As part of Career Week at Saint Mary’s, students gathered for Retail Reimagined: The Careers You Don’t Expect at Sobeys, an event that highlighted the scale, complexity, and opportunity within modern retail at Sobeys.
Panelists Steve Leslie, Vice President, Chief Auditor & Head of Enterprise Risk Management at Empire Company; Heather DeBlois, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Sobeys; Jason Bennicoff, Head of Retail Media, Empire Media+ at Sobeys; and Cori Norman, Vice President, Merchandising Grocery, Lawtons, and Local Development at Sobeys, spoke directly about what drives success in retail today: curiosity, leadership, data literacy, and the ability to work across teams. Moderated by SMU student Olivian Sanderson, the discussion also featured insights from Yehansa Rupasingha, a SMU co-op student sharing her experience participating in a Sobeys co-op.
Panelists shared how careers evolve from finance to store operations, from merchandising to retail media, and how Sobeys invests in continuous learning through CPA pathways, analytics, supply chain innovation, and community engagement. A clear theme emerged: growth happens through people—through mentorship, collaboration, and diverse perspectives across the organization.
The discussion reinforced Sobeys’ guiding belief, It’s the people. From the more than 100,000 teammates in stores to the specialists working behind the scenes, people power the strategy, the technology, and the customer experience.
The conversation continued at the networking reception, where students connected with panellists, alumni, and executives to discuss co-op opportunities, sustainability, data, leadership, and the future of retail. The strong turnout and engaged discussions reflected what the evening was designed to showcase: real career pathways, practical advice, and meaningful connections.