Powered by RND
PodcastsBusinessThe Food Professor

The Food Professor

Michael LeBlanc, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois
The Food Professor
Latest episode

Available Episodes

5 of 232
  • Canada Climbs in MNP’s new Global Agri-Food Report this World Food Day, China offers up an exit strategy, India back on the export menu, and guest Stephen Mitchell of Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery
    In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast, presented by Caddle, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois open with a wide-ranging conversation on global trade tensions, the state of Canadian agriculture, and the latest policy moves shaping our food economy — before turning to the fascinating story of Stephen Mitchell, President of Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery, Ontario’s only beachfront winery on the Lake Erie North Shore.Michael and Sylvain begin by unpacking the economic aftershocks of U.S. tariff wars, as soybean farmers in America face devastating losses and look for government bailouts amid shifting Chinese trade alliances. Sylvain, speaking from Purdue University in Indiana, shares first-hand insights from conversations with American farmers reeling from collapsed exports and rising equipment costs. The hosts then pivot to the EV tariff dispute between Canada, China, and the U.S., discussing whether Ottawa should drop tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to save Canadian canola farmers — a debate intensified by security concerns and diplomatic pressures. They also explore evolving Canada–India trade relations, the potential of government-run grocery stores, and Canada’s climb to #7 in the Global Agri-Food Most Influential Nations report released on World Food Day, produced in partnership with MNP.Then, Michael introduces Stephen Mitchell for a compelling look at the business of craft wine in Ontario. Stephen recounts the family story behind Sprucewood Shores — from his father’s dream of returning to his farming roots to the hands-on creation of a 52-acre lakeside vineyard and winery. He describes how the business evolved from a weekend “hobby farm” into a major local producer, now recognized for its Beach Glass Series, Classic Series, and signature Warm & Cozy mulled wine, distributed through the LCBO and beyond. Stephen details how the winery balances tradition with innovation — focusing on approachability, sustainability, and product diversification — while investing to capture new market momentum as Ontario’s wine industry gains visibility and political support. He also shares marketing lessons learned through social media, tastings, and direct-to-consumer engagement, underscoring that success in wine is about constant connection and storytelling.Link Global Agri-Food Most Influential Nations interactive site and report released on World Food Day, produced in partnership with MNPhttps://www.mnp.ca/en/clients/food-and-beverage-processing/momentum-is-building-canadas-rise-in-global-agri-food#reportLink to Whole Foods trends report 2026https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2025/10/13/whole-foods-trends-2026/.  The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. 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 fourth year in a row, 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.
    --------  
    54:26
  • Wild Blueberry Crisis, Doug Ford's Give & Take, TFWP Ag Sins & The Next Farmland Value Correction with guest Trent Klarenbach
    In this powerful new episode of The Food Professor Podcast, presented by Caddle, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois dissect the forces shaping Canada’s food and agriculture economy—from farmland bubbles and provincial politics to the latest retail coffee price increases.The show opens with Michael’s visit to Prince Edward County, where he talks about reconnecting with past guest Dan Sullivan of Rosehall Run Vineyards and celebrates the growing influence of culinary innovator and recent guest Charlotte Langley, whose tinned-seafood brand Nice Cans is redefining Canadian bespoke tinned fish dining. Sylvain weighs in on stalled interprovincial trade and Premier Doug Ford’s ongoing feud with Crown Royal and Diageo, exploring the politics of booze, bans, and consumer choice - and his support of ice cream maker Chapman's. The hosts also spotlight the wild-blueberry disaster in Atlantic Canada, where drought and fires have slashed yields by up to 70%, threatening regional processors and exports.Then the conversation shifts to a fascinating—and controversial—guest: Trent Klarenbach, BSA AgEc PAg, Special Crops & Grain Marketing Analyst and Founder of Klarenbach Research. A former Saskatchewan farmer turned analyst, Trent explains how he uses technical analysis—tools typically reserved for stock markets—to assess farmland value. His research suggests land in Saskatchewan and Alberta may be overbought, echoing warning signs that preceded the dramatic farmland correction of the 1980s.Trent describes how investor psychology and market cycles shape agriculture just as they do equities, applying RSI and Elliott Wave patterns to farmland data. He details his own journey through farming’s booms and busts, his motivation for building a subscription-based