The Voice of Retail

Welcome to the The Voice of Retail , I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, and this podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of Canada.On this special episode I am thrilled to be sharing an excerpt from one of the most popular Remarkable Retail podcast of our third season, where my podcast partner & best selling author Steve Denis and I host a blockbuster panel featuring three of the most experienced and insightful veterans of the luxury world: Karen Katz (former President & CEO of the Neiman Marcus Group, Steve Sadove (former Chairman and CEO of Saks) and Oliver Chen (Managing director and senior equity research analyst at Cowen and Company). We cover a lot of territory, first trying to align on a working definition of what "luxury" really means today and how luxury was evolving pre-COVID. Then we shift into what's next, including our dream team's quick takes on luxury re-commerce, the role of the in-store experience, the importance of multi-brand retail (online and off), sustainability, exclusivity, storytelling and more. We wrap up getting everyone's view on why it's so hard for legacy brands to innovate and  whether .com spin-outs make any sense at all. Thanks for tuning into today’s episode of The Voice of Retail.  Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss out on the latest episodes, industry news, and insights. If you enjoyed  this episode please consider leaving a rating and review, as it really helps us grow so that we can continue getting amazing guests on the show. I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company, and if you’re looking for more content, or want to chat  follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website meleblanc.co! Until next time, stay safe and have a great week! Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus        Global E-Commerce Tech Talks  and       The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.  You can learn more about Michael       here  or on       LinkedIn.  The Voice of Retail podcast is presented by Hale, a performance marketing partner trusted by brands like ASICS, Saje, and Orangetheory to scale with focus and impact. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

Welcome to the The Voice of Retail , I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, and this podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of Canada Retail innovation is one of those million-dollar phrases tossed out in meetings, boardrooms and media across Canada - but what does it mean, how do you make it happen, and can we recognize innovation when we see it? My very special guest on The Voice of Retail podcast for this episode is someone who lives and breathes retail innovation - Jose Ribau, Executive Vice President, Digital and Innovation, for CF Cadilac Fairview. In a long-overdue interview, we talk about shopping centre innovation, the tradecraft of knowing when you fail, and the gauntlet of front-line retail practitioners that guide the practical and the possible.Thanks for tuning into today’s episode of The Voice of Retail.  Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss out on the latest episodes, industry news, and insights. If you enjoyed  this episode please consider leaving a rating and review, as it really helps us grow so that we can continue getting amazing guests on the show.I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company, and if you’re looking for more content, or want to chat  follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website meleblanc.co! Jose RibauGreat leadership is about giving people a platform and a voice to impact real change. It’s also about building and enabling teams with a wide breadth of experience and knowledge.In my current role, I lead Digital Transformation & Innovation at CF and our newly established business entity, Ravel, where I get the opportunity to work in a rapidly changing industry with an amazing team that is focused on creating competitive differentiation and unique experiences.Ravel by CF is an organization focused on removing the friction from retail shopping and the workplace, unleashing the untapped potential of physical space and customer experience within some of the world’s best commercial real estate. At Ravel, we work with established leaders and new entrants in the ecosystems of retail, marketing, and technology to build a digitally driven innovation platform that connects people, spaces and data.Prior to CF, I spent almost two decades working in product development and payments with a focus on how to leverage data to improve the banking experience for Canadian customers.In my spare time, I’m a painter, a cyclist, a serial traveler and the manager of my kids’ hockey and ski teams. The Voice of Retail podcast is presented by Hale, a performance marketing partner trusted by brands like ASICS, Saje, and Orangetheory to scale with focus and impact. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

Welcome to the The Voice of Retail , I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, and this podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of Canada As a company they are a a household name.  As a prized vendor with their hand on the meta - data behind an entire industry they are unrivalled, matched only by their people who put the two together and help us see around corners and into the future.On this episode of The Voice of Retail, I welcome back to the podcast Rob Garf, Vice President and General Manager Retail for Salesforce.Rob helps us unpack seasonal trends, Black Friday and Cyber Monday results, and rolls out the the crystal ball to talk about the rest of the year and what and how 2022 will look, act and feel.Thanks for tuning into today’s episode of The Voice of Retail.  Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss out on the latest episodes, industry news, and insights. If you enjoyed  this episode please consider leaving a rating and review, as it really helps us grow so that we can continue getting amazing guests on the show.I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company, and if you’re looking for more content, or want to chat  follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website meleblanc.co!  The Voice of Retail podcast is presented by Hale, a performance marketing partner trusted by brands like ASICS, Saje, and Orangetheory to scale with focus and impact. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

