2025 Star Women in Grocery Award Winner KC Shendelman (Q&A)
KC Shendelman
Vice-president of Marketing
Longo’s
How did you get your start in the grocery/CPG business?
I have always been so grateful for those that took a chance on me! Fresh out of my MBA program with no direct experience, I was hired for “attitude over skill.” That mindset, valuing curiosity, resilience and a willingness to learn, has shaped much of my career. I’ve often stepped into roles or industries where I didn’t have a traditional background, but I’ve always been ready to dive in, ask lots of questions and find meaningful ways to contribute. The first 15 years of my career were spent in CPG, followed by roles in telecommunications, not-for-profit and financial services. Five years ago, I made the move into grocery retail by joining Longo’s, an amazing and career enhancing decision with an incredible team. Each step along my journey has reinforced the idea that if you lead with curiosity and a drive to leave things better than you found them, opportunities will evolve in the best way possible.
What intrigues you about the grocery/CPG business?
What continues to intrigue me about both grocery retail and CPG is the constant evolution. It is relentless and dynamic, shaped by shifts in consumer preferences, technology and cultural trends. I’m energized by the challenge of staying ahead of those changes and finding new ways to meet the needs of our guests, team members and communities. Whether it’s leveraging data to better understand behaviour or experimenting with new products, services, communications or experiences, the goal is always the same. We need to connect with people in meaningful, authentic ways to enhance their lives. That intersection of innovation and human connection is what makes this industry so compelling and why I find it endlessly rewarding.
What keeps you motivated at work?
What keeps me motivated is the opportunity to continually evolve, both personally and organizationally with a team of extremely talented people. The role I hold today represents the strategic integration of the experiences built over the course of my career. While the fundamentals of business leadership and marketing remain, the landscape is shifting rapidly. Staying ahead of emerging trends, optimizing processes and driving measurable impact are all essential to long-term success. I am motivated by the challenge of leading through change, developing people, unlocking new opportunities, and ensuring our strategy and execution delivers lasting value to the business and the people we serve.
What do you like most about your job?
What I enjoy most about my role is the dynamic nature of the work and the people I have the chance to work with. I have the opportunity to operate in a constantly shifting environment where consumer expectations, competitive pressures, data and innovations are always evolving. It requires a strategic mindset and the agility to adapt quickly. I thrive on the challenge of turning that complexity into clarity, leading teams to find focus in the noise, and ensuring our brand remains relevant and inspiring in the minds of our guests. I am most energized by the opportunity to work with a talented team and our agency partners to shape how our brand is perceived and experienced over time. The ability to connect business strategy with powerful storytelling and execution is where the real impact happens, and where I believe great marketing can help be a driver of competitive advantage. Every initiative is a chance to reinforce what we stand for and deepen our connection with consumers. Seeing our work translate into trust, loyalty and growth is what makes the role both meaningful and rewarding.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career? How did you overcome it?
One of the most defining challenges of my career was recognizing when I was in an environment that didn’t align with my core values. On paper, the role and responsibilities were ideal, the expectations were high, but the values and culture felt misaligned. I was offering strategic leadership, executing, and delivering results, but something was missing. It taught me the difference between surviving in a role and thriving in it. I overcame the challenge by stepping back, reassessing what mattered most to me in a workplace culture, and seeking out an organization where collaboration, purpose and integrity weren’t just stated, but lived. That shift made all the difference in how I lead and how I show up for my team today at Longo’s.
What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
The most rewarding, and challenging, aspect of my role is leading and developing people. Supporting individuals in a way that aligns with their personal ambitions, while also meeting the evolving needs of the team and organization, requires constant balance and attention. It’s never a one-size-fits-all approach. I prioritize active listening, coaching and being willing to engage in honest, sometimes difficult, conversations.
Maximizing impact with the resources at hand, both talent and budget, is an ongoing challenge. Ensuring the team remains aligned, motivated and empowered to do their best work is at the heart of what we do. Ultimately, it's the people who build the business and that is why I have always remained focused on winning as a team!
That career advice would you give your younger self?
Trust the journey and stay actively engaged in shaping it! Sometimes, despite all the planning and preparation, life and career paths take some unexpected twists and turns. The key is to make thoughtful decisions with the best information available at that time, and trust that each experience, even the unplanned ones, add value. In the fullness of time, all the experiences and skills you have gathered will align in ways that prepare you for future opportunities and challenges. Growth often comes not in spite of the detours, but because of them.
What is the best career advice you have ever received?
Early in my career, after presenting a project that met the objectives and received positive feedback, someone asked me a simple but powerful question, “is this work you’re proud of?” I paused, because while the work was technically sound, I knew in my gut it was just “fine.” Their response stuck with me: “Bring it back when you’re proud of it.” That moment shaped my approach ever since. While certainly there are times when “done is better than perfect,” I’m learned to aim for a standard where I can stand behind the work with pride. It’s a mindset I have carried forward and encourage in the teams I work with so that we collectively create work that not only checks the boxes, but allows us to feel immense pride in our work.
Click here for the full list of 2025 Star Women in Grocery Award winners.