Robin M. Kovitz
President & Co-FOUNDER
Robin Kovitz is the President of Baskits Inc. Canada's "go to" gift delivery service with over 50,000 customers across Canada. Prior to purchasing Baskits in 2014, Robin worked in private equity, where she was responsible for sourcing, evaluating, structuring and executing buyouts and managing recapitalization and tuck-under transactions. In this role, Robin was responsible for attracting and retaining management and setting corporate strategy for a number of portfolio companies.
Robin began her career in investment banking as an Analyst in the Mergers & Acquisitions group at CIBC World Markets. At CIBC, Robin was involved in a number of equity, debt and M&A mandates in a variety of industries. In 2004, she received the Chairman’s award for exceptional contribution. She also worked as a summer management Consultant at the Boston Consulting Group where she led a part of a large-scale cost reduction project at a Canadian bank. Robin played an active role in the sale of her family’s businesses. In 2006, New Food Classics, one of Canada's largest hamburger manufacturers was sold to a private equity firm. In 2007, Centennial Foodservice was sold to Premium Brands, a public company.
Robin has a MBA degree from the Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queen's University, where she was a Rutherford Scholar and on the Dean's Honour List. She currently serves on the Dean's Alumni Advisory Board at the Harvard Business School and is a member of Young Presidents’ Organization. In 2017, and again in 2021, Robin was recognized as a Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 award winner. In 2021, Robin received the Women Of Inspiration Award from the Universal Womens’ Network. As a sought-after speaker and commentator on e-commerce and “Entrepreneurship through Acquisition”, Robin frequently serves as a guest lecturer at both the Yale School of Management and the Harvard Business School.
Ron S. Kovitz
ADvisor & Co-FOUNDER
Ron Kovitz is a successful entrepreneur. He was previously a major shareholder, Chairman & Co-CEO of Centennial Foods, a well respected multi-functional food manufacturing and distribution company with approximately $300 million of annual sales. In 2005, Ron and his partners segregated the family-owned business into two separate legal entities, New Food Classics and Centennial Foodservice, in preparation for future sale
In 2006, the manufacturing division, New Food Classics, one of Canada's largest and finest hamburger manufacturing groups and an award-winning custom designer and processor of value-added meat, poultry, seafood and vegetarian products, was sold to EdgeStone Capital Partners, a Private Equity Firm. In 2007, Centennial Foodservice, Canada's largest independently owned "centre of the plate" foodservice distributor, was subsequently sold to Premium Brands, a publicly traded company.
During Ron's ownership of Centennial, the Company grew to include 3 manufacturing facilities, and 8 distribution facilities. Ron was instrumental in the design and building of two new state of the art food processing facilities. His passion for food led him to orchestrate the creation of hundreds of innovative new products and to employ more than 700 people.
Ron holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from York University and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of British Columbia and he is also a registered Architect. He has served on the Boards of the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors and the North American Meat Processors. He travels extensively to further his knowledge and understanding of food and business around the world.
In 2010, Ron was honoured with the prestigious President's Choice Lifetime Achievement Award from Loblaw Companies Ltd. This trophy is presented to those whose personal involvement, drive & passion have been instrumental in helping establish President's Choice as one of Canada's leading brands.