Welcome to the The Voice of Retail , I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, and this podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of CanadaIn this special episode I’m picking up my conversation with two retail’s brightest thinkers live from the virtual stage of the Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing  Forum in late October. It was my pleasure to welcome Jeff Tate, Chief Innovation Officer at Henry’s, and Ian Rosen, Executive Vice President, Strategy & Digital, with Harry Rosen.   We delve into the dynamics of managing and building a high performance team through the COVID era, and how to bring the values of DEI to life inside each and every retail organization.  Thanks for tuning into today’s episode of The Voice of Retail.  Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss out on the latest episodes, industry news, and insights. If you enjoyed  this episode please consider leaving a rating and review, as it really helps us grow so that we can continue getting amazing guests on the show.I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company, and if you’re looking for more content, or want to chat  follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website meleblanc.co!Photo by Redd on Unsplash Jeff TateA senior marketing leader with over 15 years of experience working with some of the largest, most recognized retail brands in North America.Skilled in using customer insights, analytics and competitive analysis in the approach of omni channel marketing management, strategy development and execution with a fluency in efficiently managing multi million dollar budgets and sales numbers in the multiple billions.A leader that understands that effective marketing starts with the customer and is well versed in utilizing both traditional and digital marketing tactics to build effective campaigns knowing people now utilize a wider media base to consume more content than ever before with more access.A strategic, analytical leader with the ability to coach as well as build relationships across a business both internally and externally with cross functional groups and agencies at all levels of an organization.An accountable individual that leads by example and is not afraid to "roll up his sleeves and get into the weeds" when necessary but also understands that success comes from the sum of a strong team and everyone has a role to play.A strong, effective communicator with the ability to tailor the approach to fit the audience while also being able to prioritize and manage multiple initiatives at one time in a fast paced environment. The Voice of Retail podcast is presented by Hale, a performance marketing partner trusted by brands like ASICS, Saje, and Orangetheory to scale with focus and impact. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

Welcome to the The Voice of Retail , I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, and this podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of CanadaOn this special episode I am thrilled to be sharing a full episode from my Conversations with CommerceNext podcast featuring Exclusive Holiday Research with Forrester VP & Principal Analyst Sucharita KodaliI launched the Conversations with CommerceNext podcast with my U.S. based partners to meet the top practitioners and thought leaders in the DTC & eCommerce marketing space, and explore both their tradecraft and share the learnings from their career journeys.  Now let’s have a listen to my podcast partner Scott Silverman as he introduces the episode with Sucharita, a frequent and popular guest here on The Voice of RetailThanks for tuning into today’s episode of The Voice of Retail.  Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss out on the latest episodes, industry news, and insights. If you enjoyed  this episode please consider leaving a rating and review, as it really helps us grow so that we can continue getting amazing guests on the show.I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company, and if you’re looking for more content, or want to chat  follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website meleblanc.co!Sucharita KodaliVP, Principal AnalystSucharita serves digital business strategy professionals. She is an expert on eCommerce, omnichannel retail, consumer behavior, and trends in the online shopping space. She is also an authority on technology developments that affect the online commerce industry and vendors that facilitate online marketing and merchandising.In her research, Sucharita covers such consumer-oriented topics as eCommerce forecasting and trends, merchandising best practices, conversion optimization, and social computing in the retail world. She has also authored "The State Of Retailing Online," a joint study conducted annually with NRF.Previous Work ExperiencePrior to Forrester, Sucharita was the director of marketing at Saks Fifth Avenue, where she managed the customer acquisition, retention, and market research efforts for the $2 billion luxury retailer's online channel. Prior to Saks, she held management positions at Toys R Us, where she was a merchant in the Babies R Us division and a store manager in one of the company's largest toy stores. She also worked for the Walt Disney Company, where she developed and managed marketing plans for new business initiatives, including the Disney Stores, the Disney Cruise Line, and Club Disney.Additionally, she was involved in the expansion of Cap Cities/ABC properties, specifically ESPN Zone, ESPN Magazine, and the Go.com network. She has written two nonfiction books and has contributed to BusinessWeek Online.EducationSucharita holds a B.A. in economics from Harvard University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Scott SilvermanAn ecommerce veteran, Scott Silverman has been active in the industry since 1999 and is passionate about digital retail and the innovation driving the industry. Scott Silverman is the Co-Founder of CommerceNext. Previously, he spent 10 years as Executive Director of Shop.org where he launched the Shop.org Annual Summit. Scott co-invented “Cyber Monday” in 2005 and was the founder of Cybermonday.com in 2006, a shopping site that has generated more than $2.5 million for Shop.org’s scholarship fund.   The Voice of Retail podcast is presented by Hale, a performance marketing partner trusted by brands like ASICS, Saje, and Orangetheory to scale with focus and impact. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

