Tuesday, June 6, 2023

The final mile space has seen dramatic changes over the past few years with COVID and economic conditions weighing heavily on the sector. From dramatic swings in eCommerce volumes to continued economic uncertainty driven by post pandemic market concerns, there has been constant pressure on providers to operate more efficiently while meeting customer expectations.

During this session, you’ll hear from final mile providers on how they are adapting to the rapidly changing economic landscape and driving innovation in the market. Managing cost, driving innovation and hiring / retaining talent in a tough economic climate will be core areas of discussion from our panel.

Other topics will include

• Volume and the macro-view
• Managing costs in the face of uncertainty
• Labour & staffing
• Innovation

Moderated by:

Jim McKay, CCLP
President
Canpar Express / Loomis Express

Jim McKay is President of both Canpar Express and Loomis Express – two iconic Canadian package and courier companies in the TFI International family. Jim has spent over twenty five years in the supply chain business and has held the CCLP designation since 2001. From leading various teams in industrial and retail logistics, product management and continuous improvement, Jim has a clear view of the end to end supply chain. Jim holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Western Ontario and an Executive MBA from the Smith School of Business at Queens University. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA), certified Six Sigma Blackbelt, Certified Supply Chain Management Professional (CSCMP) and proud CCLP designation holder.

Panelists:

Paul Merrick
General Manager, Western Canada
Purolator

As Purolator’s General Manager, Western Canada, Paul Merrick leads the company’s operational and commercial strategy and execution to service the courier and logistics market throughout Western Canada. A seasoned transportation and logistics industry professional with more than 40 years of experience, Paul has spent most of his career in various field operations leadership roles across Canada with Purolator. A people-focused leader, his current cross-functional team drives consistent results based on a “One Team” approach to developing and delivering customized solutions for customers across varying industries.

Paul also champions continuous improvement and leads network and service modernization activities throughout his region. This includes Purolator’s fleet decarbonization program and electric vehicle deployment in Richmond, B.C., and the development and implementation of route optimization tools and technology. He holds an Executive Leadership certificate and is a graduate of the Workplace Mental Health Leadership program, both completed at Queen’s University.

AJ Palladino
Director, Product
Canada Post

AJ Palladino is a Product Director on the Product and Customer Experience team at Canada Post. AJ and his team are responsible for developing innovative new products and enhancing existing solutions to support Canada Post’s growing eCommerce and Smartmail Marketing business. Throughout his career, AJ has gained extensive experience in Marketing, Product Management and Partnerships. He’s worked with small businesses, global ecommerce merchants, and technology platforms– designing and deploying industry leading solutions to meet market needs. He has deep knowledge of the ecommerce ecosystem and is passionate about transforming experiences for Canada Post and its customers.

This session is sponsored by: