innipeg, Manitoba, March 3, 2021 – Pulse Canada announced today that its President, Greg Cherewyk, will officially take the leadership position for the organization on April 1, 2021. Mr. Cherewyk’s appointment comes on the announcement of the retirement of long-time CEO and first staff member of Pulse Canada Gordon Bacon.
“Greg Cherewyk is a respected leader and is well known to Canadian pulse growers, traders and processors. He will, without a doubt, continue the longstanding tradition of strong leadership at our organization,” said Corey Loessin, Chair of Pulse Canada and a Saskatchewan pulse grower. “Over the course of his career at Pulse Canada, Greg has led and overseen work in market development, market access, trade policy, and transportation. He knows the challenges our industry faces inside and out, and will no doubt continue to put his skillset and expertise to work to grow Canada’s pulse industry.”
Greg Cherewyk has been with Pulse Canada for 17 years, most recently serving as President. In his role as President, Greg will also provide management services to the Canadian Special Crops Association (CSCA), which represents processors and exporters of pulses and special crops.
“Greg has assembled a leadership team with a combined 30 plus years in the pulse industry, and the staff who work for the organization are truly leaders in their respective fields,” said Quinton Stewart, President of the CSCA. “His experience leading responses to market access issues, managing the transportation file, and overseeing the Association’s work on trade rules and arbitration means that he knows well the issues that pulse and special crops processors and exporters confront on a daily basis. We’re confident that Greg and his team will continue to deliver results for CSCA Members and we look forward to working closely with them.”
Canada’s pulse industry is focused on diversifying revenue streams to drive value back throughout the supply chain. The current ‘25 By 2025’ strategy aims to move 25%, or 2 million tonnes, of Canadian pulses into new uses and new markets by 2025. While new market opportunities are a priority, the organization is equally focused on maintaining Canada's position in its traditional markets. That means keeping markets open and dealing with barriers as they arise, as well as ensuring that the supply chains that service those markets are always reliable and fluid.
“Pulse Canada has always been driven to deliver results that make our members more profitable,” said Cherewyk. “It is an exciting time for the Canadian pulse industry, and the team and I are up to the challenge of making Canadian pulses the preferred protein ingredient in new products while strengthening Canada's position as a global leader in the traditional pulse trade.”
The Pulse Canada Board also thanked outgoing CEO Gordon Bacon for his 25 years of service to Canada’s pulse industry and congratulated him on his retirement.
“Gordon’s passion, dedication and commitment have been critical to the growth and long-term success of Canada’s pulse industry,” said Loessin. “For nearly twenty-five years, Gordon has lived and breathed Canadian pulses and has the track record to show for it. The Canadian pulse industry would not be where it is today without his hard work. On behalf of the Board and members of Pulse Canada, I want to thank him for his dedication and service. And while he’s stepping back from the role of CEO, I’m quite certain we’ll be tapping into his passion and energy for pulses in the future – there’s a lot of wisdom there that’s of great value to the industry.”
The world is increasingly looking for nutritious and sustainable solutions to address societal challenges while meeting growing and changing consumer demand. Canadian pulses, thanks to their sustainability and nutrition benefits, are well positioned to be the preferred protein ingredient as this trend evolves.
“We’ve got a bold new strategy and a lot of exciting work ahead of us that builds on the success that Gordon helped create. We’re going to maintain that momentum and continue to forge a new path for pulses as the future of food,” added Cherewyk.
