In this episode of the Training Impact Podcast, host Jeff Walter sits down with Kara Hale, Operations Director at MCP Emerson Canada, for a deep dive into what it really takes to scale complex partner operations across borders, brands, and retail channels.

MCP Emerson Canada plays a critical role in helping U.S. and global consumer product brands enter and succeed in the Canadian market. With more than 50 brands across health, wellness, OTC, and consumer packaged goods, and distribution reaching roughly 5,000 retail locations nationwide, the operational complexity is significant. Kara walks through how MCP Emerson Canada acts as an extension of its brand partners, providing the regulatory expertise, supply chain infrastructure, and retail relationships required to operate successfully in Canada.

The conversation begins with an overview of the Canadian retail landscape and why it differs so dramatically from the U.S. market. With only a handful of dominant national retailers, shelf space is scarce, competition is intense, and execution must be precise. Kara explains how MCP Emerson Canada navigates regulatory approval through Health Canada, manages import and logistics processes, and standardizes onboarding for brand partners so nothing falls through the cracks.

From there, the discussion shifts to one of the most powerful differentiators in MCP Emerson Canada’s approach: consumer insights and data-driven decision making. Kara shares how the organization moved beyond simply representing products to actively guiding retailers with market intelligence. By analyzing macro consumer trends, category data, and point-of-sale information, MCP Emerson Canada helps retailers make smarter decisions about assortment, shelf space, and inventory turns.

Jeff and Kara explore real examples of how secondary and tertiary trends shape demand. From shifts in travel behavior to the downstream effects of GLP-1 medications on OTC categories, Kara explains how insight-led presentations help retailers anticipate what consumers will need next. This approach not only improves shelf efficiency for retailers, but also strengthens brand performance and accelerates growth for MCP Emerson Canada’s partners.

The episode also dives into operational scalability. Kara discusses the challenges of managing institutional knowledge when processes live in people’s heads, and how MCP Emerson Canada is working toward more automated, standardized workflows to support growth. She outlines plans to improve cross-functional handoffs between regulatory, sales, marketing, and supply chain teams, ensuring consistency as the organization continues to expand.

Technology and data play a major role in this evolution. Kara introduces Emerson’s proprietary data platform, Omega, which brings together shipment data, POS data, and analytics into a single source of truth. The platform helps brand partners understand performance trends, identify supply gaps, and make more informed planning decisions across both U.S. and Canadian markets.

Finally, the conversation looks ahead to the role of AI and automation. Kara shares how MCP Emerson Canada is thoughtfully applying AI to reduce manual, repetitive work while preserving human judgment where it matters most. From insight generation to workflow automation, the goal is not workforce reduction, but enabling teams to spend more time growing the business and less time managing friction.

This episode is a candid, practical look at what partner enablement, data-driven operations, and scalable execution really look like behind the scenes. For anyone involved in partner management, consumer goods, retail operations, or extended-enterprise training and enablement, it offers valuable insight into how complexity can be turned into competitive advantage.

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Learn more about MCP Emerson Canada at https://www.mcpemerson.ca

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