Welcome to the The Voice of Retail , I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, and this podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of Canada For business leaders and marketers from around the world, author and Bain Fellow Fred Reichheld is a household name - even The Economist named him the “high priest” of customer loyalty. Today, I’m thrilled to sit down with the inventor of the Net Promoter Score to peel back the layers of the NPS v3.0, and the new era of customer loyalty in the post-COVID world. We talk about what 80% of marketers are getting wrong with Big NPS, Earned Growth and delve into his latest book “Winning on Purpose”. Thanks for tuning into today’s episode of The Voice of Retail.  Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss out on the latest episodes, industry news, and insights. If you enjoyed  this episode please consider leaving a rating and review, as it really helps us grow so that we can continue getting amazing guests on the show.I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company, and if you’re looking for more content, or want to chat  follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website meleblanc.co!About FredExpertiseNet Promoter System℠Sales and MarketingNet Promoter® for PeopleFred Reichheld is a Bain Fellow and founder of our Loyalty practice, which helps companies achieve results through customer and employee loyalty. He is the creator of the Net Promoter® system of management.His work in the area of customer and employee retention has quantified the link between loyalty and profits. Fred's books, The Loyalty Effect: The Hidden Force Behind Growth, Profits, and Lasting Value (HBSP 1996); Loyalty Rules! How Today's Leaders Build Lasting Relationships (HBSP 2001); The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth (HBSP, 2006) and The Ultimate Question 2.0: How Net Promoter Companies Thrive in a Customer Driven World (HBR Press) have each become best sellers.In his most recent book, Fred reveals how NPS practitioners including Apple Retail, Philips, Schwab, Allianz, American Express, and Intuit, have used the Net Promoter System (NPS) to generate extraordinary results. He explains how NPS helps companies become truly customer-centric, unleashing profitable growth through systematically converting more customers into promoters and fewer into detractors. Fred is a frequent speaker at major business forums and his work on loyalty has been widely covered in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times, Fortune, Business Week and The Economist. He is the author of eight Harvard Business Review articles on the subject of loyalty and he is also a LinkedIn Influencer, a member of a group of corporate leaders and public figures who are thought leaders in their respective fields.Consulting Magazine chose Fred as one of the “25 Most Influential Consultants” in its 2003 annual survey. According to The New York Times, "[He] put loyalty economics on the map." The Economist refers to him as the "high priest" of loyalty.Reichheld graduated with Honors both from Harvard College (B.A., 1974) and Harvard Business School (M.B.A., 1978). Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus        Global E-Commerce Tech Talks  and       The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and the all new Conversations with CommerceNext podcast.  Last but not least, check out my new YouTube cooking show, Last Request Barbecue!You can learn more about Michael       here  or on       LinkedIn.  The Voice of Retail podcast is presented by Hale, a performance marketing partner trusted by brands like ASICS, Saje, and Orangetheory to scale with focus and impact. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

Welcome to the The Voice of Retail , I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, and this podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of Canada Clik2Pay is transforming the payment experience for consumers and the online transaction capabilities for online retail. Riding the rails of the Great Acceleration of eCommerce, this company has created an intuitive, quick and secure POS system that’s both consumer- and retailer-friendly.By leaning into Interac e-Transfer technology, the system steps away from the cumbersome and expensive card-centric payment processes that currently dominate online sales.Today on The Voice of Retail, I sit down with Clik2Pay Founder & CEO Mike Bradley to get a close-up look at their game-changing payment process. Mike offers a walkthrough of Clik2Pay from both a retailer and consumer standpoint - explaining how the system introduces a level of ease and security to online payments that revolutionize the online shopping experience.Thanks for tuning into today’s episode of The Voice of Retail.  Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss out on the latest episodes, industry news, and insights. If you enjoyed  this episode please consider leaving a rating and review, as it really helps us grow so that we can continue getting amazing guests on the show.I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company, and if you’re looking for more content, or want to chat  follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website meleblanc.co! Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus        Global E-Commerce Tech Talks  and       The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and the all new Conversations with CommerceNext podcast.  Last but not least, check out my new YouTube cooking show, Last Request Barbecue!You can learn more about Michael       here  or on       LinkedIn.  The Voice of Retail podcast is presented by Hale, a performance marketing partner trusted by brands like ASICS, Saje, and Orangetheory to scale with focus and impact. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

