THE NEW FACE OF WFIM
By Pat Goldthorpe

As you can see, WFIM has a beautiful new look, but it’s not skin deep. We’ve
peeled the onion; we’ve dug to the core. We’ve put a new face on the solid
footing of our values so that we could articulate our purpose in a new way
and increase the value we can bring to our membership.

Our new mission statement expresses it well:

Women in Food Industry Management is dedicated to supporting professionals
to become The Best Women at the Table by encouraging advancement through
networking and executive development.

In each initiative we’ll undertake, the Board will be guided by these common

goals – to support women in our field, to connect them for their mutual benefit,

and to help them develop into what we like to call The Best Woman at the Table.

What’s specifically new?

A new website. Drop in and look around. We’ve got a new directory. You can

find current news and market trends. See what’s coming up at our next event.

New kinds of events. Watch for new workshop-style topics focused on career

and personal growth, such as Improving Communication, Presentation Skills,

Assertiveness Training, Stress Management and Self-Marketing.

Watch for the Academy Round Table, an opportunity to sit down with an industry

leader, up close and personal, having the ear of an executive who’s interested in

sharing her wisdom and experience. Coming in April.

Improved programming. We’re going to polish our evenings for a higher quality

experience. For starters, we’re going to begin and end on time, so that everyone

can get back to their personal lives at a reasonable time. Each evening will have
scheduled networking time. We’d like to encourage the “meet-three-new-people”
rule. And we’re going to welcome new members with a warm introduction designed
to say, you’re among friends and you’re going to love it here.

Above all, we serve our membership. Let us know what you think, what you want
to see, what you need, what you don’t want, what’s working and what isn’t. We
want to know it all. This is the only way we can remain The Best Women at the Table.
Feel free to email me.

goldthorpe@rogers.com

Back to top

A WORD FROM THE CHAIR
By Susanne Mikler

"A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song."
- Maya Angelou

Sometimes, the start of a new year is just a new page on our calendar,
but not for WFIM, not this year. We’re poised to flip the page in a big way,
and we’re thrilled to have you on the journey with us.

Networking is a key component in the WFIM magic. We’ll protect that
ferociously because everyone understands its value. Significant connections
are made at every event -- new clients, new ideas, new careers and new
friends. Our crowd is rich with talent, experience, laughter and soul.
Our members are our greatest assets. We’re looking to add a new feature
to our networking. We’d like to offer members the opportunity to take the
spotlight briefly to share their professional profile or a marketing message.
You never know who’s looking for a new product manager, who would like
to break into a new company, who might also be struggling with pricing in
this crazy economy and who just made a tech or software switch that
would save other members a pile of money or time.

We’re also looking at inviting event sponsors to showcase their products
and services. We’re a strong and influential market. I believe we can
attract companies with products of value to us.

Thank you for your continued support of WFIM. Our value comes from our
members. It’s important that you get what you need and want.

Wishing you and yours a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year
with wonderful new beginnings.

Back to top

TOP 100 WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN FOOD

For the last eight years, Profit magazine has been ranking Canada’s top 100

women entrepreneurs. It’s gratifying to see that women in food are well

represented. Here they are, with their annual revenues and the year they

launched their businesses.

No. 7

Susan Niczowski
CEO
Summer Fresh Salads Inc.
$43,021,151
Produces salads, dips and appetizers
Woodbridge
www.summerfresh.com
1991
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. 11

Becky McKinnon
Executive Chairman
Timothy's Coffees of the World Inc.
$32,045,379
Café operator and franchisor
Toronto
www.timothys.ca
1975
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. 12

Teresa Spinelli
President
Italian Centre Shop Ltd.
$25,507,059
Retails and distributes European foods
Edmonton
www.italiancentre.ca
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No.15

Rossana Di Zio Magnotta
President & CEO
Magnotta Winery Corp.
$22,955,623
Produces beer, wine and spirits
Vaughan
www.magnotta.com
1990
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. 47

Margaret Skinner,
Chair, President & CEO
West Central Pelleting Ltd.
$9,495,970
Produces livestock food pellets
Wilkie, SK
1996
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. 56

Elana Rosenfeld
CEO
Kicking Horse Coffee Co. Ltd.
$7,842,534
Coffee roaster and distributor
Invermere, BC
www.kickinghorsecoffee.com
1996
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. 79

Kelly Long
President
Carmen Creek Gourmet Meats
(Wild Rose Meats Inc.)
$4,951,763
Bison-meat food processor
Calgary
www.carmencreek.com
2002
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. 96

Doris Valade
President
Malabar Super Spice Co. Ltd.
$3,345,662
Makes and distributes spices and food-processing equipment
Burlington
www.malabarsuperspice.com
1982

Back to top

NEWS AND TRENDS

Asking for the origins of our food
Food trends for 2009 will focus on comfort food, cocktails, fresh ingredients

and Mediterranean food, says market research giant Mintel.

