Meet Our Leaders

John Gross

Founder and CEO

John launched Peak in 1998, shortly after earning his MBA from Simon Fraser University. Over the past 25 years, John has grown Peak from a small start-up with one product to an international leader in outdoor home improvement products. As CEO, John is most proud of the talented team at Peak and the company’s close partnership with The Home Depot and its associates across North America.

The humility that infuses John’s corporate philosophy is also behind his generous support of numerous charitable causes, in particular The Home Depot Canada Foundation, which is dedicated to preventing and ending youth homelessness in Canada.

John and Peak have also provided millions of dollars in donations to Vancouver Coastal Health, Delta Hospital and Community Health Foundation, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, Fraser Health, St. Paul’s Foundation, Surrey Memorial Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, and the University of British Columbia.

Before starting Peak, John was an accomplished musician, who earned his piano performance degree from the Cleveland School of Music. His devotion to the arts continues to this day through his support of the Vancouver Recital Society and the UBC School of Music.

In keeping with his ongoing commitment to share his experience, support and expertise, and to mark Peak's 25th Anniversary in March 2023, John recently launched the John Gross-Peak Products Start-up Experience for students at Simon Fraser University’s Charles Chang Institute for Entrepreneurship. Over the next ten years, the fund will provide annual grants of $25,000 to high-potential entrepreneurs or venture ideas at the undergraduate level, helping create an even playing field to ensure all students, regardless of means, can pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.

Shaun Lloyd

CPA, CGA, Chief Financial Officer

Shaun is a Chartered Professional Accountant who joined Peak in 2006 after earning a Diploma in Financial Management from Langara College and a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Over the years, Shaun has held progressively more senior positions at Peak, working his way up from the accounts payable department to Chief Financial Officer. In his current role, Shaun oversees the finance, accounting, analytics, inventory forecasting and purchasing teams, as well as business operations in Canada, USA, Asia, Mexico, Australia and a growing number of countries around the world.

Tao Cheng

Vice President, Legal and General Counsel

Tao is an expert in intellectual property law. He joined Peak in 2010 and currently serves as Vice President, Legal and as General Counsel. As leader of the company’s legal department, Tao’s wide range of responsibilities include: managing hundreds of intellectual property filings, searching, oppositions and litigation across multiple jurisdictions; overseeing risk and claims management, acting as Privacy Officer, and managing the day-to-day legal aspects of Peak’s operations in China, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, the United States. Tao holds degrees in materials engineering and law from the University of Alberta, and although he has resided in B.C. for many years, he remains an avid supporter of the Edmonton Oilers.

Jean-Marie Pepin

Vice President, North American Logistics & Manufacturing

Jean-Marie is an experienced professional whose expertise includes logistics management, warehousing distribution and manufacturing. Jean-Marie Pepin oversees all distribution and manufacturing facilities throughout North America and is responsible for all shipments to The Home Depot stores. Jean-Marie’s outstanding leadership and organizational skills, ability to motivate others, and ability to create processes that are efficient and cost effective have helped Peak increase productivity within a team environment while maintaining safety and quality standards. In his spare time, Jean-Marie enjoys spending time with his two sons and wife, and has a passion for all things hockey.

Shirley Soo

Vice President, Human Resources

Shirley is a highly skilled human resources leader with over fifteen years’ experience leading the full spectrum of HR. As a member of Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHR) since 2008, Shirley is an impartial and caring leader. She is helping accelerate Peak’s growth by supporting and engaging team members and helping them achieve their personal growth and career success. Through her education and work experience in Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore and her ability to speak several languages, Shirley has a deep appreciation of diversity and inclusivity and is using her talent to attract, develop and engage employees with exceptional ability and diverse backgrounds to Peak. Prior to joining Peak, Shirley was responsible for national recruitment and talent management for the T&T Supermarket chain and developed leadership workshops and learning programs for Save-On-Foods employees across Western Canada.

Mike Stuart

Vice President, Information Technology & Marketing

Mike’s extensive professional experience includes more than 30 years in software development and IT. He began his career developing and supporting retail point of sale software for grocery customers in Western Canada with Mountain Systems, after which he spent five years with Riptide Technologies, delivering software projects to lotteries around the world. Mike returned to the grocery industry in 2002 with Save-On-Foods in several senior roles including application development and architecture. Since 2015, Mike has been Vice President, Information Technology and Marketing with Peak. Mike also leads our talented Marketing team who are proud to have been honoured with the Home Depot Canada 2022 Marketing Partner of the Year award. Mike also sits on the supplier advisory committee of The Home Depot Canada Foundation. Mike is an outdoor enthusiast and can be found in the mountains in both winter and summer.

Simon Walker

Executive Vice President

As Peak's Executive Vice President, Simon is responsible for product development, international and North American logistics, I.T., marketing and customer service. He is also directly involved in setting the strategy of the company as well as domestic and international business development. Prior to joining Peak in 2002, Simon worked for PBB Global Logistics, a large international logistics company, where he held various positions of increasing responsibility, including serving as head of sales and operations for Western North America. Since joining Peak in 2002, just 4 years after the company’s founding, Simon has been a driving force behind the company’s industry-leading innovation, supply chain excellence, and its remarkable infrastructure. Outside of work Simon enjoys spending time with his family and friends, golfing, skiing, and boating/fishing.

Dan Kiatipis

Senior Vice President, Sales

Dan is a highly respected leader whose commitment to excellence and integrity have made him a trusted advisor to colleagues and customers alike. Since joining Peak in 2005, Dan has been instrumental in driving Peak's growth and success, developing and launching new product lines and ensuring Peak Products are well-positioned in the market. Prior to joining Peak, Dan spent 13 years as a Senior Divisional Product Merchant with Home Depot, where he gained a deep understanding of the retail side of the industry. He is a past Home Depot and Hardware News Merchant of the Year award winner. In his spare time, Dan enjoys racing cars.

Craig Lawson

Vice President, Product Development & Quality

Craig is a highly respected leader known for his great work ethic and passion for innovation. Craig provides Peak’s engineering team with outstanding leadership and inspiration in numerous areas including product design, product compliance, and quality assurance. Prior to joining Peak in 2011, Craig spent 10 years working with Intertek Testing Services, a global product testing and certification company, for which he held senior roles in Canada and Asia. Craig also spent a decade in steel manufacturing and agricultural research. Outside of work Craig enjoys spending time with his family and friends, and has a passion for sport and the outdoors.