2021 Winners

Last year had its ups and downs, so we knew our 2021 Top Value Champions deserved something extra special — a BIG celebration, but unique and personal to them. So, what do we mean by “big”?

Well, think helicopter tour, personal culinary experience with a celebrity chef, a luxurious day at the spa and a sporting event in premium seats. And the best part is that the choice of experience is up to each Value Champion. Yes, that’s right, we’re taking Value Champions to a whole new level by creating tastefully crafted experiences to show these champs just how much they mean to us!

And don’t worry, we’re giving all our teammates a look inside the action. Stay tuned for a recap of each of our winners’ special experiences in the coming weeks.

Without further ado, here are our 2021 Top Value Champions by category and our National Winner, and share with you why they represent the very best of Sobeys Inc. In a year where we received over 5,000 nominations, this is an incredible accomplishment!

Special Message from our CEO and President, Michael Medline

2021 Value Winners

Customer-Driven People-Powered Community-Engaged Results-Oriented

Teammates who go the extra mile for the customer by consistently making customers our priority, understanding their needs, finding ways to thrill them and serve them with pride.

Stephen WhitmanRehab Manager at Lawtons in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

When Stephen was assigned to support a colleague's dad suffering from ALS, he always showed up with positive energy, a genuine interest in how the family was doing, and a sense of humour that always hit the right note — which wasn't easy in this situation. Stephen often showed up after hours, on his way home, and on his days off. This family never had to wait to get the equipment they needed, as Stephen and his team made it happen quickly. And most importantly, they made it easy. Stephen went above and beyond the expected level of customer care, and we are so lucky to have him on our team.

Teammates who drive great results in a fair and ethical way by consistently bringing a winning attitude, delivering on our commitments, finding new and innovative solutions, and are fair and ethical in our decisions.

Maxime BourgetDirector of Operations from our Montreal office

Maxime lives and breathes a stores-first mindset! He demonstrates an unwavering level of commitment to helping stores optimize sales, so much so that he developed and implemented a new analysis process that breaks down results by category, product, store and sales volume to identify sales and margin opportunities. Maxime then consulted with and shared his project with all Sobeys Inc. business units to improve store support and business decisions. To date, several stores have seen their sales and margins improve as a result of this new process — and it's all because of Maxime's innovative thinking!

Teammates who make a difference in our communities by consistently engaging with our communities, giving back, acting in sustainable ways, and supporting local initiatives, entrepreneurs, and suppliers.

Cyl BagadiongStore Manager at Safeway Fort St. John, B.C.

Cyl is a shining example of what community engagement truly means. When he emigrated to Canada over 10 years ago, Sobeys Inc. gave him the chance to start a meaningful career — one that involved giving back to others. In 2014, Cyl started working at the Calgary Immigrant Society as an unpaid volunteer on his days off, and to this day, he still does language and cultural translations for new immigrants. When he became Store Manager at Chestermere Safeway in 2018, he initiated a project called "Pack a Patrol Car" with community peace officers to benefit the local food bank. The campaign was so successful in its first year that they needed a second patrol car to haul food hampers from the store, and the next year they upgraded to a fire truck. These are a couple of the many examples of how Cyl makes a difference in his community — and there's no telling what he plans to do next!

2021 National Winner

Each year we crown a National Winner — the highest honour bestowed to a teammate who exemplifies what it means to fulfill our purpose as a family nurturing families.

The 2021 National Winner is…

Kathy MacNaughton

Accounting Clerk (recently retired) from our King St. office in Nova Scotia

Kathy is someone who stops at nothing to make positive change happen! In 2014, Kathy suffered an unimaginable loss when her husband David lost his life to cancer. As a self-employed carpenter, David was only eligible for 15 weeks of sick benefits and when he received a terminal diagnosis, he was unable to return to work and contribute financially to his family.

Prior to David’s passing, Kathy promised him that she would change the law and have sick benefits extended for Canadians like him in a similar situation. With the help of a local Member of Parliament, she had her story heard by the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Canadian Cancer Society even wrote an article about her mission to have the law changed that garnered incredible support from the public.

And sure enough, her advocacy work paid off! Expected to take effect this summer, employment insurance sick benefits will be extended from 15 to 26 weeks to better support over 169,000 Canadians each year suffering from illness or injury. Kathy is a true example of a teammate who is proudly serving our community and all Canadians and making a real difference in their lives. Thank you, Kathy!

A big congratulations to all our 2021 Value Champions! You inspire all of us to do better and be better — to continue to go above and beyond for our customers, our communities and for one another.

Special Message from our CEO and President, Michael Medline

2021 Value Winners

2021 National Winner

Kathy MacNaughton

Accounting Clerk (recently retired) from our King St. office in Nova Scotia

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