Rendezvous brings together our staff, clients, and partners from many industries and across LIDD’s work in supply chain strategy, design, and technology. This cross-pollination is deliberate – by sharing stories with people working in varying realms, we hope to spur new ideas and connections.
When: 30 September – 1 October 2026 Where: Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain
About the Sessions
Our program is being developed to cover the full scope of modern supply chain infrastructure, from warehouse design and layout to technology implementation and program management.
We’ll focus on current market conditions and the impact of the latest technology advancements and trends, including areas like AI and automation. Expect to gain actionable insights from leading keynote speakers and practical knowledge as peers and partners share their project journeys, offering invaluable takeaways.
Wednesday, September 30th Agenda
Time
Room
Activity
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Quincaillerie Richelieu Hardware
Pat Cup Site Visit
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Named in memory of Patrick Neely, a beloved colleague whose kindness, passion, and spirit of teamwork left a lasting impact on LIDD, the PAT CUP celebrates collaboration and continuous learning. During this annual activity, LIDD staff visit a facility to observe operations firsthand, ask questions, share insights, and learn from real-world supply chain environments. The experience encourages participants to engage with curiosity, exchange observations, and contribute their perspectives in a spirit of professional growth and shared learning.
Angie Sabourin
Partner
Angelika (Angie) Sabourin, P. Eng., has more than 15 years of experience integrating distribution technologies into supply chain operations and has successfully led numerous WMS, MES, and TMS implementation projects. Prior to joining LIDD in 2018, she served as IT Director for one of Canada's largest publishing companies. Today, Angie leads LIDD's Warehouse Technology Practice, helping organizations optimize their operations through technology-enabled transformation. She holds a bachelor's degree in Operations and Logistics Engineering and a Graduate Diploma (DESS) in Innovation Management from the École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS) in Montréal.
With over 20 years of experience in continuous improvement, project management, distribution, warehousing and quality, Isadora is currently the Senior Manager - Operational Excellence at Richelieu. Richelieu is a leading hardware distributor established in Canada and the US, with more than 130 sites across both countries. Before joining Richelieu, she worked in different industries such as pharmaceutical, transportation, banking, and automation. Her primary focus is always to foster continuous improvement, optimize processes, identify opportunities for improvement, and implement practical solutions. Isadora is an engineer, holding her degree from École Polytechnique de Montréal.
Champlain Ballroom
The Beer Game
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Experience the Beer Game, a fast-paced supply chain simulation that shows how small decisions can create big operational consequences. Working as part of a supply chain team, participants uncover the challenges of demand variability, inventory management, and cross-functional coordination while seeing the bullwhip effect unfold in real time.
Emilio Colangelo
Partner, LIDD
As a partner at LIDD, Emilio Colangelo leads the supply chain planning practice, developing integrated strategies and overseeing complex software implementations. Since 2016, he has helped companies across food and beverage, e-commerce, and manufacturing achieve operational improvements through process engineering and tailored technology solutions.
Join us for an evening of networking, great conversations, and refreshments as we officially launch the event. Open to all conference participants, including those who choose not to take part in the Beer Game. We look forward to welcoming you!
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Off-Site
Dinner
Hosted by Sponsors
Thursday, October 1st Agenda
Time
Room
Activity
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Champlain Foyer
Breakfast Sponsored by Kinaxis
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM
Champlain Ballroom
Opening Remarks
by
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.
Turning AI Into ROI: How To Drive Smarter Finance and Operations
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AI is everywhere, but most organizations are still figuring out how to apply it in ways that drive real business impact. This session cuts through the noise to show how NetSuite embeds AI directly into ERP workflows to improve efficiency, accelerate decision-making, and reduce manual effort across finance and operations.
You’ll get a clear view of NetSuite’s AI strategy, what capabilities are available today, and what’s coming next, along with practical examples of how to put AI to work using tools like the NetSuite AI Connector. Expect a grounded, real-world perspective focused on outcomes, not theory.
