About Us
Our Board
The Food & Beverage Manitoba board of directors is made up of food industry representatives from a variety of sub-sectors, including food processors, distributors, packaging and construction.
Karen Colley
PresidentChris Warwaruk
Vice-presidentPhillip Dunphy
TreasurerPhillip Dunphy is a Chartered Professional Accountant working as the Director of Finance for Neptune Properties, a local family office. Part of his role involves sourcing and investing capital into food processing businesses such as Prairie West Ice Cream and True North Foods, where he acts as the Controller. He is passionate about seeing a thriving, sustainable, and profitable value-added food sector in the Province.
Phillip's favorite Manitoba meal is pierogies and bacon cooked over a campfire with his wife and kids.
Robert Armstrong
Director-at-largeMelissa Beaumont
Director-at-largeMelissa is a partner at Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP who practices in the areas of labour & employment law including: employment contract drafting and review, severance package drafting and review, wrongful termination litigation, employment policy design and review, advice and litigation related to non-solicitation/non-competition agreements, labour board hearings, grievance arbitration and collective bargaining.
Her favourite dining experience abroad was attending Chef Michael Smith’s restaurant Fireworks in PEI! But she also has a love of the local food scene – you don’t have to travel outside of Manitoba to experience a world class meal!
Michelle Leclair
Director-at-largeMichelle Leclair is the founder of Wolseley Kombuchua, Manitoba’s first local kombucha company, which prioritizes quality and taste in its health-conscious beverages. Leclair, a former healthcare professional, transitioned to full-time entrepreneurship, winning recognition as Women Entrepreneur of the Year in 2022. Wolseley Kombucha quickly became a trusted brand in the local industry, driven by Leclair's dedication and passion for bringing the benefits of kombucha to Manitobans.
One of the key strengths of Wolseley Kombucha is its strong commitment to supporting local businesses and communities. Over the years, Michelle has worked tirelessly to create partnerships with over 150 Manitoba retail partners, including well-known grocery stores such as Safeway, Sobeys, Red River COOP and Vita Health.
Beyond its dedication to producing high-quality kombucha, Wolseley Kombucha also prioritizes sustainability. Wolseley Kombucha launched their Sustainable Refill Program in 2017 that now has refill stations all over southern Manitoba. Implementing composting, refill programs and compostable single use cups is at the core of their values.
Wolseley Kombucha continues to innovate and set the standard for quality in the industry.
Ashley Linden
Director-at-largeAshley Linden (M.Sc., B.Sc. Agriculture) has a passion for agriculture and food and is the Director of Quality & Regulatory Affairs at Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods. With over 15-years of experience working in quality from seed to shelf, he has a track record of creating operational efficiencies, improving quality, and promoting sustainability throughout the industry.