COVER STORY
Thomas A. Barlow
President and ceo, Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (Retired) 36
November 2019 Canadian Grocer
MIKE FORD
“ you could almost say I was born into the business,” Tom Barlow jokes, recalling his first brush with the food business when, as a young lad, he would tag along when his dad went to work at Canada Dry Bottling in Toronto on weekends. When he was old enough, he got his own job at the company, working there during summer breaks from school. That temporary gig turned into a 36- year career at the beverage company (which would eventually be acquired by Coca-Cola in 1989). By the time he retired from Coca-Cola in 2013, Barlow had completed every kind of task, from warehouse work to driving to sales. Later on, he was deployed to the United States to rack up some experience in that market before being appointed head of the Canadian business unit and, ultimately, vice-president vending and wholesale for North America. “I think one of the reasons I was able to move forward is that I never shied away from the tough assignments,” says Barlow. “I looked for sections of the business that were broken and where I could make a difference.” Barlow jumped at the chance to lead the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) in 2013. “When John Scott retired as CEO, it was an opportunity. I knew the industry and I wanted to come back to Canada.” Last year, after five years at the helm, Barlow retired from CFIG. Barlow credits his father for helping form his approach to leadership. “My father believed everybody in an organization plays an important role, whether it’s the person working on night sanitation or the president. Everybody has their role to play and when everybody does their role, the organization works better." When asked what advice he’d give to up-and-comers, Barlow is quick with his response: continue to learn. “I’m a big believer in lifelong learning. The skills you have today aren’t necessarily going to be the things that are going to make you successful tomorrow. You have to continue to adapt and improve.” CG