Sandra Sanderson began her long career in the food industry in the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) sector with such firms as Procter & Gamble, Kraft and Coca-Cola before switching gears to become a retail industry leader.

Now, as she retires from her current role as the chief marketing officer of Empire and Sobeys, Sanderson’s retail experience has achieved high praise. She has been awarded the Canadian Grand Prix Lifetime Achievement Award from the Retail Council of Canada (RCC).

“Sandra Sanderson has set the standard for what great retail marketing leadership looks like in Canada,” Kim Furlong, president and chief executive officer of RCC said in the announcement. “She leads with rigour and purpose, builds brands that genuinely connect with consumers, and does it all with a generosity of spirit that has made her a mentor and a model for the next generation of retail leaders.

"Her contributions to Canadian retail are both profound and enduring.”

Sanderson had joined Shoppers Drug Mart in 2008, becoming its senior vice-president, marketing, before moving on to join Walmart Canada and then to Empire.

Earlier this year, Sanderson announced on LinkedIn that she was retiring in July.

“Marketing is truly a team sport. Together, we have strengthened our brands, elevated our marketing capabilities and built a culture grounded in collaboration, resilience and ambition. I am so proud of what we’ve built together, and even more proud of the people behind it,” she said in her post.

PepsiCo Canada CEO also honoured

Cara Keating, chief executive officer, PepsiCo Canada was also honoured with an RCC Lifetime Achievement Award for 2026.

As CEO of PepsiCo Canada, Keating leads more than 12,000 employees across 13 manufacturing facilities and hundreds of distribution locations, overseeing a portfolio of brands such as Lay’s, Doritos, Pepsi-Cola, Gatorade, Quaker and bubly sparkling water.

Under her leadership and 22-year career, PepsiCo Canada integrated its foods and beverages businesses to form the country’s largest CPG company.

“Cara Keating has spent decades strengthening the retailer-supplier relationship in ways that have made the entire industry better. Her commitment to collaboration and to developing the next generation of leaders makes her an entirely deserving recipient of this award,” Furlong said in the announcement.

Previously responsible for $26 billion business

Since joining in 2004, Keating has moved through field operations, national sales, strategy and planning and general management.

Previously, as president of PepsiCo Foods Canada, she led the Frito Lay Canada and Quaker Canada businesses through a period of transformation. As chief customer officer for PepsiCo Foods North America, Keating was accountable for a nearly $26 billion snack and convenient foods business.

Keating also spent almost five years at Procter & Gamble before joining PepsiCo.

Marketing leader for one of Canada’s top grocers

Sanderson also served leadership roles at Canada Post, Danier Leather and White House Black Market in the U.S., and she has built a breadth of perspective that few marketing executives in Canadian retail can match, according to RCC.

With Empire and Sobeys Inc., Sanderson leads marketing across one of Canada’s largest retail portfolios, that also includes brands such as Safeway, IGA, Thrifty Foods, Foodland, FreshCo and Lawton’s.

As part of her mandate with Empire, Sanderson created a marketing technology and digital centre of excellence, and led the transformation of the firm’s loyalty program with the launch of Scene+, which has grown to over 15 million members.  

She also managed Empire’s entry into the retail media space with the launch of Empire Media+.

In addition, Sanderson created a new community investment strategy, and shepherded the launch of Empire’s Family of Support: Child & Youth Mental Health initiative, which was the first national philanthropic partnership between the Sobey family and the business.

She also established the grocery company as the Official Grocer of Team Canada, overseeing the “Feed The Dream” Olympic and Paralympic campaigns.

Not first of awards for both executives

The lifetime achievement award is not Sanderson’s first formal recognition. She also received the Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025 and was inducted into the American Marketing Association (AMA) Marketing Hall of Legends in 2023.

Sanderson has been named marketer of the year three times (at CMA 2020 and Strategy 2012 and 2021) and was recognized by Canadian Grocer magazine as a Star Women in Grocery Award recipient in 2015.

For Keating, while being the executive sponsor of PepsiCo’s Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN), she helped expand the employee resource group across Canada, earning the PepsiCo Global Harvey C. Russell Award for her contributions in expanding inclusion within the firm.

She has also been named one of Canadian Grocer’s Star Women in Grocery in 2017, a Life Member Industry Builder Award from the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers in 2022 and serves on the board of directors for the Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP).

“In an industry defined by change, Cara has been a constant force for progress. She has grown one of Canada’s most iconic CPG portfolios with discipline and vision, while never losing sight of the people and communities behind it,” Michael Graydon, chief executive officer with FHCP said.

In winning the 2026 award, both honourees join previous lifetime achievement recipients such as Margaret Hudson, Burnbrae Farms’ president and chief executive officer; Dino Bianco, Kruger Products chief executive officer; Carmen Fortino, Metro Inc. executive vice-president; and Gary Wade, Unilever Canada president.