2025 Star Women in Grocery Award Winner Marie-Eve Brunet (Q&A)
Marie-Eve Brunet
VP Sales, Quebec & Atlantic
I-D Foods Corporation
How did you get your start in the CPG business?
I initially studied teaching before transitioning into business administration. From early on, I knew my true calling was in management. However, it was essential for me to work in an industry that aligned with my values—one where the human element was central and where the work felt meaningful. Being a passionate foodie… made the food industry a perfect fit. It gives me the opportunity to explore and enjoy a wide variety of exceptional products.
After completing my degree, I began my career as a marketing assistant in the company. During my path at I-D Foods, I have had the privilege of working alongside remarkable individuals who have mentored, inspired and supported my growth. Eighteen years later, I’m proud to still be part of this incredible professional family.
What keeps you passionate about your work?
What keeps me passionate about my work is the constant dynamic and intellectual stimulation. This makes it a lively and motivating journey. Meeting a wide range of actors on a national and international basis, to have access to this wealth of experience gives me a feeling of constant evolution.
What's your superpower?
I believe one of my greatest strengths is my ability to bring people together. Both in my personal and professional life, I enjoy being surrounded with people, creating links and encouraging collaboration. Interpersonal relationships are essential to my well-being. I don't like to work alone; I don't like to be alone. I am enriched by the people around me.
What is your leadership style?
My leadership style is hands-on and detail-oriented—I like to understand the inner workings of a project so I can offer clear, relevant direction to my team. I value transparency and open communication, and I believe strongly in building teams where diverse profiles and strengths complement each other. That means adapting my approach to different personalities, sometimes quite different from my own, which I see as a real strength; it helps us broaden our perspectives and avoid tunnel vision. At the same time, I put effort into aligning the team so that, despite our differences, we stay focused and move forward together.
What is a career challenge you've faced?
To build my self-confidence as a young professional, especially working mainly in a second language. I had to accept that I wouldn't know everything, I'd make mistakes and I wouldn't always please everyone. Learning to deal with disagreements, to defend my ideas, to evolve despite doubts-all these things pushed me to grow. As I'm demanding of myself, it wasn't always easy, but it's what shaped me the most.
What is a fun fact about you?
I'm not exactly delicate by nature—I tend to wear out computer keyboards quickly. Anyone who's ever shared an office with me can vouch for that. But on the bright side, I type very fast.
Click here for the full list of 2025 Star Women in Grocery Award winners.