Inside the C-Suite: IKEA's Selwyn Crittendon and Staples' Rachel Huckle

Following the conversation, we invite you to join us for a meet-and-greet with the speakers and refreshments.

Speakers:

Selwyn Crittendon, CEO & Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA Canada

Rachel Huckle (GEMBA '17), CEO, Staples Canada
In Conversation with:

Susan Christoffersen, Dean, Rotman School of Management

Join us at the Rotman School's "Inside the C-Suite" event series for an evening at the intersection of innovation and leadership with Selwyn Crittendon, CEO IKEA Canada, and Rachel Huckle, CEO Staples Canada, in conversation with Dean Susan Christoffersen.
Staples and IKEA are iconic brands that define their categories – and both companies are standing at the forefront of a changing retail landscape. This conversation will explore how they are bringing innovation to the sector and what priorities are defining their strategic plans.
This discussion will explore the career journeys for both CEOs, and lessons learned along their path into their current leadership roles. The conversation will highlight their management approaches to fostering high-performing teams and nurturing talent.
Don't miss this opportunity to gain invaluable insights to fuel your own professional journey. This event will include an engaging interactive conversation and a post-talk networking reception. Join us for an evening that promises to inspire, inform, and connect.

Selwyn Crittendon is IKEA Canada CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer. During the past two decades, he has held numerous roles throughout the IKEA US organization that support driving a culture of excellent customer experience while also developing and strengthening leadership teams. Most recently, Crittendon served as Chief Business Development Manager at IKEA US where he led the country's expansion, transformation, and innovation mandate. In Summer 2023, Selwyn made the move to Canada with his wife and young sons.

Rachel Huckle is CEO of Canada’s leading business-to-business company, Staples Canada, with an exceptional dedication and vision that has guided the company’s transformation into The Working and Learning Company. An accomplished retail executive with more than 20 years of diverse leadership experience across operations, merchandising, digital health, office and wellness products, and strategic management with multiple large-scale retail businesses, Rachel was appointed to her current role in March 2024. Before this, she served as Staples Canada’s Chief Retail Officer in 2019 and was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer in 2022, where she led the strategy for Staples delivering a world-class and seamless omnichannel experience.

Having worked for some of the country’s most recognizable brands throughout her career, such as Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaws, Rachel’s impressive contributions, leadership, and business insight led to ever-expanding executive roles. Named one of Poets & Quants’ Best and Brightest MBAs from the Global Executive MBA program at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management in 2017, Rachel was also awarded the Omnium Global Executive Fellowship Award for Excellence in Leadership that same year. She holds a Master of Finance from Queen’s University Smith School of Business.

Susan Christoffersen is the Dean at Rotman, and the William A. Downe BMO Chair, Professor of Finance. From 2015 to 2020, Professor Christoffersen served as the Vice-Dean, Undergraduate and Specialized programs. Her research focuses on mutual funds and the role of financial institutions in capital markets. She has published in top finance journals and cited inThe New York Times, International Herald Tribune, Bloomberg News Service, and The Wall Street Journal. Susan has received grants from SSHRC, IFM2, and FQRSC and research awards from Q-Group, Bank of Canada, BSI Gamma Foundation, INQUIRE, and the Swiss Finance Institute.

This event is available to attend in-person only.
Rotman Events is committed to accessibility for all people. If you have any access needs or if there are any ways we can support your full participation in this session, please email [[email protected]] no later than 2 weeks in advance of the event and we will be glad to work with you to make the appropriate arrangements.

• The event will be hosted in Desautels Hall at the Rotman School of Management (105 St. George St., Toronto, ON M5S 3E6). Your registration fee includes a seat at the session and the networking reception.
  

• Refunds will only be issued for cancellations received in writing NO LATER than 24 hours prior to the event. Please email [email protected] for processing.

Questions: [email protected]

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Rotman School of Management, 105 St. George Street, Toronto, Canada