GS1 Canada’s Executive Leadership Team

François Bouchard was appointed Co-President of GS1 Canada in November 2024, bringing extensive experience and leadership to the organization. Having served on GS1 Canada's Board of Governors from 2004 to 2018, François joined the organization as Senior Vice President of Subscriber Engagement. Since then, he has held progressively senior leadership roles, most recently as Executive Vice President, overseeing healthcare, public affairs, community engagement and cannabis. François' broad expertise across various sectors, combined with his deep understanding of industry needs, positions him as a key driver of GS1 Canada's strategic direction and ongoing growth.

Prior to his tenure at GS1 Canada, François founded the Country Grocer and onlinegrocer.ca in 1995, one of Canada's first e-commerce grocery platforms, and became the youngest Steinberg franchisee at 23 years old.

A respected leader in governance, François has chaired numerous industry associations, including the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG), and has earned accolades such as the Ottawa Business Journal's Top 40 Under 40 and the Telfer Young Achiever's Award. Bilingual and a sought-after speaker, François is known for his results-driven, people-first leadership and his dedication to innovation.

Outside of his professional life, François is a committed community leader, mentor and advocate for underprivileged children.

Adam Zanatta was appointed Co-President of GS1 Canada in November 2024, bringing a wealth of experience and leadership in logistics, technology and supply chain management. Since joining GS1 Canada in 2019 as Senior Vice President of Industry Managed Solutions, Adam has held a variety of senior leadership roles, most recently as Executive Vice President of Industry Managed Solutions & Technology. His innovative approach and commitment to operational excellence have been pivotal in driving GS1 Canada's success and growth.

Before joining GS1 Canada, Adam served as Divisional Vice President at Hudson's Bay Company where he led one of Canada's largest eCommerce operations, and held senior roles in private sector enterprises, consulting, start-ups and third-party logistics companies, including Vice President at Think Logistics. Adam's deep expertise in the logistics and supply chain sectors will be essential in shaping GS1 Canada's strategic direction.

In addition to his leadership role at GS1 Canada, Adam is actively involved in the industry, serving on the boards of Supply Chain Canada and GS1 GDSN Inc. His broad experience and forward-thinking approach position him as a key figure in guiding GS1 Canada's future growth and innovation.

A dedicated husband and father, Adam spends his weekends at hockey rinks and soccer fields, valuing teamwork as a core principle. A lifelong sports fan, he passionately supports Toronto teams, particularly the Maple Leafs.

Debby Atallah has worked with GS1 Canada for over 20 years and is currently Senior Vice President, Global Standards leading a team to further the understanding, application and use of the GS1 system of standards.

Debby joined GS1 Canada in March 2002 as VP, Customer Support spearheading the adoption of ECCnet Registry in Canada. Debby has held various senior management roles in strategic account management, product management, technical support, operations, implementation support, education and GS1 Canada's Image & Validation Services.

Debby takes a collaborative approach to business process improvement & efficiencies through the operationalization of GS1 standards, both internally and externally.

Pam Horvatis has been a strategic leader in the Grocery and Foodservice industries for over 30 years, including senior roles at Mondelēz International, Kraft Foods, Cadbury Adams Canada, Revlon and Unilever Canada. Pam has been in her current role as Senior Vice President, Industry Relation at GS1 Canada for more than seven years.

Through this important industry role, Pam has been the facilitator for GS1 Canada's Grocery and Foodservice Boards, and has been instrumental in leading increased collaboration, harmonization and alignment on improved business processes enabled by GS1 supply chain standards.

Pam has been an active force in driving the adoption of industry-directed business solutions for organizations of all size across these industries. This work has resulted in significant benefits for all industry stakeholders, including increased product data quality, more efficient sharing of accurate and complete data between trading partners, fewer workarounds and reduced operational costs.

Pam has been the GS1 Canada representative for the Canada Plastics Pact since it was formed in 2021. She is passionate about the benefits of GS1 standards in supporting sustainability strategies and has been essential in facilitating discussion and leading action on social and environmental opportunities such as food safety, circular economy, health and well-being and wider sustainability initiatives.

As a strong supporter and mentor to women in the workplace, Pam is a role model for the Women in Leadership program at GS1 Canada. Among other distinctions, Pam was recognized as a 2023 Star Woman in Grocery award winner by Canadian Grocer magazine for her contribution to changing the food retail landscape over the course of her career, and for the positive impact she continues to make on GS1 Canada and the industry as a whole.

Robert Sestito is a seasoned technology leader and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience driving innovation and growth across diverse sectors, including hospitality, retail, logistics, and real estate. Throughout his career, Robert has held various executive roles, including serving as CIO and CISO at CAPREIT, and leading transformative initiatives at prominent organizations such as The Second Cup and Recipe Unlimited, contributing to the success of companies managing multi-billion-dollar portfolios.

In addition to his corporate achievements, Robert has successfully founded and served as CEO of multiple technology companies, broadening his expertise across various business functions and industries. A dedicated advocate for technology innovation, Robert actively contributes to advancing the Canadian technology landscape as a board member for both technology companies and Peerscale, a nonprofit association and division of TechTo dedicated to fostering innovation within Canada's ecosystem.