Activity 2.1 | ECE Leadership: Role & Characteristics

Maple Leaf Foods: A Story of Accountability

In 2008, Canadian food processing giant Maple Leaf Foods experienced a crisis that changed the organization: Maple Leaf’s products had been contaminated by listeria. Because of this contamination, 23 people died; and 57 others became very ill. Production at Maple Leaf's Toronto-area plant came to a complete stop. Nearly 5,000 unique media stories were written, and surveys showed a near-100-percent-recognition rate of the story among Canadians.

Great leaders are often defined in situations like this, and Maple Leaf's CEO Michael McCain called a press conference the evening that the outbreak was announced publicly. Rather than staying quiet or clamming up, he immediately went on the record and shared all of the information they had with customers and the world. Rather than taking advice from his accountants and lawyers, McCain was more concerned about clear, honest, and humane communication than the prospect of legal battles or lost sales.

Maple Leaf Foods and Michael McCain were applauded for the handling of this tragic event demonstrating how professional accountability can integrate with ethics and values. 

Reference

Huffman, R. (2014, November 26). Urgency. Accountability. Transparency: Lessons from Maple Leaf Foods.https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/news/news-ivey/2014/11/maple-leaf-foods-urgency-accountability-transparency/ ↵