Nurturing the ability to lead: Star Women in Grocery 2025 winners panel
Four of this year’s Star Women in Grocery winners took on a variety of topics in a panel discussion at Canadian Grocer’s awards ceremony in Toronto last week.
Moderated by editor-in-chief Shellee Fitzgerald, discussion topics included relationship building and mentorship, dealing with imposter syndrome, work-life balance and building resilience.
Marie-Eve Girard, senior director, commercial strategy and channel development at Danone Canada, said leadership is a journey and by continuing to nurture the ability to bring people together behind a shared vision can make an impact.
“In my experience, collaboration is not just about working well with others, it's also about breaking silos, encouraging open communication, but also making sure that every voice is heard,” said Girard. “Bringing that diversity is really what drives outcomes.”
Girard was joined by Hali Burness, senior director, finance at Conagra Brands Canada; Sobeys' vice-president, corporate marketing, Erika DeHaas; and Amanda Galante, senior category director, centre of store, Super Market Division, at Loblaw.
DeHaas said the relationships she has built along her journey have been equally as pivotal to the roles that she’s held, as her mentors and peers have been key in helping her to see blind spots.
“Leaders and mentors I’ve had the opportunity to meet throughout my career have encouraged me to take risks that I may not have taken or didn't think that I was ready or capable of taking, and those risks have, ultimately, opened up new opportunities and have helped me grow.” said DeHaas. “At the end of the day, it's the people that surround you that ultimately shape your journey.”
The instinct to lead is not always about copying a specific formula, but rather relying on your resilience and past experience to guide you.
READ: Four lessons in leadership from Cara Keating, PepsiCo Canada CEO
Loblaw's Galante spoke of her experience with finding her leadership style while navigating imposter syndrome.
“I think imposter syndrome is not necessarily something that you get over and you're done with,” said Galante. “Reframing a lot of the discomfort into growth has been key.”
For women in leadership, resiliency is a necessity. Burness notes that being resilient is a skill that is always developing.
“We've been practicing resilience our entire lives. It's more just harnessing," she said.
Leaning on past experiences, whether from childhood or throughout a career, can place much-needed perspective into situations you navigate as a leader.
The panel also discussed maintaining work-life balance as women in leadership.
Conagra's Burness strikes a balance by picking non-negotiables and treating them as deliverables. By framing them this way, you are committed to them. Framing these personal priorities as you would team meetings or reports can be beneficial in assuring they don’t fall through the cracks.
When asked what is one piece of advice each leader wishes she knew earlier in her career, Galante answered with “stop waiting for everything to be so perfect, take the leap and trust in your abilities.”
