Restaurants Canada is expanding its team to better serve the industry, with CEO Kelly Higginson welcoming three new hires to strengthen advocacy and support for members.
Cheryl Muir joins the organization as its new VP, Western Canada. Muir brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in public affairs, government relations and strategic communications, with a proven track record of building high-impact partnerships across industry and government. The outgoing VP, Western Canada, Mark von Schellwitz, who is retiring in January 2026, will work closely with Muir over the next month to ensure a smooth transition.
Nicole Cork will also be joining Restaurants Canada as its new director of Member & Stakeholder Engagement. Cork has more than a decade of leadership experience in the non-profit and association-management sector, where she led initiatives in membership growth and retention, CRM implementation and optimization, stakeholder engagement, marketing and business development. Cork will work closely with the membership team to enhance member engagement and retention, expand our membership base and strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders.
On January 5, Anthony Polci will join the organization as EVP of Government Relations and Public Affairs. Polci spent nearly 20 years at the Canadian Bankers Association (CBA), serving as chief strategy officer, head of Government Relations and VP of Government Relations. Earlier in his career, he also served in several senior roles within the Office of the Minister of Transport. Polci will be based out of the Ottawa office.
