Toronto-based premium outdoor lifestyle brand Roots has appointed Rosie Pouzar as its new Roots Chief Commercial Officer. The appointment follows Pouzar’s tenure as Head of Omnichannel Growth at Roots, where she played a central role in advancing the company’s commercial performance across channels. The company trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ROOT and continues to position itself as a premium Canadian brand with global reach.
Meghan Roach, President and Chief Executive Officer of Roots, said the appointment supports the company’s broader growth ambitions.
“Rosie’s appointment is an important step in advancing our growth strategy,” said Meghan Roach, President & Chief Executive Officer, Roots. “She is a highly respected leader with a strong track record of driving performance and exceptional strategic clarity. As Chief Commercial Officer, Rosie will help sharpen our enterprise priorities and accelerate decision-making to unlock new areas of growth.”
The creation and formalization of the Roots Chief Commercial Officer role underscores the company’s intent to align commercial strategy, operational execution, and customer insight under a unified leadership structure. In an increasingly competitive retail environment, brands are placing greater emphasis on cross-functional leadership that can drive speed, clarity, and performance across both physical stores and digital platforms.
Background in Scaling National Retail Brands
Prior to joining Roots, Pouzar held senior leadership positions at Sephora Canada, including Senior Vice President, Retail and Chief Operating Officer. During her time there, she helped scale the business through a period of significant expansion, with a focus on operational excellence and strengthening in-store execution.
She is recognized for building high-impact partnerships and translating customer insight into actionable strategy. That capability, according to the company, will be central to her mandate as Roots Chief Commercial Officer as the brand seeks to deepen customer engagement and unlock incremental growth.
Earlier in her career, Pouzar held leadership roles at Cineplex and began her professional career at PwC. Her background includes a strong financial foundation, having earned both the Chartered Professional Accountant and Chartered Business Valuator designations. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Blending Commercial Discipline with Brand Sensibility
Roots described Pouzar as bringing a blend of commercial rigor and brand sensibility, combining data-driven decision-making with customer-centric thinking. In today’s retail climate, where brands must balance margin discipline with emotional resonance, that combination has become increasingly critical.
The company noted that she is passionate about building resilient, high-performing organizations capable of adapting quickly within an evolving commercial landscape. As Roots continues to operate more than 100 corporate retail stores in Canada, alongside two U.S. locations, an e-commerce platform, and an extensive partner-operated footprint in Asia, enterprise alignment will be key to sustaining performance across markets.
Executive Perspective on the Next Phase
Pouzar expressed enthusiasm about taking on the expanded leadership mandate.
“I am honoured to support this iconic brand in our next phase of growth,” said Rosie Pouzar, Chief Commercial Officer, Roots. “Roots has an incredibly powerful foundation, and I am excited to unlock new opportunities for long-term growth, while strengthening commercial capabilities and deepening our connection with our loyal customer base.”
The Roots Chief Commercial Officer appointment comes at a time when many Canadian retailers are refining their leadership structures to support omnichannel growth, operational efficiency, and brand clarity. For Roots, a company founded in 1973 that has grown from a small cabin in northern Canada into a global lifestyle brand, leadership alignment remains central to its long-term strategy.
Corporate Overview
Established in 1973, Roots operates over 100 corporate retail stores in Canada and two stores in the United States. The brand also maintains more than 100 partner-operated stores in Asia and a dedicated Roots-branded storefront on Tmall.com in China, in addition to its e-commerce platform at roots.com.
The company designs, markets, and sells apparel, leather goods, footwear, and accessories across women’s, men’s, children’s, and gender-free categories. It also maintains wholesale relationships and licenses the brand to select partners selling to major retailers.
