2024 Star Women in Grocery Award Winner Marie-Claude Patte (Q&A)
Marie-Claude Patte
Vice-President, Retail Sales
PepsiCo Beverages Canada
What are some of your career highlights??
The time spent coaching resilient and talented teams is, by far, my greatest accomplishment at PepsiCo. We’re truly in the people business. By investing time in people and helping them achieve their ambitions—from creating career opportunities to building strong customer partnerships–that’s where my greatest success lies.
What’s the secret to staying with the same company for 25 years and counting?
PepsiCo is an incredible company to work for and there are two major reasons why I continue to love what I do. First, I’ve been fortunate enough to work alongside exceptionally smart and collaborative colleagues. Our culture is entrenched in respect and performing as a team. We push each other to strive for continuous improvement, conquer obstacles and seize opportunities for personal and professional growth. Second, we represent iconic brands. Brands that Canadians know and love.
How would you describe your leadership style?
My leadership style is rooted in empathy, inclusion and empowerment. The way I lead is a huge testament to the time many leaders at PepsiCo and in the grocery industry have invested in me. I’m focused on creating a team culture that reinforces a positive and solution-oriented mentality and celebrates bringing your whole self to work.
Tell us about your commitment to people development and why it’s important to you.
People development is, bar none, the most critical aspect of what we do as leaders. The success of our business can only be achieved by putting people at the heart of everything we do. It is essential to develop our talent and learn from each other to remain relevant, drive engagement and future-proof our organization. In my role, I’ve been able to be a part of developing the next generation of leaders. From our sales analyst network, which is focused on creating a community among our newest employees to our retail sales membership program, I feel it is important for me to invest in the careers of others like the leader who did this for me.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Be confident. Put people first. Don’t assume anything. Enjoy what you do.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
I’m very family-oriented, and outside of work, I like spending time with my family and friends. I appreciate gathering around a nice meal and experiencing new dishes while having a good time. I’m from Montreal, and I’ve had the opportunity to learn alpine skiing at a young age. In recent years, it’s been a rekindled passion of mine. I very much enjoy travelling abroad to combine the pleasure of discovering new places and skiing with friends. I also like to stay current with the news and remain curious about the main events around the globe.
Click here for the full list of 2024 Star Women in Grocery award winners.