CBEC

Ottawa, June, 2025 – The Baking Association of Canada has announced the formation of the Canadian Bakery Executives Council, a dynamic national advisory body composed of Canada’s most respected leaders from SMEs, commercial bakery, pastry and confectionery manufacturing sectors.

The Council has been established by the BAC to address critical gaps in industry intelligence, provide strategic guidance and sharpen the association’s focus through a non-competitive, collaborative forum. It will serve as a unified voice for the sector at the highest levels of policy and government, while fostering growth, influence and innovation both nationwide and globally.

BAC also announced the election of Carmelo De Luca, president of Premium Brands Bakery Group, as the council’s inaugural chair, bringing decades of leadership, vision and expertise to this important role.

Council mandates include the following:

• Strategic intelligence sharing: Creating a collaborative space for sharing best practices, sector challenges and data to build industry credibility and drive growth.
• Sector alignment and advisement: Identifying and aligning common priorities, standards and issues that affect the bakery sector.
• Policy and advocacy direction: Shaping policy engagement strategies to ensure the sector’s voice is consistently represented.
• National presence and representation: Strengthening the industry’s visibility and influence at regional, national and international levels.
• Independent governance: Constituted as an independent advisory body with elected leadership, facilitated by BAC.

This council marks a major milestone in the evolution of Canada’s bakery industry – a leap toward greater influence, sector unity and strategic growth.

“I’m deeply honoured to serve as Chair of the Canadian Bakery Executives Council,” De Luca said. “Our sector needs a unified voice – not only to drive innovation and excellence within our businesses, but to ensure we’re heard at the highest levels of government. This council is about bridging that gap: shaping smart policy, advocating for practical regulations, and building relationships with decision-makers that will define the future of baking in Canada.”