Welcome to the The Voice of Retail , I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, and this podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of CanadaIf you are a frequent listener or subscriber to the podcast, you'll know I often ask guests, "what's next?" to wrap the episode.  Well, in this interview with Sarah Owen, Global Futures Directory, SOON Future Studies, "what's next?" IS the episodeAfter reaching Sarah in her new home base in one of my favourite global cities, Lisbon, we talk about the tradecraft of predicting future trends, dive into Sarah's new report, the SOON Future Forecast.  We unpack critical observations and trends that happened, or will happen, both pre and post COVID pandemic and provide a glimpse into the future that retailers need to hear!You can view the immersive SOON Future Forecast by heading to https://soonfutures.com/. Thanks for tuning into today’s episode of The Voice of Retail.  Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss out on the latest episodes, industry news, and insights. If you enjoyed  this episode please consider leaving a rating and review, as it really helps us grow so that we can continue getting amazing guests on the show.I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company, and if you’re looking for more content, or want to chat  follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website meleblanc.co! Sarah Owen, Global Futures DirectorSarah is a trend forecaster, futurist and social scientist with a background in studying youth culture and social media.With 13 years of experience in future trends, consumer research and communication strategy, she specialises in guiding organisations through strategic foresight, scenario planning and trend analysis.Sarah has previously worked in the USA, Australia and Europe analysing emerging trends and behavioural shifts for WGSN, consulting with Fortune 500 brands such as Intel, Chanel, and L'Oréal, and writing for the likes of Kinfolk, The New York Times, WARC and i-D magazine. As an academic, she has studied Strategic Foresight at the University of Houston and holds a master’s degree in Sociology from ISCTE in Portugal.She has presented at global events including Cannes Lions, Pause Fest, FUTR Summit and World Retail Congress, and has been quoted as an expert in The Financial Times, CNN, Vogue, Bloomberg and The Guardian.When she’s not searching for signals, she practices Kundalini yoga and volunteers at the Fungi Foundation as their Communications Director.Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus        Global E-Commerce Tech Talks  and       The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and the all new Conversations with CommerceNext podcast.  Last but not least, check out my new YouTube cooking show, Last Request Barbecue!You can learn more about Michael       here  or on       LinkedIn.  Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus        Global E-Commerce Tech Talks  and       The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and the all new Conversations with CommerceNext podcast.  Last but not least, check out my new YouTube cooking show, Last Request Barbecue!You can learn more about Michael       here  or on       LinkedIn.  The Voice of Retail podcast is presented by Hale, a performance marketing partner trusted by brands like ASICS, Saje, and Orangetheory to scale with focus and impact. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

Welcome to the The Voice of Retail , I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, and this podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of CanadaKais Makhlouf, Vice President of Digital Solutions at Thinkmax Consulting, leverages his decades of hands-on experience  developing and refining digital strategies for retailers. Focusing on their needs, priorities and pre-existing digital ecosystems, Kais helps retailers navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape.Today on The Voice of Retail, Kais lets us into his world of digital strategy development. We talk about Kais’ experience in the industry, changing trends and impacts of the pandemic. Lastly, Kais shares his key pointers on creating resilient digital strategies, what to learn from the past and how to prepare for the future.Thanks for tuning into today’s episode of The Voice of Retail.  Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss out on the latest episodes, industry news, and insights. If you enjoyed  this episode please consider leaving a rating and review, as it really helps us grow so that we can continue getting amazing guests on the show.I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company, and if you’re looking for more content, or want to chat  follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website meleblanc.co!Until next time, stay safe and have a great week!Kais Makhlouf Passionate about digital technology with a strong acumen for corporate and business development at the international level, Kais has a proven ability to generate opportunities, establish relationships and manage cross functional teams to implement technology solutions and marketing programs at an enterprise level.Today, Kais is Vice President, Digital Solutions at Thinkmax, responsible for fostering and leading the practice with a mission to provide clients with technological and creative ideas and solutions to help them achieve their business digital transformation.Thinkmax Digital Solutions leverages the company’s long standing experience and deep expertise in implementing enterprise back-end systems (ERP) to empower clients in their journey of digital transformation. Thinkmax builds digital solutions, experiences and programs optimally leveraging enterprise data and services.Thinkmax has a specific focus on retail, distribution and manufacturing sectors, providing state of the art unified commerce solutions leveraging all customer touchpoints.Prior to joining Thinkmax, Kais held the position of VP, Strategic Partnerships at Nurun (a global full service interactive agency) and Orckestra (Commerce Cloud Software), where he led and managed major multi-million dollar international accounts in the travel, retail, distribution, media, manufacturing and CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) sectors. In these positions, Kais has also developed new offers and established long standing partnerships and alliances with world class technology organisations such Microsoft, IBM, SAP, Sitecore and many others.Fluent in 5 languages, Kais enjoys traveling the world and exploring new cultures.Strength & Specialties:unified commerce, digital marketing, mobile, partner and alliance management, international development, business development, account management, business strategy. Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus        Global E-Commerce Tech Talks  and       The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and the all new Conversations with CommerceNext podcast.  Last but not least, check out my new YouTube cooking show, Last Request Barbecue!You can learn more about Michael       here  or on       LinkedIn.  The Voice of Retail podcast is presented by Hale, a performance marketing partner trusted by brands like ASICS, Saje, and Orangetheory to scale with focus and impact. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world. 

