Newsroom
2002
December 13, 2002
CWB board of directors announces selection of new CEO
Winnipeg -- The CWB's board of directors is pleased to announce Adrian Measner has been selected as the new President and CEO of the farmer-controlled grain marketing company. Mr. Measner will replace Greg Arason, the CWB's President and CEO since 1998, who retires December 31, 2002.
Ken Ritter, Chair of the board, said Mr. Measner was the board's choice because of his proven track record in the grain industry.
"Adrian brings over 28 years of industry experience, from the time he began his career at the CWB in the Weather and Crop Surveillance department to his current role as Executive Vice-President of Marketing at the CWB," Ritter said. "The board is confident in Adrian's ability to lead management in the organization's mission of maximizing returns to Prairie farmers."
The process to select the new CEO was thorough, Ritter noted. The selection committee consisted of six members of the board and one federal government representative. The committee assisted the board in identifying and selecting candidates. A total of 35 applicants were carefully considered, with eight interviews conducted. "The calibre of applicants was exceptional," Ritter said.
The President and CEO who serves on the farmer-controlled, 15-member board of directors is responsible for leading management in implementing an innovative and comprehensive international marketing strategy. On behalf of the board, the President and CEO is also responsible for the day-to-day management of the corporation and for ensuring the board's strategic plan is implemented.
Mr. Arason was the first CEO under the new governance structure, which placed control of the CWB squarely in the hands of western Canadian farmers. Mr. Measner, who assumes his new responsibilities on January 1, 2003, will be the second CEO under this new structure.
Controlled by western Canadian farmers, the CWB is one of the largest wheat and barley marketers in the world. As one of Canada's biggest exporters, the Winnipeg-based organization sells grain to more than 70 countries and returns all sales revenue, less marketing costs, to Prairie farmers.
For more information, contact
Ken Ritter
Chairman, Board of Directors
Tel: (306) 463-5943
Cell: (306) 463-9287
Louise Waldman
Manager, Media Relations & Advertising
Tel: (204) 983-3101
Cell: (204) 299-8398
Biographical material:
Adrian Measner was raised on a farm at Holdfast, Saskatchewan. In 1974, he received a B.Sc. Honours degree from the University of Saskatchewan and, that same year, began his career with the Canadian Wheat Board. He began in the CWB's Weather and Crop Surveillance department, spent two years with the Grain Transportation Agency and then moved into the CWB Sales Department.
On June 1, 1993, Mr. Measner became Executive Director of marketing and, after the CWB was restructured in 1998, assumed the title of Executive Vice-President, Marketing. In this role, he was responsible for Sales and Market Development, Transportation and Country Operations and Commodity Analysis and Risk Management. He also serves on the Canadian International Grains Institute (CIGI) board of directors.
Sales performance and transportation reform have always been a central focus for Mr. Measner, in keeping with the CWB's mandate to maximize returns to Prairie farmers.
He has wide-ranging expertise and experience in selling wheat and barley on behalf of western Canadian farmers, as a key player in one of the world's largest grain marketing organizations. He guided the CWB sales and marketing department through a time of significant change in the international grain marketing environment during the 1990s. More recently, he helped forge a new Canadian grain transportation agreement that saved Prairie farmers more than $40 million in the 2001-02 crop year alone.
Mr. Measner was also instrumental in the implementation of new producer payment options that give farmers choice in how they price their grain. Among many other accomplishments, he was a strong advocate for the new Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre and the CIGI pasta plant, both designed to showcase the quality and potential of Prairie farmers' grain to international customers.
Mr. Measner, 50, is currently involved in a small grain farming operation in Manitoba's Interlake region. He is married to Lynn and has two children, aged 12 and 14.