Management Team
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President and CEO of Sleep Country Canada
Mr. Schaefer is the President and CEO of Sleep Country and a member of the Board of Sleep Country. A leader in the sleep industry for almost three decades, Mr. Schaefer joined Sleep Country in 2006 as President of Dormez-vous, following the acquisition of Dormez-vous, and in 2014 he assumed the role of Chief Business Development Officer. In his role, he created and drove the strategic vision of the Company by leading the Company’s growth platforms and overseeing strategic partnerships and M&A opportunities. In April 2021, Mr. Schaefer was appointed President of Sleep Country and Dormez-vous playing a key role in the development and oversight of the entire leadership team. Prior to joining Sleep Country, Mr. Schaefer founded Dormez-vous in 1994 and grew the business to five stores before being acquired by Sleep Country in 2006. In 1992, he co-founded Heritage Classic Beds, a manufacturer and distributor of iron and brass beds. From 1986 to 1992, Mr. Schaefer worked as a commodity broker in Chicago, later returning to Montreal to work for Dean Witter Reynolds and Refco Futures. He studied Finance and Marketing at Concordia University in Montreal.
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Chief Financial Officer
Mr. De Pratto is the CFO of Sleep Country and oversees the Accounting, Financial Reporting and Forecasting, Planning and Analysis (FP&A) functions, Business Continuity Management, Enterprise Risk Management, ESG, Investor Relations and has been an integral part of Sleep Country’s M&A activity. Mr. De Pratto also has administrative responsibility of Internal Audit who is accountable to the Board. Since joining Sleep Country in 2019, in addition to overseeing a variety of initiatives within the finance function, he is accountable for Sleep Country’s ESG roadmap and reporting, he has led the development of enhanced inventory control processes. Prior to Sleep Country, Mr. De Pratto was CFO of Freshii Inc., where he played a pivotal role throughout a period of rapid growth and successfully guided Freshii through their Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2017. From 2006 to 2014, he held various progressively responsible leadership positions in Finance at Freeze-Dry Foods Limited and BDO Canada LLP. A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA), Mr. De Pratto holds a Bachelor of Accounting from Goodman School of Business – Brock University.
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Chief Sales Officer
Mr. Howcroft is the Chief Sales Officer of Sleep Country. He has been with Sleep Country since 1996 and during his tenure has created numerous programs to consistently build, develop and motivate a first-class sales team. He is also instrumental in developing and implementing various sales workshops, training programs, sales processes and he is responsible for merchandising as well as the Operations and Customer Service Divisions. Most recently he enhanced the online presence by creating “Dreamline”, a virtual sales chat line, which gives customers the opportunity to connect with a live Sleep Expert. Mr. Howcroft brings with him over 26 years of retail sales experience with a well-recognized ability to lead, mentor and motivate.
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Chief People Officer
Ms. Feldman is the Chief People Officer of Sleep Country. Ms. Feldman is a Human Resources (“HR”) professional with more than 20 years of experience, her mandate goes beyond the traditional HR function, supporting a culture where the people are at the core of the organization’s success, relentlessly focused on creating a compelling associate experience. Ms. Feldman leads the full breadth of Sleep Country Canada’s associate experience, with a focus on mentorship and coaching, while working to identify tomorrow’s leaders, fostering their careers and ensuring strategic succession planning. Prior to joining Sleep Country in 2020, Ms. Feldman worked at Scotiabank from 2015 to 2020 in various executive positions. Ms. Feldman also held various executive positions at Loblaw. Ms. Feldman attended York University as well as completed a postgraduate program at OISE for Adult Education. She remains a lifelong learner continuously furthering her skills in leadership development and coaching.