Doug Nathanson

Doug Nathanson is Executive Vice President, Chief Development Officer and General Counsel of Empire Company Limited and Sobeys Inc. In addition to heading the company’s Legal function, Doug has leadership accountability for Real Estate, Corporate Strategy & Development, Strategic Sourcing, Communications & Corporate Affairs, Government Relations and Sustainability.

Prior to joining Empire, Doug was General Counsel at Canadian Tire Corporation, overseeing all legal matters across the Canadian Tire family of companies. He also served as Canadian Tire’s Chief Human Resources Officer, led the petroleum business, and managed the corporate strategy group.  

Prior to Canadian Tire, Doug was the Associate General Counsel at MI Developments, Magna International’s real estate operating company. Earlier in his career, Doug worked in Toronto and New York at major international law firms and served as a clerk at the Ontario Court of Appeal.

Doug sits on the Boards of Kids Help Phone, the Retail Council of Canada and the Sobey Foundation. He is also a Trustee on the Board of Crombie REIT and a former Director of the Board of the Sinai Health Foundation. In 2024, he was recognized as one of The Globe and Mail Report on Business magazine’s top executives for his strategic and collaborative leadership. In 2025, Doug was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his “profound and lasting contribution to Ontario and Canada”.

Doug is a member of the Bar in both Ontario and New York State and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton University (High Distinction) and a Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law where he won the Angus MacMurchy Gold Medal.