Karen Flavelle

Early life

This position for Karen was quite unexpected since her father, Charles Flavelle did not want his children to be a part of positions above long-term employees. Therefore, at the start of Karen’s career, she joined several companies in hopes of becoming a marketing vice-president of a large packaged-goods company. She worked at many successful corporations such as General Mills, Cara Operations and Product Development Partnership, however, still found herself looking for a better job. In 1994, Karen decided to once again try asking her father permission to join Purdy’s Chocolatier and to her surprise, her father agreed to hire her. One reason for this change in decision was the tragic death of Karen’s younger brother.

Achievement

Purdy’s Chocolatier has experienced expansion and growth. Using the great skills she acquired by working in her previous companies, Flavelle brought in ideas to boost Purdy’s sales and make it even more successful. Flavelle has expanded the company from 42 to 55 retail stores across British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario. Karen has become a huge asset for Purdy’s Chocolatier, as she has brought in
huge amounts of revenue by making her customers loyal to the brand. Listening to and understanding her customers, was a crucial factor that led to the success of the company. Flavelle made sure to educate her customers about the different types of cacao beans and their health benefits so they would be interested in buying the chocolates. Purdy’s Chocolate is now one of Canada’s top chocolate makers.