Although none of these would seem particularly new, there is a notable

development, a consumer concern that’s just come to the fore. “They

will talk about where food originated,” the report says.
Read the whole story here


Made in Canada, almost, sort of…
Announced mid-year, and officially enforced at the start of 2009, the new

national guidelines for “Product of Canada” labeling will tell consumers

if, in fact, the product is all-Canadian. More expansive labeling will allow

products such as orange juice made in Canada from imported fruit to be

tagged “made in Canada from imported ingredients,” or “made in Canada

from domestic and imported ingredients.

Read the whole story Toronto Star report that also covers the new

tax-free savings accounts.


New standards for cheese inhibit US imports

US dairies are concerned that Canada’s new and, they say, controversial

standards regarding composition are going to restrict cheese exports to Canada.

The new standards are intended to give consumers consistency in quality and

nutritional value, and to set minimum standards for fresh milk in cheese making.

Spokesman for the International Dairy Foods Association Clay Hough said:

“It’s unclear how our Canadian business partners will verify that imported

cheese meets the new standards.”
Read the whole story here.

Back to top

EDITORIAL

The high cost of food; a lot more than we thought

Despite our best efforts, we failed.
– Michael McCain

Maple Leaf CEO, Michael McCain was named Canada’s Top Business Newsmaker

of the Year. It would appear a dubious honour, since his company’s listeria

tragedy killed 20 Canadians.
 
McCain did what all leaders need to do when faced with a critical error.

He  fessed up, fast and furiously. His shot-gun recall of the suspected

products was immediate, and it was followed quickly by another

much-farther-reaching recall.
 
Then came the TV spots that spread on You Tube.
 
In shirtsleeves, as if to say, “I’m a husband and father, and this could have

happened to my family,” McCain faced the camera to proffer his apology.

He fearlessly took responsibility for the dead with a corporate “we,” but

his countenance was distinctly “me.”
 
There are two issues that we can take away from this disaster. First we’re

reminded how fine is the line between the life-giving properties of our

products, and how a blind spot can just as easily extinguish that life.

Second, in directly addressing Canadians, McCain showed us himself as

the face of this disaster, and his entire industry is the better for it.

Back to top

SAGE WISDOM

Nurture Your Network
By Donna Messer

nur•ture verb {trans.] care for and encourage the growth of, or development

of; cherish (a hope, belief or ambition]

Throughout history, women have performed the majority of food related work,

but may not have held positions at the top of those food chains. That’s

changing. We’ve been responsible for nourishing others, but we often

don’t take time to nurture ourselves. That’s changing, too.

Our networks also need nurturing. In 2009, we’re going to serve up some

unforgettable events designed to do just that. Similar to our December event

at The Old Mill in Toronto, where over 100 food industry women met and

mingled with some of the best role models in our industry, our events are

the best networking venues around.

As the past Chair of WFIM, I encourage you to make the most of what our

new website can offer you as a member and as a networking professional.

Write your profile for the directory, and tell us who you are in this industry.

Describe your strengths, talents and resources, and tell us what you want to

share with others. Tell us your personal interests, too, because it’s not all

about work, work, work.

Your profile page in the WFIM directory will play a key role in supporting

your networking and your career development, too.

[If you are an “expert” in a specific area, this is the time and place to

let people know. Watch for our upcoming “Ask an Expert” feature.]

Make sure your profile says it all! Don’t just post your resume or bio –

share your story. If you need help, call me. I write profiles for a living,

and I’m happy to share my resources!

Back to top

GIVE A LITTLE, GET A LOT
By Pat Goldthorpe

rec•i•proc•i•ty [n] the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual

benefit

A few words about volunteering: it can be extremely easy, and it can be a lot

of fun.

It’s an ideal way to connect with peers by doing something for more peers.

You can do a couple of one-offs, like helping at registration, writing a story

for the newsletter, making calls to spread the word about an event.

You can join a committee.

You can give just a couple of hours a week for a few weeks or a couple of

hours a month for a couple of months- you choose!

Check out these opportunities to get involved.

Give a little, get a lot. It’s a classic win-win.

Back to top

Copyright © 2009 Women in Food Industry Management. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this Newsletter may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission.