Galen Weston Jr. among Macleans' 100 most powerful Canadians
Loblaw CEO Galen Weston Jr. has been named among Macleans’ list of Canada’s most powerful individuals for the year 2023.
Weston Jr. took the top position in the “Food Titans” category, followed by Top Chef Canada judge Janet Zuccarini, restaurateur Riad Nasr, and Empire Co. CEO Michael Medline.
“Galen Weston knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows what’s in our kitchen cupboards and medicine cabinets, and you’ll even likely receive eerily timed coupons for frequently purchased items in your inboxes and in-app offers,” Macleans’ description of the controversial Loblaw president reads.
“All that customer knowledge pays off: Loblaw makes $53 billion in annual sales, nearly twice that of Empire Co., its closest national competitor and the parent company of Sobeys.”
The article on Weston Jr. also takes into account the backlash rallied against him for hiking up food prices in his stores. It recounts the $40 chicken breast saga that was a contributing factor in landing the CEO in a heated interrogation with the House of Commons committee earlier this month.
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“No matter how many times you read it on Twitter, the idea that grocers are causing food inflation is not only false, it’s impossible,” Weston Jr. had said in the meeting.
Canadians were not a fan of this statement, and he was dragged through the mud on social media by frustrated shoppers.
“Weston wants Canadians to blame the supply chain for inflation yet skirts over the fact that, in not-insignificant ways, he is the supply chain,” writes Macleans. “As consumers feel the squeeze as their bills pile up higher than before, his challenge for 2023 is to figure out how not to drive them away.”
Read the full version of Macleans’ Power List 2023 here. It includes celebrities, athletes, politicians, technological trailblazers, healthcare innovators, real estate bigwigs, exceptional entrepreneurs, influencers, and more stars.