Our dedicated team working to Connect, Innovate & Inspire everyday!
Canada Beef staff have diverse expertise and experience in different areas of agriculture, beef production, culinary & nutrition, retail and foodservice operators. The team are committed to the organizations strategic goals and promoting Canadian beef both domestically and internationally.
More
Eric Bienvenue is a strategic leader with nearly 30 years of experience in senior leadership roles in the Canadian pork and poultry industries, Bienvenue brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Canada Beef.
Bienvenue served for several years as President and CEO of Boire et Frères Inc., Canada’s largest hatchery company and among its biggest chicken producers. During his more than 20 years at Olymel S.E.C, Bienvenue held various jobs from line supervisor to Executive Vice President of all pork operations, with responsibilities for 13 plants across Canada and a team of more than 6,500 people. While at Olymel he participated in mergers and acquisitions and led initiatives to improve efficiencies and market and product developments and was responsible for multi-million-dollar projects in Red Deer, Alberta, Cornwall, Ontario, and in Quebec.
Bienvenue has a Master of Business Administration degree from Université de Moncton, a Bachelor of Business
Administration degree from the University of New Brunswick, and various leadership certifications from Harvard
University and the Institut de Leadership.
More
Mark Klassen is the Executive Vice President responsible for global, domestic consumer, channel and generic marketing and the Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence activities as part of the Global Marketing Team bringing increased alignment and synergy to these functions.
Mark has 30 years experience in the Canadian meat and livestock industry including roles in livestock genetics and meat processing as well as positions with the Canada Beef Export Federation, Beef Information Centre and the Canadian Cattle Association. He has also provided consulting services in support of producer owned beef brands.
Mark grew up in a rural community and has a passion for agriculture and the people who serve Canada in this capacity.
More
For the past 25 years, Ron Glaser has been a communications professional specializing in the agriculture and agri-food sector. In July 2011, he became VP, Corporate Affairs and Operations for the newly formed Canada Beef. Prior to that, he was Executive Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the Beef Information Centre and also has served as Communications Manager with the Alberta Beef Producers.
Ron and his team of marketing and communications professionals oversee consumer and stakeholder communications, media relations, public affairs and operations for Canada Beef. He is also a member of the Executive Leadership Team which sets the organization’s direction in the execution of the strategic plan and business plan. Ron graduated from Mount Royal College in Calgary with a diploma in public relations.
More
Michael is responsible for implementing and managing corporate financial and risk management systems for both the domestic and international operations. This includes policies and procedures that manage the day-to- day business and finances of the organization. In collaboration with the CB business development and brand teams, he and his team continually focus on finding ways of creating value for money for producers’ check off dollars and import levies in CB marketing programs.
He joined CB in 2011 following the merger of the Beef Information Centre, Canada Beef Export Federation and the National Check-Off Agency. Prior to joining CB, Michael worked in accounting practice with BDO Dunwoody in Penticton and Kelowna, BC and was Chief Financial Officer for a first nation in northern Alberta.
Michael is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (UK). He was born in Africa, lived in Europe for 5 years and has lived in Canada since 2007. In Canada, he has lived in or visited 7 provinces and 1 territory. QC, NF and Nunavut are on his bucket list.
More
Albert is responsible for managing Canada Beef’s Export Market Development Programs and Emerging and Global Markets portfolios.
Prior to joining Canada Beef, Albert was Manager of International Market Development with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry for six years. In this role Albert and his team supported Alberta agriculture and food companies to identify export opportunities and assist in expanding their sales internationally through various export market development initiatives.
Prior to joining Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Albert devoted 21 years of his career operating his own business that promoted and coordinated the export of Canadian livestock genetics and livestock production technologies, successfully developing new business, and selling these products worldwide with specific emphasis on the Asian and Latin American regions.
Albert was born and raised on a mixed livestock and crop farm in Southern Alberta and has been involved with the Alberta and Canadian Agriculture industries for his entire career.
Albert has a Bachelor of Management degree with a Major in Marketing from the University of Lethbridge.
More
As a young child, Mathieu Paré landed in Calgary, Alberta from the wilds of northern Quebec and immediately set off exploring. From the eastern slopes to the Cypress Hills, the boreal forest to the U.S. border, he foraged the landscape for edible plants and animals, eventually crossing the Rockies and the Strait of Georgia in pursuit of new food experiences. Now a Governor General Award winner and professional chef, Mathieu brings a passion for all things culinary and an expertise in fine dining to the table.
