Pick of the crop

Dr. George Soleas, President and CEO of LCBO, named Canadian Retailer of the Year amid continued success and growth

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TheCanadian retail industry is one of the most competitive in the world, challenging those operating within it to continuously innovate and reimagine the service and experience they offer in order to remain relevant in the mind of the consumer. In doing so, they must always ask themselves whether or not they can do things better or more efficiently to enhance the business and brand. It’s something the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) has become renowned for under the leadership of President and CEO Dr. George Soleas. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) recognized Soleas with the Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year Award at the 2024 Excellence in Retailing Awards gala

Transformative abilities

A career adorned with accomplishments and achievements, Dr. Soleas began his journey in the wine industry, spending more than a decade working within Ontario wineries where he honed and perfected his ability to differentiate excellence from the rest, helping to reshape and reform the province’s grape region. He joined LCBO in 1997, transferring the skills that he’d sharpened within the wine industry into his role as Director of Quality Assurance. His skills as a leader and brilliant mind for the business were immediately apparent to the company, earning Soleas steady and consistent promotions into more senior positions before being appointed the company’s President and CEO in 2016.

Evidenced by nearly ten years leading one of the world’s largest retailers and wholesalers of beverage alcohol, Soleas has proven his adeptness at not only identifying areas of the business that require attention and transformation, but his prowess in possessing the insight and wherewithal to find the correct solution to make the necessary enhancements. Some of the more significant adjustments and enhancements that LCBO has made over the years under Soleas’ leadership include the development of its digital and online offering, expansion of its delivery options, and a refined in-store shopping experience. And, Soleas says that they are all initiatives driven by the company’s desire to create personalized experiences for its customers.

“As the President and CEO of LCBO, I’m still committed to being customer-centric,” he asserts. “As retailers, we have a common denominator – we all depend on the customer. And, what I’ve learned throughout my career is that the customer is always right. Even when they’re wrong, they’re right. If you think of this as a constant, then it’s much easier to embrace change. Change is inevitable. And in this industry, we must meet change head on if we are to succeed and grow.”

People power

Dr. Soleas continued by emphasizing the importance of the people around him – the employees of LCBO – who have been integral to the transformations that have taken place and the supreme focus on the customer. In fact, he suggests that the company’s latest initiative dubbed ‘Spirit of Sustainability’ - LCBO’s first comprehensive social impact platform – would not even be possible without them.

“Many associate sustainability with the environment,” he says. “For LCBO, it goes even further. Our platform focusses on three key pillars –good people, good planet and good partnerships. It’s our commitment as an organization to minimizing our environmental impact. But it also includes how we create a sense of belonging for our employees rooted in diversity, equity and inclusion; how we lead positive change in the beverage alcohol industry; and how we contribute to the wellbeing of the communities in which we work and live. Good people, good planet, good partnerships. We hold ourselves accountable to all of them.”

Bring it on

In closing, Dr. Soleas addressed the impending competition that many are predicting, and LCBO’s plans to address it, exhibiting yet again the courageous and inspiring words of a man whose actions throughout his tenure with the company have helped define him as a leader within the retail industry.

“It’s my privilege to continue to lead LCBO as we move forward into the next chapter of our history. Some worry that competition will somehow weaken our influence. I say: let it come. Competition, like any other change or challenge, presents an opportunity for the LCBO to show just how capable we are. It doesn’t force us to be our best. It allows us to be our best. And we will do it right with our communities in mind and our customers as our main focus.”

Visit the official RCCSTORE24 Conference website to view a full list of past winners of the Independent Retail Ambassador of the Year Award, or for more information about Retail Council of Canada’s Excellence in Retailing Awards of Distinction Program.