The Blueprint for Modernizing the Value Chain in Retail 

Mary Ann Vitale is a seasoned leader in the fashion and merchandising industry, with over two decades of experience in brand development and strategy. As the current Vice President of Merchandising for Garage, one of the industry’s most innovative retail brands, Mary Ann leads the merchandising and design teams to drive the vision and execution of all merchandising initiatives, including product collections, strategies, and retail presence. 

Mary Ann’s career began at Groupe Dynamite, where she served as Merchandise Director for Garage from 2002 to 2012. During her tenure, she was instrumental in shaping the brand’s direction and establishing its unique identity. 

She then transitioned to Reitmans, where she spent six years as the Merchandise Director for HYBA Activewear. In this role, she defined the brand’s merchandising strategy and managed product assortments. 

In May 2018, Mary Ann returned to Groupe Dynamite as the Senior Director of Merchandising at Garage. She spearheaded the brand’s expansion, developed strong product assortments, and streamlined operations to enhance customer experience and drive growth. 

Mary Ann’s proven ability to drive brand success and develop innovative product strategies has established her as a leader in the retail merchandising industry. 

Alain Sawaya is a Partner and the National Leader for KPMG in Canada’s Supply Chain and Procurement services. Alain has cumulated more than 25 years of experience in Executive roles in Commercial Supply Chain and Operations Management covering Demand, Inventory, and Supply Planning. His broad international experience in industry and consulting in the Retail industry, Life Sciences, Food and Beverage, Spirits and Wine, Consumer Packaged Goods, and Industrial has allowed him to head strategic business transformation initiatives at more than one hundred major companies worldwide. Before joining KPMG, Alain held senior positions at a major Home Improvement Retailer, where he was Vice-President, Merchandising and Supply Chain Services.

Alain helps KPMG clients increase profitability, reduce costs, and increase efficiency within strategic and operational end-to-end merchandising, commercial supply chain, and consumer analytics initiatives. More specifically, Alain has led major initiatives providing added value across to the organization, process, and technology projects.