2018 Life Members Brent Battistelli and Scott Lindsay Feted at IGYA Gala

Christy McMullen, Chair of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG), Thomas A. Barlow, President and CEO, and the CFIG Board of Directors are pleased to announce Brent Battistelli of Battistelli’s Your Independent Grocer in Lively, Ontario, as the 2018 recipient of CFIG’s prestigious Life Member Award in the Independent Grocer category. As well they are pleased to announce Scott Lindsay, SVP National Sales and Customer Marketing at Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada, as the 2018 recipient of CFIG’s prestigious Life Member Award in the Industry Builder category.

Brent Battistelli

Hockey and the grocery business have been part of Brent Battistelli’s life since he went to work for Steve Rome in the Loblaw warehouse to earn money for new skates at the age of 14. In 1989, as Brent was finishing his degree, his father asked him if he’d like to join in a franchise opportunity back in Lively, Ontario. Together they opened a small Valu-Mart, and with the success of the store, they moved to their current location and expanded. A few years later, Steve Rome recruited Brent to join the Board of CFIG.

Brent says being on the board was a great opportunity to get an overview of the industry and to meet and learn from retailers from across the country. As Chair of the Board during CFIG’s 50th anniversary, Brent was an inspirational leader, who worked tirelessly to make that year a great success. And Brent was featured in CFIG’s Celebration of 50 Independent Grocery Entrepreneurs Anniversary Book. Brent enjoyed being Chair so much that he stepped back in to that position after the resignation of Mark Vickers, who won $26 million playing the lottery. That Brent was willing to return as chair was a win for CFIG. He and his wife Jane have a large blended family…three boys aged 25, 23 and 21, and two 19-year-old daughters. And the store that he and his Dad started almost 30 years ago continues to be an important part of the Lively, Ontario, community.

Scott Lindsay

Scott Lindsay is proud to be a native of The City of Champions! After graduation from school in Edmonton, Scott started a small Shopper Marketing Agency for which Coca-Cola and Canada Dry were majority of the business. Coca-Cola US beckoned, and Scott made a big impact south of the border, but Canada wanted her son from Edmonton back, and in 2002 Tom Barlow, then President of Coca-Cola Canada offered Scott the role of VP Sales. Scott Lindsay became a member of CFIG’S Associate Members Council in 2007, and chaired the AMC Chair from 2013-2015. As Chair he enjoyed the opportunity to work closely with CFIG Board Chairs Scott Mitchell and Joey Longo.

Scott says his AMC experience has been invaluable. It has given him the opportunity to develop great relationships with retailers across the country, and to learn from them both personally and professionally. He admires the entrepreneurial spirit they have in the challenging and ever-changing grocery business. And he is proud to call many of them friends today.

Scott also speaks highly of the peer group he has worked with on the AMC. He says the opportunity for learning and creating solutions for the challenges of our industry has helped him immensely. And as with the retailers many of these AMC members have become and will remain lifelong friends. In his personal life, Scott is actively involved with two charities that are near and dear to him. He is on the Board of Directors of ProAction Cops & Kids, and is the Honorary Chair of the One Walk to Conquer Cancer He is the proud father of two Edmontonians, Mark and Alyson, and first-time grandfather to Alex last October. Scott’s dedication to CFIG and its members has always been, and continues to be, a sure thing.

“Both Brent and Scott are great leaders who have given selflessly of their time to help independent grocers across Canada grow,” said Tom Barlow, CFIG President & CEO.

Brent Battistelli and Scott Lindsay were officially recognized at the Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year awards gala held on Wednesday, October 24 at Grocery Innovations Canada 2018(GIC). GIC is Canada’s primary grocery exposition and conference that took place at the Toronto Congress Centre, October 23 & 24, 2018.