Mercatus Consulting is a Toronto-based strategic advisory firm focused on global sales,
marketing, and brand development. Founded by Carmen Martinez, a bilingual executive with
over 25 years of experience in the Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG), media, and
entertainment sectors, the firm supports multinational and emerging brands in navigating
retail, licensing, and category expansion across North America, LATAM, and Europe.
Carmen’s career includes leadership roles at Mattel, Viacom, and Bandai America, where
she successfully built and expanded brand presence across major Canadian and U.S.
retailers including Walmart, Loblaw, Toys “R” Us, and Shoppers Drug Mart. Her deep
expertise in the CPG industry includes developing the entertainment, toy, fashion and food
categories and launching cross-category promotional programs across multiple product
segments. She has a proven track record in driving growth through data-driven retail
strategies, in-store execution, and consumer marketing initiatives.
Carmen Martinez at Mercatus Consulting is especially interested in contributing to the growth
and visibility of Spanish food and beverage brands in Canada. Carmen brings hands-on
experience in the development and positioning of food and snack categories for global
brands within the CPG sector. She has led integrated retail programs, negotiated trade
partnerships, and designed go-to-market strategies for both mass market and specialty
channels.
Her unique combination of strategic vision and frontline retail expertise will be valuable to
the committee’s initiatives in brand activation, B2B matchmaking, and trade promotion. She
also brings a strong network across corporate Canada and multicultural markets, which can
benefit Spanish exporters seeking sustainable growth in North America.