Trained in Western Canada’s most demanding kitchens (La Chaumière, Rouge, Quail’s Gate Estate Winery, CP Rail’s The Royal Canadian Pacific, The Wickaninnish Inn), Mathieu’s focus is on classic technique and execution while maintaining some freedom for surprise, fusion and one-of-a-kind creativity.
As a young chef, Mathieu travelled extensively to develop his palate and diversify his repertoire. Sharing his food knowledge and travel experiences from across Canada, in Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Mathieu builds on a platform for exploration of local and exotic ingredients.
Mathieu is now with Canada Beef as Director of the Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence. In this role, Mathieu leads a team creating opportunity and competitiveness for Canadian beef globally through successfully engaging clients across Canada and around the world to build understanding of the Canadian beef brand and drive demand.
More
Joyce has worked in PR, marketing services and consumer content creation and promotions professionally for over 20 years, through positions at Nestlé Canada, Foodland Ontario and Beef Information Centre. Joyce represents the consumer voice in our marketing and communication strategies and campaigns, in both branded and generic beef initiatives.
Joyce seeks to build trust, affinity and loyalty for Canadian Beef and beef in general, with direct and partnered efforts that target consumers and their influencers based on the understandings of product & brand value propositions, audience and outreach channels.
More
Michele leads Canada Beef’s digital marketing programs. Michele has over 25 years of experience managing projects in consumer relationship marketing, content creation, media, TV production and digital programs. Michele started her career within the Kraft Kitchens at Kraft Canada.
Michele is skilled at website, social and email content planning and execution. She is grounded in understanding how consumers interact with digital platforms and thus is able to effectively deliver content marketing plans that not only meet business and brand objectives but also delight and engage the consumer.
Michele’s role is to connect consumers and producers to the Canadian Beef brand story through strategic, collaborative, consistent and authentic content on all social and digital channels and in doing so, builds trust and an appreciation for Canadian Beef.
More
Karine is the Director of Health and Nutrition, responsible for the development and management of Canada Beef’s nutrition strategy in line with the current science, industry needs and nutrition trends. She will also be responsible for education and communication initiatives with health and food professionals, food and nutrition students, thought leaders and consumers.
Karine has over 25 years’ experience as a dietitian. She spent the first part of her career in healthcare, overseeing client nutrition programs for Cara Operations and Compass Group, and later as foodservice director for a large hospital. She has worked in the Canadian beef industry over the last 10 years, first as a staff member for Canada Beef (from 2010 to 2015) and then in a consulting capacity. Karine is a graduate of the University of Guelph’s Human Nutrition program and dietetic internship at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and a member of the College of Dietitians of Ontario.
More
Gina transitioned to public relations following a successful career in journalism that concluded with a nine-year stint as a business writer producing award-winning copy for a leading Canadian daily newspaper. She landed her first communications job at a national producer association in Canada’s beef industry more than a decade ago and has never looked back, finding the dynamic nature and international scope of the work to her liking.
Gina is a strategic communications professional and experienced in government and stakeholder relations and advocacy, media relations, storytelling, brand and reputation management, and issues and crisis management.
Gina has a Journalism Diploma and a Basic Public Relations Certificate from Mount Royal College in Calgary (now Mount Royal University). In 2019 Gina earned the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) designation from the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS). She is a board member for CPRS Calgary. A lifelong learner, Gina is pursuing certification in nonprofit management.
More
After completing a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Victoria in 2011, Cameron relocated to Australia where he began his culinary career and developed a keen interest for agriculture. It was while working in horticulture in Northern Queensland that Cameron developed a deep appreciation for the way food goes from farm-to-fork.
Upon returning home, he attended the Culinary Institute of Vancouver Island and furthered his skills working in Canadian restaurants from Tofino to Montreal.
Cameron joined Canada Beef in 2018 as the Centre Chef of the Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence. In his current role of Culinary and Innovation Manager, Cameron leverages his passion for Canadian beef from the aspects of culinary, butchery and multi-media.
More
Kelly has over 25 years of combined strategic planning, communications, marketing, and project management experience. Prior to joining Canada Beef, Kelly’s career was in the communications field where she worked in multiple sectors both in public and private industry. She also managed and owned her own consulting firm for over a decade. The company specialized in branding and developing strategic communication, marketing, and business plans.
Kelly enjoys collaborating with and bringing together various and diverse stakeholders to work toward achieving a common goal. Kelly has a degree from the University of Calgary, a diploma from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and most recently earned a graduate certificate in Values-Based Leadership from Royal Roads University. She is also an Accredited Business Communicator through the International Association of Business Communicators.
