Empire chief marketing officer announces retirement

Sandra Sanderson, chief marketing officer of Empire Company Limited and Sobeys Inc., has announced her upcoming retirement after seven years in the role. 

Sanderson joined Empire in 2018. She was involved in the company’s internal transformation projects and played a pivotal role in the launch of Scene+ and Empire Media+, the company’s retail media business. 

Throughout her career, she was recognized with industry awards including the 2025 Canadian Marketing Association Lifetime Achievement award. She was also awarded Canadian Grocer’s Star Women in Grocery award in 2015.

Sanderson currently serves as a board director for Special Olympics Canada and Scene+. Her previous board and leadership roles include vice-chair of the Canadian Marketing Association and chair of the Retail Council of Canada’s Senior Retail Marketing Committee.  

“I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to do work I genuinely love—building brands and driving marketing transformation at iconic companies. Along the way, I’ve had the opportunity to work with exceptional people who challenged me, inspired me and made the journey very rewarding,” said Sanderson in a LinkedIn post. 

Sanderson will remain in the role until July to support a smooth transition. 

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