The Man Behind an $11 Billion Deal
Sina S. Amiri
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He's the Former Tim Hortons CEO and The Canadian Press Business Newsmaker of the Year for 2014
Nearly a decade ago, I had the opportunity to personally interview Marc Caira as part of a field research project on career planning and development while studying at Seneca College in Toronto. Marc was appointed President & CEO of Tim Hortons in July 2013 and previously served as Global CEO of Nestlé Professional. He had the kind of resume that your average MBA student dreams of. Yet, the Italian born business executive didn't have the acronym beside his name and as far as I could tell, any special connections that opened doors for him. He learned to earn his way to the top after graduation by taking an entry level sales position with Nestlé for an annual salary of $12,500 and the perk of a company car which he needed to call on customers. The rest is history.
Marc graduated from Seneca College in 1977. Many years later, I graduated from the same marketing administration program he attended. I looked up to Marc as a business and community leader. I tracked him down at a board meeting one evening, introduced myself and asked him if I could have the privilege of profiling how he rose through the ranks of Nestlé Canada. To my surprise, Marc handed me his personal business card. He not only agreed to answer all of my questions about both his personal and business life but was extremely generous with his time, especially considering that he was then the President & CEO of Parmalat North America, the dairy and food giant employing more than 2,900 people with 18 operating facilities throughout the country.
The $11 billion (U.S.) deal this year between Tim Hortons and Burger King has helped Marc secure the title of The Canadian Press Business Newsmaker of the Year for 2014. Today, I am a shareholder of Restaurant Brands International, the newly formed company resulting from the merger. I have more admiration for Marc’s business leadership than I did when I was a 20 year old student. Marc said, “Tim Hortons deserves to go around the world.” So too does great Canadian management talent and the iconic brands they help build. Starbucks did not become the largest coffeehouse chain by operating stores in only a few countries. Tim Hortons struggled to make inroads in the U.S. market on its own. It's no secret that the fast casual restaurant chain has become synonymous with Canadian culture. It would be impolite for us not to share part of our culture and managerial talent with the rest of the world.