Joe Friedman
Senior Director of AI Innovation, NetSuite
Joe is the Sr. Director of AI Innovation at Oracle NetSuite, championing AI adoption to help customers modernize back-office workflows through intelligent automation. Over 13 years at NetSuite, he has served as Chief of Staff, led the Finance Center of Excellence, and worked with major enterprise accounts. Joe began his career in public accounting and finance leadership.
9:45 AM - 10:00 AM
Transition
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Champlain Ballroom
Single Source of Truth: Building a Data Foundation Your Whole Organization Trusts
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Most data analytics initiatives struggle because siloed reporting creates conflicting metrics, fragmented insights, and a lack of trust in the data. In this session, Yves, and Benoit share lessons learned from helping organizations build modern analytics ecosystems with Microsoft Fabric and Power BI. Going beyond dashboard design, they will explore how data integration, modeling, governance, and KPI alignment come together to create a scalable foundation for reporting and decision-making. Attendees will gain practical strategies for establishing trusted data, enabling self-service analytics, and driving lasting user adoption across a business.
Yves Galarneau
Managing Director, LIDD
Acting as a Managing Director for LIDD’s Business Analytics practice, Yves assists the Business analytics team through his background as a CPA and as a CFO of small/medium size companies. Yves advises the data analytics technical team in designing relevant useful information to boost client efficiency and strengthen decision making.
Benoit Galarneau is a senior healthcare technology leader with over 15 years of experience bridging innovation, software architecture, and strategy. As a Business Analytics Advisor at LIDD, he drives data-informed strategy and executive reporting. His background spans leadership roles in product management, marketing, R&D, and sales operations. Benoit holds advanced qualifications in business analytics from Harvard Business School.
AI has everyone’s attention. The harder question is how to turn that attention into meaningful action.
Built around questions submitted by attendees in advance, this conversation brings together business and AI perspectives to cut through the noise and explore what AI can realistically do for businesses today, where it’s creating value, and how to move from interest to action.
Alexander Sbaite
Managing Director, LIDD
Alexander has over 25 years of experience in various operational and technology management roles, including sales, supply chain management, consulting, project management, solutions architecture, and implementation. Throughout his career, he has worked in several countries and industries such as CPGs, manufacturing, wholesale, and retail distribution. By combining his in-depth knowledge of technologies with his interdisciplinary experience, Alexander can advise and accompany companies throughout their digital transformation process, from analysis to implementation, adoption and change management. Alex holds a PhD degree in Software Engineering from Potsdam University in Berlin, Germany.
Vivi Lynch is a Managing Director based in LIDD's Los Angeles office. She is a leader in LIDD's Strategy and Operations practice. Vivi’s expertise is in developing supply chain strategies for omni-channel retailers, optimizing distribution networks, and scaling business infrastructure for the next stage of growth. Prior to joining LIDD, Vivi held Senior Executive operations roles and led complex transformations at multiple public consumer companies. She serves as an advisor for high-growth brands. She has deep expertise in driving operational excellence and managing growth, turnarounds, portfolio operations, and exit-planning. She holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California and a MBA from the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton).
Operational Orchestration: Shrinking the Latency Between Decision and Action
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Structural volatility is reshaping the supply chain industry and raising the bar for how quickly organizations must make and execute decisions. Explore how modern planning software, AI, decision intelligence, and orchestration are connecting stfabrategic plans to operational execution, enabling organizations to respond faster and with greater confidence.
Fabrizio Brasca
SVP Market Strategy, Kinaxis
Fab Brasca is a 30+ year veteran of the logistics and supply chain technology space. He has worked across the globe with some of the largest organizations providing guidance not only on functional excellence but also on strategic and organizational approaches to capitalize on technology investment. Fab currently serves as SVP of Market Strategy at Kinaxis, where he leads strategic programs spanning thought leadership, M&A, the solution partner ecosystem, and solution program execution.
