The Thomson family's Woodbridge has hired Michael Medline, former CEO of Empire and Canadian Tire, as its chief executive officer.Stephanie Martyniuk/The Globe and Mail
Woodbridge Co. Ltd., the primary investment vehicle for the Thomson family, has hired retail executive Michael Medline as its president and chief executive officer.
Woodbridge, the Thomson family’s holding company, recruited the former CEO of two family-controlled chains, Sobey’s parent Empire Co. Ltd. EMP-A-T and Canadian Tire Corp. CTC-A-T
Last April, the 62-year-old Mr. Medline announced plans to retire from Stellarton, N.S.-based Empire after nine years as CEO. Earlier this month, Empire promoted former chief operating officer Pierre St-Laurent into the position.
Mr. Medline will stay at Empire until the end of the year as part of the grocer’s transition process and join Woodbridge on Jan. 5.
Thomson Reuters reports higher third-quarter revenue, meeting estimates
Woodbridge is the controlling shareholder of Thomson Reuters Corp. with a 70-per-cent stake in the information technology company worth approximately $60-billion. In recent years, Thomson Reuters made several acquisitions to bolster its artificial-intelligence capabilities.
Woodbridge also owns The Globe and Mail.
“Michael Medline is a proven leader, known for his exceptional stewardship and disciplined management,” Woodbridge co-chair David Thomson said in a news release. “Michael’s obsession with culture and commitment to long-term value creation make him the ideal candidate to build upon the success of Woodbridge.”
At Canadian Tire and Empire, Mr. Medline led traditional retailers into the digital economy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he launched Sobey’s Voilà online grocery delivery platform. He also oversaw Empire’s acquisitions of the Longo’s and Farm Boy chains.
Woodbridge invests on behalf of seven families, all descended from media baron Roy Thomson, who turned ownership of the Timmins Press newspaper in Northern Ontario into a global empire. He died in 1976. David Thomson is his grandson.
“I am incredibly honoured to join Woodbridge,” Mr. Medline said in the release. “It is a privilege to lead an organization with such a distinguished history and a deep commitment to sustainable growth.”
Mr. Medline earned a law degree from the University of Toronto and an MBA from William & Mary University in Virginia, along with an undergraduate degree from Huron University College in London, Ont.
He started his career at the Ontario Securities Commission, then joined law firm McCarthy Tétrault LLP. He subsequently become corporate counsel at PepsiCo Canada and held a number of executive positions at paper producer Abitibi Consolidated Inc. before spending 15 years at Canadian Tire, then joining Empire. He is on the board of directors at the Bank of Nova Scotia.
Mr. Medline succeeds former Woodbridge CEO Jay Forbes, who left the company in September after a one-year term focused on building a culture of “service of the family shareholders,” according to a press release. Mr. Forbes is a turnaround specialist who previously served as the CEO of Element Fleet Management Corp. and Manitoba Telecom Services.
In September, Woodbridge named Iain Scott as its interim CEO, and he will continue to fill the role until Mr. Medline arrives in January. Mr. Scott is former CEO of McCarthy Tétrault and dean of the law school at Western University.