Suggestions
John Carmichael
CEO and President, Nestlé Canada
John Carmichael is the President and CEO of Nestlé Canada, a position he has held since February 2021. He replaced Jeff Hamilton, who moved to a new role in Europe.3 Carmichael leads Nestlé Canada with a focus on enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future for Canadians.2
Background
- Education:
- MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management, focusing on Marketing and Entrepreneurship.
- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UCLA.1
- Career:
- Started his career with Nestlé in 1995 in Pet Care.
- Held various roles within Nestlé USA before becoming President and CEO of Nestlé Canada. Notable positions include:
- President, Foods Division at Nestlé USA (2018-2021).
- President, Beverages at Nestlé USA (2017-2018).
- Vice President roles across different divisions within the company.6
Leadership Style
Carmichael emphasizes personal growth and development as key to thriving leadership. He believes that success is measured by the impact one makes and prioritizes creating lasting changes. He values empathy, taking risks, and helping his team thrive.7 His approach includes learning from failures as opportunities for growth rather than setbacks.
Recent Initiatives
Under Carmichael's leadership, Nestlé Canada made strategic shifts such as exiting its Frozen Meals & Pizza business to focus on categories like Confectionery, Coffee, Ice Cream, Premium Waters, Pet Food among others.45 This decision allows for reinvestment in priority areas supporting long-term business growth.
Carmichael also supports community initiatives such as partnering with Kids Help Phone to promote youth mental health awareness through events like Walk So Kids Can Talk.2
Highlights
“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team."
While watching the Olympic Games, one thing that struck me was the unwavering sense of camaraderie and unity within every team. It is this team and support system that propels athletes to reach their fullest potential and achieve greatness.
The same principle applies to the workplace. A supportive team is crucial to the success of any high-performing organization, and I am truly privileged to be a part a team that supports and uplifts one another.
I am happy to share that Nestlé Canada has been honoured with a 2024 Canadian Grocer Impact Award in the Supporting Employees category for the second consecutive year. This recognition is a testament to our Changemakers culture, which empowers our people to make a difference in both big and small ways, challenge the status quo, and embrace their passion to drive impact. Just like Olympic athletes, our team consistently lives up to the hype and embodies the spirit of champions.
I would like to thank Canadian Grocer for this recognition and extend my appreciation to our Nestlé Changemakers for their unwavering commitment to excellence in everything they do.
Business unites for a once-in-a-lifetime Global Plastics Treaty. INC-4 is underway – the fourth session of negotiations of the UN Plastic Pollution Treaty and I am pleased to join leaders across our industry to support a Global Plastics Treaty. Ending plastic pollution is something I am passionate about and we are committed to doing our part. The Plastics Pact Network, convened by the @EllenMacArthurFoundation and @WRAP, unites businesses, governments, NGOs, and citizens worldwide behind a common vision: ending #plasticpollution. But while voluntary action like we have undertaken in the Canada Plastics Pact has shown promise in driving change, it will not solve the problem on its own. This is why we need a legally binding, ambitious Global Plastics Treaty. The Plastics Pact model is a great example of how governments can leverage public-private partnerships to design and implement harmonized regulation. Together, we can turn voluntary collaboration examples into global impact through binding regulations.