10:45 AM - 11:00 AM
Transition
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Champlain Ballroom
The Power of the Right Fit: How ProKontrol Built a Scalable Digital Foundation
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ProKontrol came to LIDD for an ERP replacement. What they left with was a full digital transformation, built from the right tools for each job instead of one system stretched to cover everything. In this session, Romain, Alex and Sylvain share how a Microsoft-centered ecosystem, filled out with purpose-built tools where Business Central fell short, became the foundation for a smooth go-live and a scalable future.
Romain Pietkowicz
Managing Director, LIDD
Romain Pietkowicz is a Managing Director in LIDD’s Business Central practice. He specializes in the implementation and support of business solutions leveraged by distributors, manufacturers, and retailers. His deep knowledge of Business Central and his capacity to rigorously identify and assess the client’s technical and operational requirements have made him a sought after advisor on integrating warehouse management systems with ERPs. Romain holds a degree in Civil Engineering from McGill University.
Alex Moreau leads the Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement team, where he helps organizations modernize their sales, customer service, and business operations through Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform solutions. With experience spanning digital transformation, technology implementation, and consulting, Alex has led numerous software delivery initiatives across strategy, solution design, implementation, and project delivery.
Sylvain Dufour is Founder of Edgius and acting CIO for ProKontrol. He connects business priorities, people and technology to shape ProKontrol’s digital roadmap. He selected LIDD for Stepping Stone Project and leads the data, AI and agentic custom application work that supports ProKontrol’s operations.
The Hub
Building Your First AI Agent: An Interactive Workshop
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AI agents sound complicated until you actually build one, and this session is designed to simplify the beginning of the process. Simon & Mat walk through a real use case for ERPs: an agent that checks inventory levels as receipts come in and flags the risk of running short, and use it as a working example of how a simple, well-scoped agent gets built from the ground up. Along the way they’ll cover the tools involved, what the AI actually needs to function, and how the flow compares to the traditional manual process it replaces.
Attendees will be prompted to bring their own ideas to the table and consider how agents like this could apply to their own operations, move past the point of analysis paralysis and comfortable taking the first step.
Simon Dubuc
Managing Director, LIDD
Simon is a Managing Director at LIDD, where he leads the firm's Digital Transformation Advisory practice. He specializes in creating tailored technology roadmaps that align with client needs and deliver measurable results. With a deep understanding of business operations, Simon excels at translating complex challenges into effective software solutions. From initial consultation and requirements gathering to implementation, training, and ongoing support, he ensures smooth transitions and helps clients fully leverage their technology investments. Simon’s expertise spans platforms such as Enterprise Resource Planning, Warehouse Management Systems, Transportation Management Systems, and Customer Relationship Management Systems. He holds a B.Eng. in Industrial Engineering from Polytechnique Montreal and is based in LIDD’s Montreal office.
Mathieu leads the delivery of LIDD’s Microsoft business solutions that connect technology investments to real-world operational outcomes. With a background in operations and logistics engineering, he has successfully managed numerous ERP, WMS, and manufacturing systems projects, helping organizations streamline processes, improve visibility, and build more scalable supply chain operations
Stabilizing the Supply Chain Under Pressure: Practical Levers to Reduce Risk
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This session breaks down the operational vulnerabilities that drive instability across sourcing, inventory velocity, and space utilization. Using real‑world lessons from fast moving B2B and B2C environments, Stephan, Thierry and Guillaume explore practical actions leaders can take to reduce exposure, strengthen flow, and build a supply chain that stays steady even as volatility accelerates.
Stephan Lauzon
Partner, LIDD
Stephan Lauzon is a seasoned supply chain and operations executive with over 35 years of experience leading large‑scale transformations across retail, wholesale, and omnichannel environments. As a Partner at LIDD, he advises executive teams and supports major client development initiatives. Stephan has held senior leadership roles in multi‑billion‑dollar organizations and advised global clients through KPMG. He is known for his pragmatic leadership, deep operational expertise, and ability to deliver measurable results.
Seasoned supply chain and operations professional, who has worked both in advisory and industry global roles over the past 20 years. Passionate and dedicated leader supporting the C-suite and their teams in the strategy definition and execution, aiming at optimizing and transforming supply chain and distribution operations.
