We are thrilled to share some exciting news with you today. Calgary Co-op has appointed Andrew Clarke as our new Chief Executive Officer. After a thorough search process, we’re tremendously excited, proud and fortunate to have attracted someone of Andrew’s caliber to the Calgary Co-op.
Andrew is a globally experienced retail leader whose career spans thirty years and four continents, beginning at Marks & Spencer in the UK, through senior retail roles in Europe, the United States, and beyond. He brings deep expertise in retail strategy and operations, and a proven record of building high-performing teams and leading businesses through complex and consequential moments.
But numbers and titles only tell part of his story.
Andrew describes himself as a shopkeeper at heart, and he means it literally. He grew up in his family's egg and dairy business just outside the village of Cheddar in rural Somerset, England, watching his father build something from nothing after a mid-life transition from corporate banking.
"It was not always plain sailing," Andrew reflects. "One thing kept my family going: the love of what we did and our complete dedication to serving our customers and our community."
That experience has never left him. "There is no greater responsibility," he says simply, "than putting food on a hard-working customer's table." It is that belief he brings to Calgary Co-op.
Andrew has spent the past three months immersed in our food stores, gas stations, pharmacies, and operations, listening to team members, walking sales floors, and hearing directly from members about what makes our Co-op special and where we can do better. He has already been working alongside the Executive Leadership Team, and together they have begun shaping a new strategy which is named: Rooted in Community, Growing Value for Members.
IN HIS OWN WORDS:
"Close to 500,000 members own this co-operative. Members own our grocery stores, our gas stations, our pharmacies, our liquor stores, our organic supermarkets, healthcare and cannabis locations. Every dollar spent in our stores goes back into Calgary. That makes us genuinely unique as a retailer.”
"New strategies and improving our financials are important, but my number one priority is serving members better. Because when we do that, we win, and in turn, our members win. We are not here to process transactions. We are here to serve members. Everything starts and ends with that premise."
"It says CEO on my badge, but I lead with a shopkeeper mindset. I am not here to tell members what they want. I am here to listen to what members want and develop the strategies and lead our teams to deliver exactly that."
"My tenure at Calgary Co-op has started on the sales floor, and it will continue there. I truly believe our best ideas can come from anywhere in our organization. I would love for you, our members, to join me and my new team in continuing to tell us how you want your Co-op to serve you better."
"It costs just $1 to become a Calgary Co-op member for life, and we need to do a better job of communicating the benefits. This is your Co-op. I am genuinely honoured to become its CEO and to serve you."
This leadership transition is happening at a meaningful moment for our cooperative. For generations, Calgarians have looked out for one another, rolled up their sleeves, and built strong communities together. When our founders opened Calgary Co-op, they built it on that same spirit. Seventy years later, we remain owned by our members, shaped by generations of Calgarians, and committed to investing, growing, and serving the communities and the city we call home.
Every day, 3,800 Calgarians come to work for us, from pharmacists who know you by name to team members who stock our shelves with care or fill your car before you start a wintery commute. Our Best from the West, Cal & Gary's, and Founders & Farmers brands reflect the values our founders believed in and the quality our members are proud to bring home. Every dollar spent here stays here. It is returned to members through patronage and reinvested into new stores, local food banks, community programs, and initiatives that support health, wellness, and food security across our city. When our cooperative thrives, Calgary thrives.
We feed Calgarians. We transport Calgarians. We care for Calgarians. We are woven into the fabric of everyday life in this city. We are Calgary’s store and now with a new CEO, this is a new chapter.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, please join me in welcoming Andrew Clarke to the Calgary Co-op family.
Sandy Edmonstone
Board Chair, Calgary Co-operative Association Limited
Learn more about Andrew by watching his welcome video below.
https://www.calgarycoop.com/andrew-clarke/
