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You’re Invited!

Welcome to LIDD Rendezvous!
October 25th in Montreal

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Join LIDD in Montreal for the Annual Rendezvous

Spend a full day in sessions learning about technology and innovation in supply chain, best practices in warehouse optimization, and automation. This conference promises to be an enriching experience for professionals across the supply chain ecosystem.

When: 25 October 2024
Where: InterContinental Montreal Hotel

We look forward to welcoming you to Rendezvous and collaborating with you to drive excellence in supply chain. See you there!

Agenda –  The schedule may be subject to change.
See Program
Registration is OPEN! Join us this fall in Montreal! A full-day pass of CA$250+tx gives you full access to all sessions and networking sessions.
Secure Your Spot
Conveniently located within walking distance to Old Montreal, the Hotel InterContinental Montreal will serve as the official host hotel for the LIDD Rendezvous. Please  reserve your room by Oct 18th.
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Agenda

Panel Discussion – Technology: We Went live, now what?
Moderator: Ben VanderBeek, LIDD

Panel Discussion – Realizing the Value of Warehouse Automation: Overcoming Financial, Implementation, and Operational Challenges
Moderator: Jennifer Hall, LIDD

AI in Supply Chain & Distribution: Demystifying Analytics and Unlocking Practical Impact
Presented by Ghislain Gagné

Streamline Operations by Aligning Your Physical and Digital Infrastructure
Presented by Jason Theophanes, Old Trapper Smoked Meats and Mathieu Galipeau, LIDD

Waste Not, Feed All: The Role of Supply Chain Infrastructure in Food Rescue
Presented by Gabrielle Tiven, LIDD

Optimizing Distribution Networks: Designing for Scalability and Seasonality
Presented by Jim Falk, American Textile and Jeff Hamilton, LIDD

Orchestrating Automation: Mastering Human and Forklift Workflows Before Robotics
Presented by Laurent Bourque, Nellson and Jean-Martin Roux, LIDD

New Facility Decision Making Process
Presented by Mark Moore, CMC

The Roadmap for Successful Ecommerce Automation
Presented by Nick Klein, Dematic and Oliver Vogt, Tesco

Click HERE to see the schedule.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

 

Meet the Speakers

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Charles Fallon

President, LIDD

Charles has been working as a supply chain consultant since 1998. He has worked with clients at all levels of the supply chain, from manufacturers to retailers, in a wide array of industries including food, pharmaceuticals, garments and construction materials. He has extensive experience in supply chain strategy, technology, facility design & implementation and operations. Charles holds a bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering from McGill University in Montreal.

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David Beaudet

Senior Partner, LIDD

David has worked on a wide range of logistics mandates across North America since 2004. He has been involved in network design, warehouse design and expansion, process re-engineering and the selection of warehouse management systems. His experience lies within all segments of the food industry, pharmaceuticals as well as industrial distribution. David holds a master’s degree in Logistics from HEC Montréal.

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Jean-Martin Roux

Senior Partner, LIDD

Jean-Martin has been a logistics applications and integration specialist since 2005 and helps clients throughout North America implement supply chain technology. He has worked with clients on all facets of their supply chain application park: Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Transportation Management Systems (TMS), Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Jean-Martin holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from ETS Montreal.

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Gabrielle Tiven

Senior Partner, LIDD

Gabrielle Tiven is a Senior Partner at LIDD and spearheads the firm’s initiatives with non-profit organizations that run supply chains. She works with food banks, food rescue organizations, food pantries, and similar organizations to use LIDD’s expertise to help address food insecurity. She guides organizations on network studies, distribution center designs, and overall supply chain strategy, and conducts research in food loss and waste in manufacturing and distribution. In addition to working with clients, Gabrielle helms parts of LIDD's administration and management, currently overseeing the firm's human resources and legal departments. Gabrielle got her start in warehouse design at FreshDirect, a pioneering online grocer in NYC, and later worked in product development at Kiva Systems, now Amazon Robotics. She holds a BA from Yale University and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

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Ben Vanderbeek

Partner, LIDD

Ben has more than 10 years of experience in leading technology teams, with numerous implementations and integrations of NetSuite Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software within distribution, ecommerce, and manufacturing industries. He leads the ERP practice at LIDD, including projects to implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ERP, and integrate with the Generix Solochain Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and Warehouse Management System (WMS). Ben holds a BS in Computer Science from California State University Long Beach and has earned certifications as a NetSuite Administrator and a NetSuite ERP Consultant.