Thierry Crête
Senior Director, Kamik - Genfoot Inc.
Operations and Supply Chain executive with over 30 years of experience leading large-scale distribution, logistics, and transformation initiatives across North America and Global environments. Proven track record of modernizing operations, optimizing Multi-Site Networks, and implementing Technology enabled Performance improvements while maintaining Service Excellence.
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Champlain Ballroom
Lunch & Sponsor Showcase
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM
Champlain Ballroom
The New Map: Doing Business in a Splintering World: How Companies Can Navigate Through Risk, Increase Revenue & Diversify Markets
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The seventy-year era of frictionless global trade is over, replaced by unpredictable policy shifts, weaponized tariffs, and new geo-economic blocs. In this session, geopolitical expert Steve Weyer shows companies how to find their footing. This session covers how to map your true end-to-end supply chain beyond international commercial terms, identify the risks specific to your sourcing model, and build a forward-looking geopolitical intelligence capability. Steve then outlines actionable approaches for establishing resilient regional footprints, optimizing cross-border supply networks, and adapting operational strategies to navigate shifting international trade dynamics. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for in-region sourcing and selling, lower carrying costs, and reduced exposure to trade disruptions.
Steve Weyer
President, GSCC, Inc.
Based in Seattle and Hong Kong, Steve brings 4 decades of industry and consulting experience in global supply chain operations, import / export compliance and M&A work in North America, Europe, Middle East, SE Asia, India, Japan & Greater China. He has helped Medium and Large multinational firms across, Life Sciences, High Technology, Semiconductor, Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Food & Beverage, Industrials, Oil & Gas and Theme Park & Entertainment sectors
The Hub
Integrating Warehouse Automation Without Disruption
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Most warehouse modernization projects force a choice: rip out the old system and accept the downtime, or live with a system that no longer fits. La Vie en Rose didn’t have to choose. In this session, JP and Karina walk through how Onomatic’s multi-agent orchestration platform replaced two different automation setups, at two different sites, without shutting operations down once.
Marie-Claude Alary
Vice-President, la Vie en Rose
Marie-Claude Alary is Vice-President, Information Technology at Groupe la Vie en Rose, where she leads technology initiatives that support business growth and operational excellence. With three decades of professional experience in technology, including more than 15 years in management, she has contributed to the implementation of numerous ERP solutions and other enterprise systems spanning a broad range of business processes and IT components. Her expertise bridges strategy, delivery, and transformation in complex environments. While deeply specialized in technology, Marie-Claude believes success starts with people. She is committed to building effective teams that leverage each individual’s strengths to drive collaboration, innovation, and lasting business value.
Karina Nassif
Consultant , LIDD
Karina Nassif specializes in Warehouse Management Systems. She works closely with business and technical teams to design and implement automation and WMS solutions that optimize inventory control, order fulfillment, and system integrations across multiple industries.
Jean-Philippe has led several WMS implementation projects at meal solution and food production companies. His experience involves designing physical and systematic work flows and integrating new automated manufacturing solutions. Jean-Philippe graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering from Polytechnique de Montreal.
Scaling Service Without Losing Touch: Practical Applications of AI In Supply Chain
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AI is transforming the supply chain industry, and organizations are navigating a period of rapid change. In this session, Alex and Nimish share five real-world AI deployments, from picking and replenishment synchronization to warehouse slotting, customer support, and document processing. They’ll also introduce LIDD’s framework for identifying where AI can deliver meaningful value and where simpler solutions may be more effective.
Alexander Sbaite
Managing Director, LIDD
Alexander has over 25 years of experience in various operational and technology management roles, including sales, supply chain management, consulting, project management, solutions architecture, and implementation. Throughout his career, he has worked in several countries and industries such as CPGs, manufacturing, wholesale, and retail distribution. By combining his in-depth knowledge of technologies with his interdisciplinary experience, Alexander can advise and accompany companies throughout their digital transformation process, from analysis to implementation, adoption and change management. Alex holds a PhD degree in Software Engineering from Potsdam University in Berlin, Germany.
