How Maple Leaf Foods’ Head of Culinary Samantha Lazuric Takes the Lead
At Maple Leaf Foods, leadership takes many forms—even from the corporate kitchen—and Samantha Lazuric, widely known as Chef Sam, is a standout example. As head of culinary – retail (research, development and technology), she combines more than 15 years of culinary experience with consumer insight and business strategy. The result? Product innovation and culinary storytelling that captures the imagination of Canadian families.
Chef Sam joined Maple Leaf Foods over a decade ago through an unexpected opportunity in food styling, and quickly evolved her role to span recipe development, brand content, sustainability and cross-functional collaboration. She now leads the culinary team in partnership with R&D, sustainability, food safety, sales and marketing to ensure both delicious and responsible food innovation.
Among her standout leadership initiatives: curating Maple Leaf’s All Taste, No Waste Earth Rangers cookbook and championing “upcooking” and “litterless lunches” to combat food waste and inspire sustainable behaviour among families nationwide. As part of the six month long “All Taste, No Waste” challenge, more than 119,000 sustainable food habits were logged. This included over 14,800 up‑cooked meals made from leftovers and nearly 20,000 clean‑plate pledges, directly reflecting Chef Sam’s influence on consumer-facing sustainability.
Chef Sam shares how she leads from the kitchen, aligning diverse teams toward shared goals, driving sustainability through small tangible wins and mentoring future leaders.
Not every food manufacturer has a head of culinary. What does leadership look like in your role?
Leadership in any role means having a genuine drive and desire to cultivate, support and motivate your team and their development. It’s about aligning their skills and strengths to help them reach their personal goals, while also advancing the company’s objectives. Within the culinary team, we are a busy, fast-paced department that meets regularly to ensure all needs are being met and everyone feels confident going into their tasks. Clear communication is essential and staying calm under pressure is one of the most valuable traits in a leadership role—especially in the kitchen! Food can be quite subjective, so being confident in your abilities is extremely important.
You work with R&D, sustainability, marketing, food safety and many other departments. What does effective collaboration look like?
A deep understanding of the business and what all our business channels are trying to achieve is so important. Success starts with truly listening to the desired outcomes and goals of whoever you’re supporting. Having exposure to so many departments is one of the most rewarding parts of my role. It allows me to learn so many different aspects of the organization and gives me the opportunity to wear different hats. It’s a unique and exciting position for a chef to be in, and something that helps to make you truly agile!
Sustainability hasn’t always been embraced in food innovation. How have you helped lead on emerging sustainability practices, especially amid skepticism?
We at Maple Leaf Foods recognize that any progress towards sustainability is better than none at all. In the food world, I have found that the best way to lead in this space is through small wins: focusing on our producers and ingredient sourcing, reducing food waste, and reducing environmental impact where we can. I have always been very vocal about our purpose and vision and use every opportunity that comes my way to be a voice for these platforms. Being a chef in a corporate environment gives me a unique platform to influence change from both a culinary and strategic lens. It’s about more than just what’s on the plate, it’s about how we get there and the impact we leave.
You’ve championed initiatives like "litterless lunches" and “upcooking” with a cookbook, Maple Leaf Foods’ social channels, and media appearances. What have you learned about shifting consumer habits and encouraging waste reduction?
If I have learned anything through these important channels, it’s that there’s a strong desire from our consumers to drive positive change. They are curious and care about the future of our planet. It’s inspiring and rewarding to participate in such meaningful ways and to see how consumers are receptive to our tips on litterless lunches and upcooking. People are deploying the actions we drive in their everyday lives because of how Maple Leaf Foods is leading by example. Having an ambassador role like this means that I practice what I preach, and I myself have learned so much along the way. I love to advocate both inside and outside of work.
You’re a mentor and advocate for women in leadership. What key advice do you share?
Set goals and the desired outcome of those goals. That is where the major tests of your career will be—it will be the space between those two things and they will be filled with opportunities, failures, successes, learnings, self-doubt and resilience. Don’t let it derail you, let it drive you. Don’t let anyone disarm your power along the way. Take calculated risk—you never know where those opportunities will take you and what you will learn from them as you build your career. Maintaining and checking in with yourself with clear focus on your future is the only thing you can control—so take the reins and empower yourself, as there is nothing to lose by trying. One of the biggest self-mantras I have that has served me well is to learn everything you can in the role you are in – always take the extra steps, no shortcuts. This is what distinguishes you from others. Through education and experience, you earn credibility. This is one of the first things I learned in my career.
What do you do outside of work that makes you a stronger leader inside the business?
Take time to really be present. When I am able to disconnect and let other parts of my life forward it gives me the refresh I need to come back strong and engaged at work. When I connect in a meaningful way with my family, friends, my dog, and the activities I love to do, I can go back to work with strong mental clarity. Many times it is easy to get swept up in your working life. It takes concerted effort to turn the switch off and dial into other parts of your life. I think when you are successful at doing this, you see your own leadership qualities emerge. It is amazing what can happen to your mental health when you offer yourself the moments you need to revitalize and reinvigorate. I also come back with a sharper handle and greater control on what I need to do or accomplish in a day, week, month whatever it may be. I also really love to read—it’s my way of using a different part of my brain. Anytime I can learn from a good book, you will find one in my hands!
Canadian Grocer's How I Take The Lead series speaks to people from across the industry about how they take the lead on a specific project, initiative or aspect of their job. You’ll hear from grocery leaders about their passions, how they tackle challenges, what they’ve learned and what keeps them motivated. Have a pitch? Send it to digital editor Jillian Morgan.
