2025 Star Women in Grocery Award Winner Avie Leang-Lorenzo (Q&A)
Avie Leang-Lorenzo
Vice-president Merchandising Solutions & Business Intelligence
Sobeys Inc.
How did you get your start in the grocery/CPG business?
I started in CPG through market research and analytics in Ireland. Three continents and many, many years later, I find myself now on the retail side of CPG [and] a proud team member at Empire.
What intrigues you about the grocery/CPG business?
We all need to eat. But, the different factors that motivate shoppers to choose one brand or retailer over the other, one flavour over the next, and those unintended consumption occasions make this industry interesting. There is always something to watch out for, it moves fast and is never boring.
What keeps you motivated at work?
My kids, particularly my daughter. I want to show her that knowing what she wants and going after it is encouraged and admired. That purposeful women have a place in business and the only limits that stop us are the limits we place upon ourselves.
What do you like most about your job?
Merchandising solutions & business intelligence, as the team name suggests, deals in actionable information and bringing solutions to merchandising conundrums. While most of the work we do is unseen outside of Empire, we understand how valuable our team is to keeping things going. This is probably the part I like the best—solving puzzles, making what used to be impossible possible, and enabling our business to bring strategy to life. I am also fortunate to have an equally (if not more) curious and driven team that I am humbled to be leading—they make every workday an adventure worth taking.
What habits or mindsets have helped you stay resilient?
Do more of what makes you happy. It’s almost like having a Marie Kondo-esque approach to things in life. Not just towards physical possessions, but also applied to the situations and environments you find yourself in. Does this bring me joy? Even if it’s tough, will I get a sense of fulfilment after? Is this worth it? And most importantly, if I am not happy now, what is within my remit to turn things around? I firmly believe there is more in our ability to change things than we give ourselves credit for, and that has been a good beacon for success that I have relied on over the course of my career. You are always more than welcome to vent when things go awry; but once you’ve let it out, time to pivot and find your way forward.
What career advice would you give your younger self?
Believe in yourself more. There were a few opportunities that came my way earlier in my career that I shied away from thinking maybe I wasn’t ready yet. And while I do not regret the choices I have made, I often wonder how my journey would have gone if I had said “yes” sooner.
What is the best career advice you have received?
So many! The one I do credit the most and is the most relevant to what I do today is “prepare for failure.” I know it doesn’t sound the most positive, but hear me out! As much as we plan for the ideal, curveballs happen. The best planning occurs when you are prepared for failure and know how to solve for it. If you have an answer for “what’s the worst that could happen?” and know what to do if it does, then you are invincible.
What is a fun fact about you?
I am a secret adrenaline junkie and will go as far as my risk-averse family’s comfort level allows. I was the little girl who wanted to go on the biggest roller coasters before I was tall enough to ride them, that one person in the friend group who was first in line for a bungee jump and, maybe soon, jump off a plane. In a life not led, I think it would be amazing if I were a professional NASCAR driver.
Click here for the full list of 2025 Star Women in Grocery Award winners.