Nimish Dixit is Director of Fleet Operations at Signal Taxi, part of Marblegate Capital Corporation (OTCQX: MGTE). He previously served as Vice President of Value Creation at Marblegate Asset Management and held senior leadership roles at FreshDirect and Rent the Runway. Over nearly two decades, Nimish has led transformational change, restructured complex operations, and built scalable systems that improve financial performance, customer experience, and operational execution.
1:45 PM - 2:00 PM
Transition
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM
Champlain Ballroom
The Success Factor: Turning Challenging Projects into Wins
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Most teams have experienced it: a project starts out simple, only to become unexpectedly tangled. Yet complexity alone is rarely what causes a project to fail. More often, initiatives simply trudge along, getting bogged down in friction and indecision until momentum stalls. So what actually separates the projects that break through and win from those that struggle to cross the finish line?
Join leaders from construction, manufacturing, automation, and IT as they share firsthand experiences of their most challenging projects and unpack the underlying causes. Through cross-industry perspectives, this discussion will highlight the key factors that drive success, from governance and alignment to execution and adaptability, and challenge common assumptions about what really matters.
Melanie Charles
Managing Director, LIDD
Leader in LIDD's Warehouse Technology practice with success leading teams across multiple industries, including aerospace, grocery, heavy industrial, and more.
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.
Bill Conrad
CFO, StratosX
Bill Conrad is a seasoned executive and financial strategist with over four decades of experience driving growth across the foodservice, corporate finance, and healthcare sectors. He currently serves as the CFO for StratosX, Inc., a startup company that is focused on using AI to assist commercial airline companies minimize costs of disruption. Previously, Bill led $330MM Prime Source Foods through the development and transition to 100,000+ square foot facility while implementing new ERP and WMS systems. He spent nearly two decades managing mergers and acquisitions at Baldwin & Clarke, and served as CFO for The Courville Companies. His professional background is supported by an M.S. in Finance from Bentley University, foundational experience as a CPA and Accredited Senior Appraiser, and over thirty years of community board service for organizations like Waypoint, NH.
Samantha Jones
Vice President of Distribution, Hanna Andersson
Samantha Jones is Vice President of Distribution at Hanna Andersson, where she leads the company’s omnichannel fulfillment and distribution operations. Her experience includes modular automation, operational scaling, and network and 3PL strategy, and she is currently sponsoring a major WMS modernization—bringing an operator’s perspective on delivering complex transformation while ensuring sustainable business results.
The Hub
What It Takes To Build A High Performance Warehouse In A Record Time
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Join Keurig Dr Pepper and Structurack for a discussion on the decisions, challenges, and lessons behind one of Structurack’s largest hybrid storage installations. From adapting an existing building to designing for operational performance and long-term growth, this session explores how storage density, picking efficiency, operator safety, and future scalability were balanced to support a high-volume distribution operation. Attendees will gain practical insights into the collaboration, trade-offs, and execution required to deliver a complex warehouse transformation successfully.
Gilles Ducharme
President, Structurack
Gilles has accumulated nearly 40 years of experience in logistics, – mainly in designing storage systems. He is now President and Head of Business Development at Structurack, a professional team dedicated to manufacturing compliant and effective storage systems.
Pauline Leroux
Senior Manager, Keurig Dr Pepper
Pauline Leroux is a supply chain leader based in Montreal with experience in planning, logistics, and distribution operations. She has successfully led large-scale transformation initiatives across distribution networks, improving efficiency, strengthening execution, and enhancing customer service. Her expertise spans demand planning, supply chain strategy, and business transformation, with a strong focus on driving operational excellence and sustainable growth.