insights service, and the mixed reactions he’s received from farmers, lenders, and ag-finance professionals. For listeners seeking deeper understanding of the economics—and emotion—behind land ownership, his approach reframes how to think about farm equity and risk.The episode wraps with Michael and Sylvain analyzing temporary-foreign-worker fines, Tim Hortons’ price move and Starbucks store closures, and Donald Trump’s revived talk of U.S. dairy access. They close on a high note—what soaring bullion signals about global uncertainty and food-price volatility.Website: https://www.klarenbach.ca/YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@KlarenbachResearchPodcast:https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL28YhqW-kvxkfu1I6xFdtaa5BN1GVoHxa&si=_iVqyKVYCkfm6S1m  The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. 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 fourth year in a row, 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.
    --------  
    1:01:43
  • Thanksgiving Prices, Iranian Pistachio Recalls, and the Future of "Story" Beef with guest Bryce Lobreau of 8 Acres
    In this lively new episode of The Food Professor Podcast, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois dive into the latest food, retail, and agriculture headlines before sitting down with a fascinating guest: Bryce Lobreau, Co-Founder of 8 Acres, one of Canada’s most innovative organic and grass-fed beef brands.The episode begins with a timely look at Canadians’ Thanksgiving dinner costs for 2025. Sylvain shares the results of his annual food price survey, which shows some rare good news: overall holiday meal costs are essentially flat compared to last year, with turkey and fresh produce slightly cheaper. However, canned items like cranberries and pumpkin pie fillings are more expensive due to tariffs on aluminum packaging. The hosts debate changing consumer choices at Thanksgiving, including a move toward lamb and premium proteins.From there, Michael and Sylvain analyze the broader North American food landscape. They unpack the impact of a potential U.S. government shutdown on Canadian agriculture, food inspections, and border trade. The duo also explore the ongoing pistachio recall tied to salmonella contamination, with Sylvain warning consumers to toss any pistachio products they may still have at home. Dairy access in trade negotiations between Canada and the U.S. also comes under scrutiny, with Sylvain highlighting the structural problems in Canada’s supply management system. Other hot topics include soybean market disruptions caused by Chinese buying patterns, Canada Post strikes affecting grocery flyers, wildfire impacts on crop yields, and the surprising growth of sushi sales in North American grocery stores.The second half of the show features an in-depth conversation with Bryce Lobreau of 8 Acres. Bryce shares his journey as a third-generation Manitoba farmer who pivoted into organic cattle ranching to survive tough agricultural markets. He and his business partner, Ben Stewart, have built 8Acres into a pioneering national brand, raising over 3,000 head of cattle across certified organic and grass-fed programs. Bryce explains the challenges of scaling in today’s cattle market, from soaring calf prices to attracting new ranchers to transition into organics.Listeners will also hear how 8Acres is embracing regenerative agriculture practices, integrating livestock into cropping systems, extending grazing periods, and even experimenting with live-stream farm cameras to build transparency with consumers. Bryce candidly discusses “farmer guilt” around pricing, the importance of branding in Canada’s protein sector, and his vision of making organic and grass-fed beef mainstream in Canadian grocery stores over the next decade. Here is the link to buy Sylvain's great Poutine Nation:https://utpdistribution.com/9781487541781/poutine-nation/  The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. 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 fourth year in a row, 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.
    --------  
    57:51
  • Solo Dining, Trade Diversification, and Snack Innovation with Kirk Homenick, President of Naturally Homegrown Foods
    In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast presented by Caddle, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois bring their trademark mix of food industry news analysis and an in-depth conversation with a leading Canadian food entrepreneur.The episode opens with a wide-ranging look at the Canadian retail and restaurant landscape. Sylvain shares highlights from his keynote in Brampton, Ontario, where the city is building momentum as a potential logistics hub for food and agriculture. Michael and Sylvain discuss strong retail sales numbers, resilience in consumer spending, and a new Restaurants Canada report. The report highlights shifting meal occasions, with Canadians dining out less often but increasingly turning to delivery services like UberEats and DoorDash. They also unpack the surprising rise of solo dining, with nearly 30% growth in single reservations year over year, and how restaurants can adapt to this trend through design and menu innovation. The hosts then tackle Farm Credit Canada’s call for greater export diversification, weighing the challenges of competing in heavily subsidized global markets. Finally, they examine the U.S. government’s controversial decision to cut data collection on food insecurity, with Sylvain stressing the long-term risks of limiting access to robust research data.The second half of the episode welcomes Kirk Homenick, President of Naturally Homegrown Foods, the Surrey, B.C.