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Jennifer Hall

Partner, LIDD

Jennifer has executed numerous distribution center design, expansion and implementation projects focusing on food, beverage and consumer goods. Her work involves helping clients design, justify and implement facilities’ infrastructure, e-commerce platforms and meal-solution operations. Jennifer holds a degree in Civil Engineering from McGill University.

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Jeff Hamilton

Partner, LIDD

Jeff is a highly experienced professional in facility design and optimization within the food and beverage and consumer goods industries. With extensive project management skills, he has successfully led the design of multiple facilities, and now oversees the LIDD LA office team. Jeff's leadership and dedication ensure exceptional results and cutting-edge facility design solutions. He holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University.

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Mathieu Galipeau

Partner, LIDD

Mathieu integrates distribution technologies and optimizes supply chain infrastructure for clients across different industries. He has successfully managed more than 15 business software solution projects, that focuses on systems such as: Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). Mathieu is a graduate from École de Technologie Supérieure de Montréal (ETS) with a degree in Operations and Logistics Engineering.

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Angelika Sabourin

Partner

Angelika has more than 10 years of experience in integrating distribution technologies in supply chain operations, and has successfully managed numerous WMS Solochain implementation projects. She worked as an IT Director at one of the biggest Canadian publishing companies, and joined LIDD as a Director. Angelika holds a bachelor’s degree in Operations and Logistics Engineering and a DESS’s degree in Innovation Management from École de Technologie Supérieure de Montréal.

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Mark Moore

President, CMC Design-Build

Mark Moore has been President and CEO of CMC Design Build since 1993, leading the company in designing and building food and beverage processing and distribution facilities nationwide. CMC’s services aim to optimize facility construction and operation costs, including distribution network analysis, systems design, site selection, labor studies, utility efficiency, and food safety protocols. Moore also has operational experience in third-party food distribution, managing over one million square feet of facilities in the New York area. He holds a BA in Economics from Tufts University, enhancing his extensive industry expertise.

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Erik Larsen

Vice President of Operations, Ginsberg’s Foods

Erik Larsen is the Vice President of Operations at Ginsberg’s Foods, with over 12 years of experience in leadership roles within the foodservice distribution industry. He currently oversees Transportation, Warehousing, Logistics, Facility Maintenance, and Food Safety. Erik holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and spent nine years at Target Corporation, where he gained extensive leadership experience in Distribution and Food Operations. Erik is deeply committed to continuous leadership development, both for himself and others, and is an active community and industry leader, a married father of two, and an avid hockey player.

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Jason Theophanes

Director of Technology, Old Trapper Smoked Products

A self-driven technologist who strives for greatness through successful implementation of enterprise software. Multi-disciplinary technology leader always looking to learn and understand trends before they are mainstream. Successfully architected the design and implementation of the following systems: 1) 10Gbps bifurcated networking infrastructure between multiple buildings (2018-2019), 2) WMS Replacement Implementation (Solochain) 2020-2021, 3) Business Intelligence Implementation (Power BI) 2021-2024, and 4) ERP Replacement Implementation (Business Central) 2023-2024.

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Leon Johnson

Director, Engineering & Capital Management, Wal-Mart Canada

Leon Johnson is a seasoned supply chain professional, based out of Toronto, specializing in designing, optimizing and implementing distribution capabilities through the use of process design, material handling technologies and automation. In his current role, Leon oversees Engineering, Continuous Improvement and Asset Management for Walmart Canada’s network of distribution and fulfillment centers. With over twelve years of experience in logistics engineering and spent numerous years in Supply Chain Management Consulting, with LIDD Consultants and with Deloitte Canada. He has partnered with a variety of industries during his career, including food service, grocery retail, health foods, cosmetics, hardware, apparel and public health.

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Lori King

CEO, Annie Selke

Lori King is a transformative leader, coach, and strategic executive with expertise across finance, operations, technology, e-commerce, marketing and product innovation. She has guided organizational change by instilling a culture of collaboration amongst her teams. Lori most recently served a CEO of the Annie Selke Companies where she introduced a strategic planning process, built a strong, results driven marketing culture and improved overall efficiency and valuation. Previously Lori spent 22 years at Stonewall Kitchen as President and COO where she drove substantial growth. She led the sale of both businesses with highly successful outcomes to PE firms. She holds both a MBA and BS in Finance from Benley University.

