Chief Executive Officer

As the Voice of Retail™ in Canada, the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) is a not-for-profit association representing more than 54,000 online retailers and storefronts in all retail formats, including department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers, online merchants and quick service restaurants. RCC’s mission is to advance the interests of the retail industry through effective advocacy, communications and education and the organization is unapologetic about its passion for small, mid- and large-sized retailers across Canada. RCC is proud to represent a sector that employs more than 2 million Canadians and contributes to the economic health and well-being of our communities from coast to coast. 

Reporting to the RCC Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will provide vision, strategy and direction to a team of 40 in the relentless representation of member interests. They will work with the Board and members to identify and implement strategic priorities and programs that promote and protect the Canadian retail sector as a whole. With a budget of $9 million, the CEO will act as a key spokesperson for the industry on a wide range of complex, urgent, and ever-changing topics while effectively working with both industry and government stakeholders to drive toward policy objectives. Building on the success of the RCC and the strength of the team and Board, the next CEO will further accelerate RCC’s advocacy work to address the evolving retail landscape, and cement RCC as the authoritative voice of the Canadian retail sector.

As the ideal candidate, you are a visionary and dynamic leader with experience in strategic planning, advocacy and stakeholder engagement. With impeccable ethics and judgement, you have experience working with diverse groups to find alignment and consensus and distilling complex information down to manageable messages. You are comfortable in high-stakes environments and are known for your consultative approach to understanding stakeholder needs.  You have a broad understanding of the issues facing the retail sector and possess a passion for driving change and influencing decision making. You blend business acumen with outstanding communication skills and have a passion for representing one of the cornerstone industries in the Canadian economy and the impact it has on all Canadians.

To Apply

To fill this position, the Retail Council of Canada has partnered with leadership advisory firm Odgers Berndtson. Applications are encouraged immediately and should be submitted online at https://careers.odgersberndtson.com/en-ca/30176. For more information, please contact Sarah Tusz of Odgers Berndtson at sarah.tusz@odgersberndtson.com. We thank all those who express an interest, however only those chosen for further development will be contacted.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Retail Council of Canada  is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with the Accessible Canada Act, 2019 and all applicable provincial accessibility standards, upon request, accommodation will be provided by both Odgers Berndtson and Retail Council of Canada throughout the recruitment, selection and/or assessment process to applicants with disabilities.

Odgers Berndtson is deeply committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all the work that we do. As part of our efforts to better understand our ability to reach as broad a pool of candidates as possible for our searches, our EDI team would like to encourage you to take a moment and access our Self-Declaration Form.