Jeff Sharifzadeh is Vice President of Purchasing and Supply Management at Cineplex Inc, Canada’s leading media and entertainment company. To strategise procurement at this scale presents both challenges and opportunities…
In an era defined by volatility, disrupted supply chains, and shifting business models, Sharifzadeh’s role has undergone a fundamental transformation involving navigating complexity at scale, balancing cost discipline, operational resilience and revenue impact, in the dynamic cinema and entertainment sector.
Sharifzadeh’s career actually started in technology, which helped provide him with an understanding of how systems, data and different business units interact during a transformation. And after moving into procurement, he noticed that procurement decisions weren’t just about cost, but were influencing how the business operated and, in many cases, how it grew. He quickly realised that procurement isn’t merely a support function, but a lever that shapes business outcomes, including efficiency, resilience, and customer experience. “It sits at the intersection of margin, revenue, risk, and strategy. The expectation is that you don’t just react to pressure, you shape outcomes,” he explains.
“The most important factor for me is earning a seat at the table. Don’t wait to get invited, engage early and have something meaningful to say. If you bring clarity on cost, exposure, supplier risk and execution before decisions are made, you shape the conversation instead of reacting to it.”
Procurement as a strategic growth engine
While inflation management remains critical, Sharifzadeh sees an even more important shift underway, with procurement repositioned as a commercial function. Concessions, product availability and supplier strategies all shape the guest experience and, by extension, per-capita spend. “That’s where procurement becomes an important lever,” he explains. “It’s not just about securing the lowest cost. It’s about making decisions that support the overall guest experience which in turn helps to drive performance.”
This philosophy represents a departure from traditional procurement thinking. Instead of focusing exclusively on cost minimisation, Sharifzadeh’s approach integrates margin optimisation with customer impact. The implication is significant, with procurement seen as a contributor to top-line growth. “In our environment, every sourcing decision has both a cost and a revenue implication,” he adds. “That changes how you think.”
Improving the customer experience
Within Sharifzadeh’s portfolio he also manages purchasing supply chain facilities. “If products are available, facilities are reliable, seating quality is good, and maintenance is done on time, that means we’ve done our job. We support operations teams in that way. So, whichever service our customers engage with, if their experience meets or exceeds their expectations, we’ve done our job.”
With roughly 300,000 seats and over eight million square feet of facilities under management in Canada, that isn’t an easy feat. Everything has to be just right to create the perfect guest experience, from reclining seats, to the ambience in theatres, to the quality of the laser projectors. “It’s all about making memories with family or friends by going out to watch a movie on the big screen with your favourite snacks,” says Sharifzadeh.