Guillaume Cantin

• Lead a comprehensive food and non-food procurement strategy aligned with Lufa’s high quality, locally sourced ethos. Identify emerging market trends and opportunities, ensuring the selection of the most appropriate suppliers that complement Lufa’s own products. • Coordinate and manage a team of 7 Category Managers and one Purchasing Assistant, including hiring, training, goal- setting, and regular reviews. • Foster strong relationships with suppliers, negotiating terms, pricing, and contracts and maintaining a reliable and diverse network of vendors. Continuously evaluate and monitor supplier performance, ensuring timely deliveries, quality control, and compliance with food safety standards. • Utilize data-driven insights to optimize product selection, pricing, and promotions to maximize sales and profitability. • Drive cost-optimization initiatives by analyzing market trends, conducting competitive bidding, and identifying opportunities for cost savings without compromising quality. Implement strategies to improve margins, volume discounts, and rebate programs. • Collaborate with cross-functional teams including produce department, marketing, accounting, and operations, to streamline processes and improve supply chain efficiency.

* Develop and execute sales strategies for the categories under their responsibility * Achieve profitability objectives while setting competitive distribution prices * Ensure the communication and coordination of their sales and merchandising activities with the sales team * Work closely with the sales team for the launch of dealer action plans * Determine dealer needs and challenges and take necessary action * Act as a spokesperson for dealers by representing them among other company departments and committees, and persuading these groups to take the needs and realities of dealers into consideration when developing and implementing their respective business strategies. * See to the establishment of merchandising strategies implemented within the corporate network for dealers. * Continuously analyze the performance of categories under their responsibility and achieve sales objectives. * Communicate and negotiate with various suppliers for the portfolio under their responsibility to secure attractive promotional offers for the affiliated dealer network * Work with the Corporate Merchandising team to secure promotional offers and competitive base prices * Work with the Corporate Merchandising team to adapt various strategies to dealer needs * Help organize external, commercial events and take part in them (e.g., RONA Buying Show, dealer meetings) * Participate in new product launch strategies with the company's other business units to ensure the quick and efficient launch of these new products * Participate in regular visits to affiliated dealers, the corporate network, and competitors to keep up-to-date with the market, product offering, and price strategies as well as identify opportunities that could be beneficial or be implemented among dealers * Ensure the product assortment meets dealer needs * Ensure that merchandising plans for categories under their responsibility are proactively and comprehensively communicated to all stakeholder.

- Develop and communicate Strategic Category Management Plans. - Define and manage product assortments and planograms. - Elaborate and communicate Promotional Plans to maximize category sales and profitability. - Coordinate internal activity related to assortment strategy implementation. - Supervision of an Assistant Category Manager - Be a positive leader in a constantly changing environment, enthusiastic attitude vs new emerging trends. - Other corporate specific projects including logistics and store planning.

Categories reviewed since start date: Dairy, Non-Food Products, Baking Ingredients, Baby Needs, HABA, Confectionnary, Fresh/Frozen seafood and meat. I am in charge of implementing a business development project with a production facility owned by Metro, giving me knowledge from a suppliers standpoint. Products that I have developed and obtained awards, a team achievement: 2017 RCC Canadian Grand Prix Award for Irresistibles Organics Lactose-Free Cheese 2015 RCC Canadian Grand Prix Award for Irresistibles Brownie Centre Bar 2014 RCC Canadian Grand Prix Award for Irresistibles Dish Soap Rôle: Évaluer les assortiments de produits de marque privée par catégorie, identifier les opportunités et revoir les mix de produits. Proposer des stratégies en utilisant entre autre des données factuelles Nielsen et Dunnhumby. Faire de la prospection de concepts innovateurs et prospection de fournisseurs de produits. Créer des nouveaux produits. Suivre la performance des produits en magasin. Négocier, afin d'obtenir pour l'organisation, la meilleure structure de prix coûtant pour un produit et pour des services de distribution. Approche stratégique et propension à l'analyse permettant d'identifier des opportunités de gains additionnels lors d'une négociation qui couvre le territoire du Québec et de l'Ontario. - Obtenir le meilleur coûtant lors des ouvertures de catégories en concentrant les volumes d'achats vers un seul fournisseur. - Négocier les ententes commerciales pour obtenir le meilleur coûtant répondant aux spécifications des produits. - Suivre les objectifs au budget et favoriser leur atteinte. - Comparer et recommander, en collaboration avec les centrales d'achats, l'acceptation des suggestions de hausses de prix des fournisseurs. - S'assurer de travailler avec les meilleurs fournisseurs dans chacune des catégories. - Travailler à l'amélioration constante des outils de gestion et du processus décisionnel. - Coaching et supervision du travail d'un adjoint.

Négocier, afin d'obtenir pour l'organisation, la meilleure structure de prix coûtant pour un produit et pour des services de distribution. Approche stratégique et propension à l'analyse permettant d'identifier des opportunités de gains additionnels lors d'une négociation qui couvre le territoire du Québec et de l'Ontario. - Obtenir le meilleur coûtant lors des ouvertures de catégories en concentrant les volumes d'achats vers un seul fournisseur. - Négocier les ententes commerciales pour obtenir le meilleur coûtant répondant aux spécifications des produits. - Négocier des contrats de distribution et logistique. - Suivre les objectifs au budget et favoriser leur atteinte. - Comparer et recommander, en collaboration avec les centrales d'achats, l'acceptation des suggestions de hausses de prix des fournisseurs. - S'assurer de travailler avec les meilleurs fournisseurs dans chacune des catégories. - Travailler à l'amélioration constante des outils de gestion et du processus décisionnel. - Coaching et supervision du travail d'un adjoint. Produits laitiers, surgelés, epicerie non-alimentaire et HABA.