The Junction
Breaking the Silos Between Warehouse and Transportation
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Despite high levels of logistics maturity and widespread digital adoption, many organizations still struggle to unlock meaningful cost savings from their TMS initiatives. In this session, Isabelle will demonstrate how bridging the operational divide between warehouse and transportation operations transforms the entire order-to-delivery flow. You’ll learn how joining WMS and TMS with AI-driven solvers yields immediate ROI across cost, productivity, and sustainability, supported by real-world case studies and a pragmatic roadmap to data readiness.
Isabelle Badoc is a Product Marketing Director at Generix Group with deep expertise in supply chain execution, transportation, and warehouse management solutions. She works closely with customers and industry stakeholders to drive innovation and operational excellence across complex supply chain networks, with a particular focus on emerging technologies and AI-driven optimization.
2:45 PM - 3:00 PM
Transition
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
Champlain Ballroom
From Proof of Concept to Production: Making AI Stick in Operations
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AI is creating new opportunities across the supply chain, but moving from concept to operational impact requires more than just technology. This panel brings together perspectives from a strategist, a technologist, and an investor to examine what it actually takes to deploy machine learning and automated decision-making into daily operations. We examine common integration challenges, how to manage change fatigue, and the architecture required to move from a successful proof of concept to a hardened, reliable production environment.
Ghislain Gagné
CEO, AI Startup
Ghislain has 20 years of experience driving business value with analytics. Previously a Partner at McKinsey & Co., he led QuantumBlack's AI and Digital Twin practice across Canada, overseeing the end-to-end development of AI programs delivering over $100M in business value across airlines, aerospace OEMs, telecom, and rail. He is now the founder and CEO of StratosX, an AI company building agent-based software for real-time operational decision-making.
David Beaudet
Chief Experience Officer, 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.
Senior Investment Director | AI Adoption & GMT Strategy, Scale AI
Sean's background is in enterprise Sales & GTM leadership and revenue operations. 15+ years in quota-carrying and revenue leadership roles at Salesforce and Postmedia. As an RVP he owned deal review, commercial structuring, pricing approvals, weekly forecast cadence, AE coaching, etc. As an AE I he structured and closed complex multi-cloud deals through long contracting cycles across various industries and lines of business, coordinating multi-threaded customer engagement, SI partners, and internal teams ex. solutions, deal desk, legal, etc.
Farid Mheir
Partner, fmcs.digital
Farid Mheir, M.Sc.A., P.Eng., is an engineer with 35 years of experience in the tech sector. An entrepreneur at heart, he launched Quebec's very first e-commerce website in 1996. Since then, he has helped around a hundred companies ranging from small startups to large organizations integrate technology into their workflows. He recently published the book AI MINDSETS, which he uses to guide executives looking to leverage artificial intelligence within their businesses. He has deep expertise in professional services, retail, financial services, and telecommunications. Farid also teaches at McGill University and regularly delivers lectures and workshops.
The Hub
Applying Supply Chain Expertise to Food System Challenges
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How would you get 100 tons of potatoes that would otherwise go to landfill, to food insecure individuals across Quebec? Or, what about estimating the environmental impact of banana surplus across the entire U.S supply chain?
LIDD leverages its supply chain expertise to answer questions like these, on behalf of non-profit organizations working to address food insecurity and food waste across North America. In this session, we will zoom in on three stories of how our supply chain consultants have addressed complex food insecurity and food waste challenges, to promote social and environmental change.
Georgina Morris
Consultant, LIDD
As a Consultant, Georgina's strong background in food waste and her expertise in qualitative research make her an essential contributor to projects focused on reducing food waste, promoting sustainability, and developing eco-friendly solutions.
Maria is a Supply Chain Consultant at LIDD, applying her background in Agricultural & Environmental Economics to the firm's food waste & insecurity practice. Passionate about creating a lasting impact, Maria leverages her expertise in sustainable practices, strategic planning, and impact investing to develop solutions for a more resilient and sustainable food system. Previously, Maria focused on global food security challenges and rural development, exploring how businesses can integrate sustainability and contribute through CSR initiatives.
As Director, Isaac is responsible for project delivery in LIDD’s non-profit practice. In his role, he has successfully led and completed a range of projects in the non-profit sector, particularly for food banks like the Greater Cleveland Food Bank as well as Food Banks Canada and its many partners.