–based company behind Hardbite Chips and PopTastic popcorn. Kirk shares the story of his company’s growth from humble beginnings in Maple Ridge to its current 42,000-square-foot facility. He explains how Hardbite has stood out in the competitive snack aisle by emphasizing transparency, Canadian-grown ingredients, and lifestyle-driven branding. Kirk highlights the role of avocado oil in fueling 82% annual growth since 2018, how PopTastic quickly became an award-winning hit, and why innovation in seasonal flavours and packaging keeps the brand fresh and relevant.Kirk also offers a candid look at challenges, from volatile ingredient costs to managing manufacturing complexity, and how his team leans on operational excellence and creativity to stay ahead. Looking forward, he outlines plans for geographic expansion into Eastern Canada and the U.S., while teasing the development of entirely new snack brands focused on functionality and evolving consumer demand.With both big-picture analysis and insider insights from one of Canada’s most dynamic snack entrepreneurs, this episode delivers food for thought on the future of retail, restaurants, and the growing snack market. The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. 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 fourth year in a row, 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.
    --------  
    49:30
  • Food Innovation, Tariffs & TikTok Moments and guest James Maitland, CEO of Les Aliments Dainty Foods Inc.
    In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast, presented by Caddle, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois deliver their trademark mix of hard-hitting food industry analysis and an insightful conversation with a top Canadian food leader.The episode kicks off with a wide-ranging news segment. Michael and Sylvain debate Canada’s “Big Five” fast-tracked federal projects and why agri-food continues to be sidelined in national infrastructure planning. They highlight the missed opportunities for boosting food supply chain efficiency, from beef processing facilities to critical ports like Vancouver, which remain among the world’s least efficient. The hosts also unpack new EV tariffs targeting Chinese electric vehicles, dissect how they intersect with trade relations, and explore why Canada’s ag sector is often the first target of Chinese retaliation. The discussion moves to TikTok’s ongoing influence in food marketing, recalling Ocean Spray’s viral cranberry moment and the elusive quest for the next billion-view food trend. Rounding out the news, they tackle inflation, food counter-tariffs, and how media narratives are obscuring the real cost impact on Canadian consumers—everything from coffee and tea prices soaring by 20% to rising costs in meat, sugar, and spices.The conversation then shifts to a feature interview with James Maitland, CEO of Les Aliments Dainty Foods Inc.—Canada’s only rice mill, located in Windsor, Ontario. James shares his career journey from General Mills and Maple Leaf Foods to leading Dainty, a company with a proud 140-year legacy. He reveals breaking news about the company’s upcoming U.S. expansion, with a $50–$75 million investment in a new facility focused on retort pouch technology and ready-to-eat innovation. James explains how Dainty sources authentic rice from global origins, mills it in Canada, and continues to grow as a trusted brand on Canadian shelves. The discussion highlights innovation, from the launch of the new Timewise brand—featuring convenient pasta and rice dishes—to sustainability initiatives like regeneratively grown rice and packaging breakthroughs.With unique insights on tariffs, supply chain challenges, and the balance between legacy and growth, James Maitland provides a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to lead a Canadian food brand into the future. The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. 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 fourth year in a row, 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.
    --------  
    53:35

More Business podcasts

About The Food Professor

Join Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University in Halifax with host Michael LeBlanc as they look at the hot issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries. We'll discuss proprietary industry and consumer food related research, check out fresh new ideas and talk about half baked strategies. © 2020-2025 M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Podcast website

Listen to The Food Professor, Un café avec Judith Fetzer and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app

Get the free radio.net app

  • Stations and podcasts to bookmark
  • Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
  • Supports Carplay & Android Auto
  • Many other app features
Social
v7.23.9 | © 2007-2025 radio.de GmbH
Generated: 10/17/2025 - 11:37:09 AM