What’s one project, campaign, or achievement you’re most proud of in your career so far?

Definitely my most recent journey at Stingray. Eight years ago, I had a thought: if Stingray is already offering music and messaging services to retailers, can’t we take it one step further with in-store advertising? Since then, that nascent concept has blossomed into the largest retail media network in North America. We took an idea we all believed in, then transformed it into a real business—what could possibly be more rewarding? Equally gratifying is the research we’re conducting to measure the impact of various in-store audio campaigns, proving just how powerful this medium can be.

What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever received?

My father-in-law was a career salesperson; he was the one who introduced me to the idea of selling vs. helping. After retiring from a long career in pharma, Randy decided to work at a car dealership in his 60s. This new 30-something sales manager came in and started telling Randy he wasn’t closing sales quickly enough. So Randy pulled back and let the young gun do his thing. One client expressed frustration—he didn’t feel like the salesman was actually listening to what he needed. So Randy goes, “You know we’re not here to sell a car, right? We’re here to help that man enjoy experiences with his car. Taking his kids to hockey, driving his grandkids around.” That reframing was everything.

In your view, what’s the biggest opportunity for our industry right now — and what’s the biggest challenge?

Retail media needs to look at in-store as the next frontier. Over 89% of sales are happening in-store, but the majority of retail media budgets are being allocated to digital. There’s a major opportunity for brands to explore retail audio—many of them either haven’t heard of it or haven’t tried it before, so it’s essentially a goldmine waiting to be tapped.

If you could change one thing about the industry overnight, what would it be?

Real relationships and partnerships! Right now, so much of the sales pipeline is tied up in platforms and algorithms instead of conversations. When I started my career, we were always helping our customers, sitting on the phone together and problem-solving our way to success. In-store retail media is all about real-life interactions: people browsing the aisles, interacting with brands, picking items up and physically placing them in their carts. I’d love to see more of that in-person energy return to the sales world, too.

What role do you think collaboration through IAB Canada plays in driving industry growth?

Raising awareness about the underrated but incredibly powerful strategy that is in-store audio. Specifically, making it part of the media vernacular. When somebody is media planning, they might not even know it exists—but thanks to IAB’s standards and guidelines, the format is quickly being legitimized. IAB lends credibility, helping broaden the media landscape by supporting up-and-coming ad formats and innovations.