Getting to Know CarltonOne: A Conversation with Laura Wiese, VP Client Success

There’s a moment in this interview where Laura Wiese describes a promotion she helped reinvent at AIR MILES — a multi-retailer challenge that went so viral it blew past its budget and spawned its own online community of members swapping tips on where to earn their miles.

Her reaction at the time? “If we’re asking them to shop at all these places, shouldn’t they get something?” It sounds obvious in hindsight, but that moment crystallized for Laura why loyalty really works — and it’s a thread that runs through everything she does today.

Laura is VP of Client Success at CarltonOne, the Toronto-based engagement and rewards platform that has spent 30 years quietly powering some of the world’s largest loyalty, employee recognition, and channel incentive programs across 190 countries. She came to the role via a career that spans packaged goods, the toy industry, LoyaltyOne, DoorDash, and Interac — giving her an unusually grounded perspective on both the brand and provider sides of the engagement equation.

In this conversation, Laura is candid about the state of the employee engagement market right now. She describes the employment landscape as “messy” — shaped by AI, tariffs, shifting workforce expectations, and a post-pandemic mindset change that companies haven’t fully reckoned with. Her warning to employers banking on a soft job market to retain staff is direct: you’re building captive loyalty, and you’ll lose your best people the moment the market shifts.

She also shares what CarltonOne is doing differently — from its drop-ship global supply chain model to its evolving use of AI in client onboarding — and why she believes the employee incentive and channel market is “the hottest thing going right now.”

It’s a rich, candid conversation from someone who clearly loves this industry.

Time Stamps for the Time Starved

2:41 – Laura’s Favorite Reads

5:09 – Getting to Know Laura Wiese

8:33 – CarltonOne – An Overview

10:19 – Importance of Employee Engagement

11:34 – The Work Environment & Impact on Employee Incentives

15:39 – How to Serve a Global Marketplace

17:23 – Managing a Global Supply Chain

19:14 – Trends in Motivation for Employee Groups

22:59 – What are the most effective Communications Channels?25:24 – Unlocking the magic in Employee Engagement

27:08 – Packaging & Managing Data for Employee Incentives

27:53 – Biggest shifts in Employee Incentives

30:47 – Laura’s Loyalty Epiphany

33:34 – Final Thoughts

About our Guest

Laura is VP, Client Success at CarltonOne. She is a seasoned growth and partnership leader with over two decades of experience building high‑performing teams and driving revenue across payments, loyalty, e‑commerce, and consumer brands. In her current responsibilities, she focuses on helping global organizations maximize the impact of engagement, rewards, and recognition programs through strong partnerships and measurable outcomes.

Previously, Laura held senior leadership roles at Interac, DoorDash, and LoyaltyOne (AIR MILES), where she led business development, commercial partnerships, and new vertical expansion—consistently exceeding growth targets and launching innovative programs with leading enterprise partners. Known for her collaborative leadership style, ability to operate in ambiguity, and sharp commercial instincts, Laura brings a practical, people‑first perspective on growth, customer value, and engagement.

Getting to Know CarltonOne: A Conversation with Laura Wiese, VP Client Success