Welcome to the The Voice of Retail , I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, and this podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of CanadaThere’s no doubt that the last twenty months have changed us and our relationship with the world. For retailers, this has resulted in an unprecedented shift in consumer behaviour that has proven difficult to stay ahead of, let alone predict.In today’s episode of The Voice of Retail, we’re going to step inside the mind of the modern consumer by unpacking the latest research coming out of EY.I’m thrilled to be welcoming back to the podcast Kristina Rogers, Chairwoman of the Global Consumer Board, who takes us through the latest edition of EY’s Future Consumer Index. We cover the key takeaways, surprising findings + more.Stick around for Kristina’s three pointers for retailers that are planning for 2022 and beyond.Thanks for tuning into today’s episode of The Voice of Retail.  Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss out on the latest episodes, industry news, and insights. If you enjoyed  this episode please consider leaving a rating and review, as it really helps us grow so that we can continue getting amazing guests on the show.I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company, and if you’re looking for more content, or want to chat  follow me on LinkedIn, or visit my website meleblanc.co!Until next time, stay safe and have a great week! Kristina RogersGlobally led fastest growing set of industries at EY - from FY16-FY20 - by 2%. A creative and experienced senior executive leader in the areas of strategic marketing, corporate strategy, and global business development. Global sponsor and architect of both EY’s signature FutureConsumer.Now program and the EY Global Future Consumer Index.Areas of expertise include new concept and offer development, profitable growth planning, market entry strategy, strategic portfolio management, and market evolution planning in both the B2C and B2B marketplaces. Highly team-oriented and able to develop and communicate clear vision while assembling and galvanizing high-performing teams. Has had long-term client relationships with the world largest soft-drinks company, largest confectionery company, and largest FMCG/CPG firm working at the EVP and CEO levels. Currently Kristina is the Global Consumer Industries Leader at EY working to implement EY's global Consumer Industries strategy and to deliver exceptional client service to EY's global clients.Kristina is a truly global citizen having lived, worked, and travelled in over 50 countries. Previously, Kristina was the Emerging Market Leader for Consumer Products at EY. In this role Kristina worked extensively with EY teams and clients across markets such as Brazil, India, Turkey, MENA, and Asean.Over the years, Kristina has been a formal mentor to a number of high potential women in her field and was an Executive Member of Monitor Group's (now Deloitte) Global Women's Initiative. She is a member of the Financial Times 'Global Board Ready Women' group and peviously sat on Medtronic's Corporate Advisory Board. In Turkey, Kristina was selected as one of 40 women by Forbes Magazine to join 'More Women on Boards' or 'Yonetim Kurullarinda Daha Cok Kadin' encouraging more female Board participation.Kristina is an accomplished public speaker and panelist and has spoken at various conferences on the topics such as 'Keeping Senior Women in the Workplace' and 'Winning with Consumers in the Marketplace'.Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada’s top retail industry podcast,       The Voice of Retail, plus        Global E-Commerce Tech Talks  and       The Food Professor  with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and the all new Conversations with CommerceNext podcast.  Last but not least, check out my new YouTube cooking show, Last Request Barbecue!You can learn more about Michael       here  or on       LinkedIn.  The Voice of Retail podcast is presented by Hale, a performance marketing partner trusted by brands like ASICS, Saje, and Orangetheory to scale with focus and impact. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur.  He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google.  He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer.  If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.