Kelly’s role as the Director, Canadian Beef Information Gateway, is to oversee the planning, implementation, and promotion of multiple platforms for the Gateway. To accomplish this, she works closely with other Canada beef teams including, channel marketing, digital marketing, consumer marketing and the Canadian Beef Center of Excellence. This role aligns with Kelly’s passion for food sustainability and security.
More
Mauricio is responsible for the technical services function, supporting Canada Beef in all matters related to recent meat industry developments and working in liaison with the scientific research community. He is proactively monitoring recent technological innovations while networking with key stakeholders and other industry associations to address current issues and challenges. The total focus is on the Food Safety, Beef Quality and Regulatory affairs of the beef value chain.
In Canada, Mauricio has worked in diverse technical roles for the cattle and meat industry for the last twenty years. His experience includes management responsibilities in the quality and technical services functions for Cargill, Canada Beef Export Federation, the Canadian Beef and Breeds Council, IdentiGEN and BHJ Canada Meat Products Inc.
After finishing his undergraduate education in Colombia, Mauricio completed his Master of Science degree at the École Nationale Supérieure des Industries Agricoles et Alimentaires (ENSIA) in France, with applied research for agricultural development in South America.
More
Shelby VanSickle is responsible for leading Canada’s domestic beef marketing strategy for increasing demand, client confidence and competitive position in the Canadian marketplace.
Shelby brings relevant experience in market research and analytics, brand management and strategic communications. Prior to joining Canada Beef, Shelby worked as a Brand Manager at Canada’s largest privately-held specialty food distributor, where she honed her skills in project execution and client satisfaction. Additionally, Shelby previously worked on projects for Canada Beef related to market intelligence across various sectors of the industry.
Shelby holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Marketing Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, and a Master of Science in Strategic Marketing Communications from Fordham University.
Shelby enjoys continual learning and collaborating with others, as well as a plethora of sports (she can often be found with a hockey stick, lacrosse stick, or softball bat in hand).
More
Sandesh is responsible for all Foodservice related initiatives for the domestic market.
Sandesh has a wealth of experience in brand management, category management, strategic communications and marketing strategy gained through a successful career across several multinational companies. Sandesh also brings significant culinary operations and management experience as both a Chef and entrepreneur, having started a restaurant out of his garage during the pandemic and building it to a fully-fledged restaurant in his home country Sri Lanka, which he sold to move to Canada in 2022 to attend Culinary School. Most recently, he worked as a Sous Chef at a Golf Club in the north of Ontario.
Sandesh holds an MBA from Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK and a Bachelor of Business degree with majors in Marketing & Business Management from Edith Cowan University, Australia. He also holds a Diploma in Culinary Management where he graduated with honors.
Sandesh loves to experiment with food and create fusion dishes marrying flavors of global cuisine together. He’s culinary creations are influenced by East Asian flavors where he has travelled to extensively and lived briefly as well. Sandesh is also a former Rugby coach and an avid fan of Cricket, which he still plays occasionally.
More
Scott is responsible for engaging the retail segment of Canada Beef’s domestic beef marketing strategy to support in promoting Canadian Beef as the protein of choice for consumers.Scott brings a plethora of meat experience across the industry. Before joining Canada Beef, Scott had a background in both sales of proteins in the foodservice and retail segments, as well as butchery experience. Scott has worked for major retailers and foodservice companies where he not only honed his skills with regional sales initiatives as well as managing both inside and outside reps, but he also acquired a passion for educating customers on the benefits of Canadian Beef. Scott has a long history of working with customers and clients in a protein advisory capacity.
Scott has a Bachelor of Management through Athabasca University and is a Certified Retail Meat Cutter through SAIT. Scott still enjoys expanding his knowledge of meat, as well as travelling and photography and has gotten back into archery again recently.
Our dedicated team members from Mexico, Japan, China, Taiwan, Vietnam and South Korea promote the benefits of Canadian beef to retailers, foodservice operators and consumers abroad.
More
Claudia has been an integral part of Canada Beef’s team since 2004 when the organization established its footprint in Mexico.
Ms Herrera-Blanc obtained her B.Sc. in Business Administration at the Technological Institute of Higher Studies of Monterrey . Her role with Canada Beef has evolved from operations early in her career where she managed resources of Canadian Beef producers, to becoming instrumental to Canada Beef’s business and market development team.
As a business developer, Claudia has led the development of the Hispanic communications platform for Canada Beef and she has also led brand marketing partnerships and strategic alliances with Mexico’s Foodservice industry; projects that have been conducive at positioning the Canadian Beef Brand by its world class attributes within Mexico’s white tablecloth operations.