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Nick Klein

Sr. Director of Enterprise Sales in North America, Dematic

Nick has been involved in the development of intralogistics solutions for over 20 years with a high focus on grocery retail and distribution. He has developed solutions for some of North America’s largest grocers’ distribution center operations, providing process improvements, best practice logistics methods, performance optimizing software, and material handling automation. He has collaborated with end-users, 3PL companies, and consultants to find optimal solutions for distribution centers, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. To develop a solution, Nick uses a data driven agnostic approach with an operations focus that includes current state analysis, operations planning, and strategic/tactical planning. As Senior Director of Enterprise Solution Sales, Nick supports Dematic in providing engineered logistics solutions for warehousing and distribution operations across North America.

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Melissa Pryszlak

Vise President of DC Operations, Pet Valu

Melissa Pryszlak is a licensed Professional Engineer (industrial) and a seasoned supply chain leader with over 20 years of experience. With a decade dedicated to all areas of the supply chain and ten years in manufacturing prior, Melissa has a robust background in both sectors. She has spearheaded supply chain transformations, focusing on modernization and automation within the grocery retail industry and currently serves as the Vice President of DC Operations for Pet Valu.

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Martine Legault

Director of Logistics, CISSS de la Montérégie-Ouest

With over 15 years of work experience in logistics, I am currently the Director of Logistics at CISSS de la Montérégie-Ouest, a regional health and social services organization in Quebec. Before joining CISSS, I was the Director of Supply Chain Optimization and Continuous Improvement at Groupe Deschenes, a leading distributor of plumbing and heating products in Canada. There, I was responsible for developing and executing the supply chain strategy, optimizing processes and driving continuous improvement projects. I hold a master’s degree in project management from ESG UQAM, as well as certifications in Project Management Professional (PMP), ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE) and ASQ Certified Six Sigma Black Belt.

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Jim Falk

VP of Engineering, American Textile

Graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BS, Industrial Engineering. As VP of Engineering, I oversee and manage Operations CapEx projects related to Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Distribution, Fabrication, and Automation.

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Simon Laberge

Project Director, Canac

Simon Laberge is Project Director at Canac, where he has been instrumental in driving digital transformation over the last decade. After earning a degree in industrial engineering from Université Laval, Simon applied his expertise to modernize Canac’s supply chain, leading projects like the implementation of a new WMS system, supply chain software, and optimizing warehouse operations. Today, Simon is at the forefront of Canac's automation journey, overseeing the development of a state-of-the-art distribution center in Drummondville, focused on leveraging robotics and automation to enhance operational efficiency and scalability.

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Ghislain Gagné

CEO, AI Startup

An experienced AI executive with over 18 years of experience, Ghislain specializes in designing and deploying AI systems for mission-critical operations across industries such as aerospace & defense, infrastructure, supply chain, banking, and asset management. With a proven track record of leveraging a comprehensive spectrum of analytics and AI techniques, Ghislain has led AI programs that have delivered over $100 million in business value, significantly improving operational efficiency and internal capabilities. Currently, as the CEO of a stealth-mode AI startup in the aviation sector, Ghislain is developing innovative technologies to support operational decision-making. Previously, as the Canadian lead of QuantumBlack AI by McKinsey, Ghislain expanded the team of AI practitioners across the country, driving innovation and delivering transformative solutions for complex industries.

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Ravinder Birak

Head of Online Automation, Tesco

Ravinder Birak is a seasoned leader with 15 years of experience at Tesco, currently serving as the Head of Online Automation. In this role, he leads the Tesco MFC programme. His expertise encompasses team leadership, management, and coaching, with a proven track record in recruitment, change management, and employee relations. Ravinder is a results-driven professional passionate about developing people and optimizing processes.

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Why attend?

  1. Discover new solutions: Learn about and debate the best ways to make smart investments in supply chain infrastructure.
  2. Learn from experts: Gain applicable insights on lessons learned as speakers share their experiences and success stories.
  3. Connect with like-minded peers: Network with professionals from a wide range of industries and specialties.
Register

Sneak peek.

Montreal, the largest city in the province of Quebec, is a vibrant metropolis located in southwestern Quebec on Île de Montreal. It sits at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. Founded in 1642 as Ville-Marie, it was later named after Mount Royal, the triple-peaked hill around which the early settlement was built. As Canada’s second-largest city, Montreal is a major industrial, commercial, and financial hub, as well as a center of francophone culture in North America. It enjoys international acclaim and is one of the world’s great cities. Fun fact: Montreal is the second-largest French-speaking city globally, after Paris. See you in Montreal!

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