Built for the Unexpected: Designing Flexible Fulfillment Operations
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Not every fulfillment operation needs to be built around every possible exception. But when the unexpected happens, like a sudden volume spike, unusual order profile, labor shortage, space constraint, or system limitation, operations needs enough flexibility to respond without bringing everything to a halt.
Join Melanie, Balaji & Autumn for a practical discussion on how to design fulfillment operations that can handle high-impact edge cases without over-engineering your everyday processes. They explore how to distinguish the exceptions that deserve a systemic solution from those that are better handled through processes, people, or temporary capacity.
Melanie Charles
Managing Director, LIDD
Leader in LIDD's Warehouse Technology practice with success leading teams across multiple industries, including aerospace, grocery, heavy industrial, and more.
Alexia La Barbera is Vice President of People & Revenue Growth at PiVAL, where she combines a passion for people, culture, and business performance. She works closely with teams across the organization to align talent, strategy, and customer success initiatives that support sustainable growth. Known for her collaborative leadership style, Alexia is committed to fostering employee engagement, developing high-performing teams, and creating an environment where both people and business can thrive together
Autumn Rexford
Technical Account Executive, ShipHawk
Autumn Rexford is a Technical Account Executive at ShipHawk, where she helps companies evaluate WMS and TMS solutions and determine whether ShipHawk is the right fit for their needs. Over four years at ShipHawk, she has held roles ranging from Implementation Engineer to Principal Solutions Consultant, serving as technical lead on complex enterprise opportunities and partnering closely with Product on customer-driven enhancements.
3:45 PM - 4:00 PM
Champlain Ballroom
Closing Remarks
by
David Beaudet
Chief Experience Officer, 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.
All sessions will be held at Montreal Mariott Chateau Champlain’s Chateau Floor
Sponsors
Platinum
For more than 25 years, Oracle NetSuite has helped organizations grow, scale and adapt to change. NetSuite provides a suite of cloud-based applications, which includes financials / Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), HR, professional services automation and omnichannel commerce, used by more than 38,000 customers in 219 countries.
ShipHawk provides an all-in-one fulfillment solution, giving businesses access to the same tools and efficiencies used by the largest companies in the world. ShipHawk works with high-volume shippers using an ERP. Our solutions include a warehouse management system (WMS), advanced shipping, in-cart rating, freight and parcel audit, and a handheld dimensioner. In addition to providing fulfillment solutions, we provide skilled industry expertise to dramatically improve your operations and outcomes to save time, decrease costs, and improve labor complexities.
Onomatic is a fulfillment solutions and warehouse automation system provider that is equipped to bring the power of the cloud together with smart warehouse management. Our Innovative missions bring 3 key principles together: Central automation control, Cloud first, and Agnostic.
Generix is a global SaaS company helping connect businesses together to turn each digital connection into digital value. It offers a leading portfolio of cloud solutions and services powered by AI to drive with confidence the most mission-critical digital business processes in supply chain, finance and commerce. It also provides end-to-end B2B integration and collaboration solutions so companies can fully operate across digital business networks. Nearly 900 Generix talents are dedicated to best serve over 5,000 customers across more than 60 countries. The company helps to process more than 17 billion messages, prepare more 600 million pallets, manage over 500 million invoices and more than 1 million transport operations per year. Generix believes in the immense growth potential of the networked economy in a sustainable world. More info: www.generixgroup.com
Silver
Kinaxis is a leader in modern supply chain orchestration, powering complex global supply chains, and supporting the people who manage them. Our powerful, AI-infused supply chain orchestration platform, Maestro, combines proprietary technologies and techniques that provide full transparency and agility across the entire supply chain — from multi-year strategic planning to last-mile delivery. We are trusted by renowned global brands to provide the agility and predictability needed to navigate today’s volatility and disruption. For more news and information, please visit kinaxis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
CMC Design Build is a design-build corporation that has specialized in the planning, engineering and construction of facilities for the food and beverage industry throughout the US since 1989.