More
Erika is an experienced operations coordinator who joined Canada Beef in 2014 and recently rejoined in 2023. With a strong background in customer service and administration in the hospitality industry, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role.
Erika has a B.S. in Administration with a major in Tourism. Erika possesses a deep understanding of the industry’s dynamics and customer expectations. Her previous experience at Mexicana de Aviación, a renowned airline, further honed her skills in managing diverse tasks and ensuring smooth operations.
As an operations coordinator, Erika plays a pivotal role in our organization. She excels in handling accounting reporting, meticulously ensuring accurate financial records and compliance. Additionally, she efficiently manages day to day office operations, streamlining processes and optimizing productivity.
With her exceptional attention to detail and strong organizational skills, Erika consistently delivers results and contributes to the overall success of our company. Her dedication and commitment to excellence make her an invaluable asset to our team.
More
Ichiro joins Canada Beef as Senior Director Japan, with growing regional aspirations in the beef sector. He has expertise in the global food industry and extensive experience as a senior business manager with 27+ years of success in sales, marketing, procurement, and new business development in a large food trade company, global FMCG company, and a foreign government agency. During his time in the food company, he was the expat working for US & Japan JV beef company in the US as Export Manager.
During his professional career, he initiated contributed to meaningful, well-known and significant business generating events. He has also played an important role as a mentor and sensei for his colleagues on the team as well as other global offices.
He has two MBAs majoring in International Business, California University and majoring in Marketing, Bond University in Australia.
More
Yuko started to work for Canadian Beef in April 1999. At first, she was in charge of accounting and office operation and in 2013 she became Marketing Manager. Yuko focuses on marketing and branding of Canadian beef in Japan market through relationships with the meat industry people such as retailer, food-service, distributor and importer. She aims that Japanese consumers can eat and buy Canadian beef anytime and anywhere in Japan.
More
Kako has been working in Canada Beef Inc. since December 2013, and today exerts herself for Japan’s office as operation manager. She is in charge of accounting and general affairs. Kako was once a secretary for a member of the House of Representatives and Councilors of the Japanese National Diet for more than 5 years. By this experience she is the expert in office operation. Furthermore she acts as a mediator now between customer and CBI.
More
Rachel has joined to Canada Beef Inc. since 2007 for more than 10 years and worked for the office administrative and finance operations. With her great expertise, she is not only managed daily finance and operation works, but also take in charge of the challenge for maintaining in the roles of program managements, executions of brand licensing, and various supports of individual marketing initiatives in the region. She devoted her enthusiasm and career to Canadian beef industry with long term loyalty and efforts to communicate the brand and strategies among the clients and consumers in the China market. The working experience of marketing in last company Lucent Technology gave her solid background which led her to be capable of the work in brand new industry within short time.
More
Deana joined Canada Beef since 2008, at first oversaw accounting and office operation. In late 2013 she evolved from administration job role to Canada Beef Market Development team and responsibility expanded to SE Asia markets. Now she oversights market development and international marketing for Taiwan, Philippine, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam markets.
Deana has Business operation management diploma in Algonquin College in Ottawa Canada. Before joining the beef industry, she had worked at one of Global 500 high-tech company positioned as executive secretary of sales and market development team. She further expanded her career in brand marketing and event planning at an Italian fashion house. With the abundant experiences helped her developed strong skills in brand marketing, event planning, marketing, and consumer relations.
More
Katie started her career in the Vietnam food industry in 2015 as an imported food merchandiser. Before joining Canada Beef April 2023, she worked for a Korean global corporation which is a leading feeding ingredient and food manufacturer in Vietnam. After more than 7 years in the meat business, she gained various expertise on imported meats and foods, local meat industry as well as Vietnamese importation procedures. She also built a wide network with major Vietnam food importers, distributors and global suppliers from the USA, Australia and Europe. Katie expects to make the Canadian beef brand widely known in Vietnam through the planning and execution of marketing and promotions initiatives.
More
YG is a specialist in international trade and business development consulting, with extensive experience and networks in a wide range of sectors, including meat, seafood, food and beverage, for over 35 years. After working as trade/business development manager at a foreign government agency in Seoul for over 22 years, he has been providing in-market representative services as trusted advisor for foreign exporters and industry associations in the Korean market. YG has an MBA majoring in Marketing from Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea.
T (403) 275-5890
P (403) 275-9288
E info@canadabeef.ca
A 6715 – 8th Street NE, Suite 146
Calgary, AB, Canada T2E 7H7
T (905) 821-4900
E info@canadabeef.ca
A 2550 Argentia Road, Suite 210
Mississauga, ON L5N 5R1
