leading with empathy and trust, and my focus is really to understand the strengths of each team member, to make them shine in what they are amazing at, and coach them well so they can achieve their full potential in areas of improvement. I also practice conscious leadership, where purpose and social responsibility lead the path forward.

What is a career highlight?

So difficult to choose! Building a strong corporate affairs team at KDP Canada is definitely one. When I look back at the recent years, one thing that comes to mind is our local COVID-19 vaccination clinic. KDP is in one of Montreal's most underserved neighbourhoods, where vaccination rates were among the lowest in the province of Quebec. As the government was getting ready to open new vaccination sites during the peak of the pandemic, our team at KDP decided to take ownership, jump in and do its part to change the statistics. I reached out to a few of our corporate neighbours in Saint-Michel and asked them for their help to co-finance with us and operate a vaccination clinic. Everyone accepted, and we were able to find the perfect spot, hire medical staff and run the clinic over the summer to, ultimately, provide vaccine protection to tens of thousands of people. This was clearly an extra-curricular activity for me and a business like ours, but it was worth every drop of sweat to make it a success and have a tangible, positive impact on our local community amid this unprecedented public health crisis.

What do you like most about your job?

It’s constantly evolving, it’s hyper stimulating, and it’s fulfilling my need for purpose at work. As I lead corporate affairs, on top of feeling good about our sustainability efforts and progress against our corporate goals, I also feel our communication role has a great deal of impact on our 1,500 Canadian employees. Ensuring our team has a clear understanding of our vision and business strategies, connecting with them in a meaningful way, engaging them with energizing content and providing them with the tools they need to better communicate internally and externally is a passion of mine since day one.

What do you like to do when not working?

I love cooking and baking for my family and friends–especially with my kids over the weekend. Teaching them where our food comes from, and how to cook in a healthy and sustainable way is important to me as a parent. I have four children aged between 5 and 16. That certainly keeps me busy and active!

Click here for the full list of 2024 Star Women in Grocery award winners.