From the site search through working drawings, permitting, and construction, our staff is responsible for maintaining value in all areas of our projects. To us, value means balancing the cost, quality and schedule of projects in a manner that affords our clients the best opportunity to maximize their potential for profit.
Since the company’s founding in 2010, the Structurack team has been pursuing a great mission: Taking charge of your storage systems.
Structurack offers pallet racks, drive-in/drive-thru racks, industrial shelving, and carton flow systems for warehouse design, integrating various systems.
Swisslog delivers data-driven & robotic solutions for your logistics automation alongside reliable, modular service concepts. Collaborating with forward-thinking companies, we are committed to setting new standards in warehouse automation to provide future-proof products and solutions. As part of the KUKA Group, our customers trust the competence of our passionate employees – more than 15,000 people working across the globe.
• General Merchandise & Apparel – improving accuracy, pick rates, and inventory & returns management
• Food & Beverage – delivering greater efficiency and space utilization
• Grocery – maximizing throughput for the freshest deliveries.
Our full-fledged cloud management platform, driven by evolving business needs, empowers IT professionals to leverage agile solutions paired with 5-star service by trusted experts they can count on.
No matter the kind of tech pro you are, we can help you reach your true potential. With Sherweb as your strategic business partner, you’ll be surprised by what you can achieve!
Dematic designs, builds, and supports intelligent automated solutions empowering and sustaining the future of commerce for its customers in manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution. With research and development engineering centers, manufacturing facilities, and service centers located in more than 26 countries, the Dematic global network of over 10,000 employees has helped achieve successful customer installations for some of the world’s leading brands. Headquartered in Atlanta, Dematic is a member of KION Group, one of the world’s leading suppliers of industrial trucks and supply chain solutions.
GoldFinch Cloud Solutions provides a Salesforce-native ERP and accounting platform designed for organizations with complex operational and financial requirements. GoldFinch connects purchasing, inventory, warehouse management, sales, manufacturing, supply planning, and accounting within a single system, giving teams real-time visibility without separate databases or synchronization delays. With more than 30 years of ERP experience, our team combines deep industry knowledge with high-touch implementation and support. GoldFinch serves food distributors, manufacturers, nonprofit meal programs, and other organizations seeking to simplify operations and scale efficiently.
Supporting
SPS Commerce provides intelligent solutions to help trading partners connect, orchestrate and optimize how they work together in getting the right product, to the right place, at just the right time – every time.
Impact Warehouse Management Solutions (Impact WMS) brings technology, experience and process together to enhance the fulfillment process.
As part of Toyota Industries Corporation (TICO), Toyota Automated Logistics is a global partner for integrated warehouse automation. It combines the talents of three group companies – Bastian Solutions, Vanderlande’s Warehousing business and viastore – under one brand as an integrated automation hub to deliver scalable systems, intelligent software and life-cycle service that enable customers to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.
Toyota Automated Logistics – For every challenge, a reliable solution.
TrueCommerce is a high-performing global supply chain network that provides fully integrated, end-to-end supply chain visibility and management. We help businesses reach their true supply chain potential. That’s why thousands of companies—from SMBs to the global Fortune 100, across various industries—rely on us.
StockIQ is a supply chain planning platform built for manufacturers and distributors. We help companies improve forecast accuracy, optimize inventory, and make smarter planning decisions with powerful software, AI-driven intelligence, and deep supply chain expertise. StockIQ works alongside existing ERP systems to turn complex supply chain data into clear, actionable decisions, helping teams reduce inventory, improve service levels, and plan with confidence.
Expect variable weather in Montreal this month, with crisp days and cooler nights. Pack layers, including long sleeves, sweaters, and a rain jacket.
Use this time in Montreal to connect face-to-face with colleagues. You’ll have many opportunities to catch-up in person through engaging learning sessions and while exploring the city’s charm.
Not sure what to do? Checkout a few recommendations from the team via the link below
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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