Catherine O’Brien is Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Regulatory, Government Relations, and Sustainability for Nestlé Canada. In this capacity, Catherine is responsible for corporate reputation management including internal communications, stakeholder relations, media relations, issues management, government relations, Creating Shared Value programs and community partnerships. She also oversees the Nutrition, Health and Wellness group which includes the corporate dietitians and oversees the company’s Environmental Sustainability strategy.

Catherine joined Nestlé Canada in 2003 and prior to that, she was an Associate Director of Corporate Affairs at Bell Canada, focused on issues management and corporate social responsibility initiatives. Catherine has also worked in the financial services industry leading Corporate Communications for Maritime Life (formerly Aetna Canada) and began her career working in public relations at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto. 

Catherine has a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English from Carleton University and a diploma in Advertising and Public Relations from St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Ontario. 

She is actively involved in numerous committees for Food Health and Consumer Products Canada, the Association of Canadian Advertisers and other industry committees and initiatives. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Coffee Association of Canada and a Board member of the Canada Plastics Pact. Catherine served as past Chair of Companies Committed to Kids and was a long time Board member. In 2020 she was recognized as a leader in the Canadian food industry as a Star Woman of Grocery.

Michelle Saunders is the Vice President of Sustainability at FHCP where she leads the association’s efforts on public policy related to plastics and packaging, and Chairs FHCP’s Sustainability Working Group.  She has worked as a lobbyist and policy advisor for trade associations in the business sector for the past 19 years and was a political advisor in the Ontario government prior to that. 

Michelle currently sits on a number of boards and advisory committees across the country including numerous provincial packaging recycling organizations, authorities, as well as industry groups such as the Canada Plastics Pact.