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John Lansink possesses a BA from the University of Guelph, an MBA from Queen’s University, and a Certified Management Accountant degree. John’s expertise includes finance, business administration and agribusiness consulting. Growing up as a hog farmer, his career experience includes several years at General Dynamics in London, Ontario, in various finance, business development and business strategy roles. John has ownership in a few businesses, including BlueStar Distribution, Tillsonbrands, and Future Transfer. John was the General Partner Manager of Ag Capital Canada Fund I and will continue this role with Fund II.
Dr. Steven R. Webb joined the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) as Chief Executive Officer in 2019, following a
23-year career with Corteva Agriscience (formerly Dow AgroSciences) in Indiana, United States. At GIFS,
he has led the transformation of the institute to an agri-food connector and innovation catalyst,
delivering valuable programs, technologies and services to scale up and accelerate R&D, deliver greater
impact for Canada’s agri-food sector and enhance its global competitiveness.
His most recent role at Corteva was Research and Development Director of External Technology, where
he led many research collaborations with private sector companies, research institutes and universities
around the world.
Steven earned a PhD in immunochemistry (1998), a Master’s degree in biochemistry (1992) and a
Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology (1990) from the University of Guelph, Ontario.
About the Global Institute for Food Security
The Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) works with partners to discover, develop and deliver
innovative solutions for the production of globally sustainable food. Serving as agriculture’s innovation
catalyst, GIFS is connecting the agri-food ecosystem, advancing innovation and bridging the gap to
commercialization to deliver resilient and sustainable food security for all stakeholders.
Learn more about GIFS at gifs.ca.
Logan Skori is the CEO and co-founder of AgGene, a plant biotechnology startup focused on enhancing nutritional and agronomic traits in crops through innovative tools like genome editing. With a background in farming and a PhD in plant developmental biology from the University of Calgary, Logan merges practical experience with scientific expertise to drive trait development and value creation on the farm. He was awarded a 2023 Top CEO by Seed World.
Elliott Grant works at the intersection of technology and agriculture, and has led the development and commercialization of several breakthrough technologies in the global food system. In 2017 Dr. Grant joined Google[X] to lead the development of foundational AI for agriculture, and in 2023 became CEO of Mineral — one of Alphabet’s “Other Bets”. He serves as a board director of SunWorld International and the International Fresh Produce Association. Prior to joining Google, he was the CEO of ShopWell Labs, a pioneer of personalized nutrition; the founding CEO of HarvestMark, a world leader in food traceability; and the Vice Chair of the Produce Marketing Association. He is named inventor on more than fifty US Patents and invented — then open-sourced — the VoiceCode which is a traceability standard on every case of fresh produce in North America. Grant earned his PhD in Engineering from Cambridge University.
Nassib Mugwanya is an international agricultural development specialist focusing on the transformation of smallholder food systems through innovation and emerging technologies. Nassib has been widely involved in grassroots campaigns geared toward creating enabling policy environments for access to biotechnology innovations in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and Ethiopia. He has worked with organizations such as National Agricultural Research Organization in Uganda, Cornell Alliance for Science, North Carolina State University, and Bayer Crop Science, U.S.A. Nassib holds a Doctorate in Agricultural Extension Education from North Carolina State University with a specialization in genetic engineering and society.
Guus Hovius is an Executive Director and leads Rabobank’s Equity Private Placement team based in New York. The Rabobank equity private placement team helps innovative emerging food and agribusiness companies accelerate business growth by advising on raising essential capital (series B and later stage) from financial and strategic investors. The team focuses on companies domiciled in Europe (+ Israel) and North America. He has a master’s degree in corporate law and over 10 years of experience in investment and corporate banking with Rabobank. He started his career in the Netherlands and has extensive international experience in various countries such as Canada, China, Kenya and the US.
Candace Laing is an executive leader with progressive leadership experience in multiple sectors, including mining, manufacturing, agriculture, education, and healthcare. Most notably, Candace worked for more than ten years with Nutrien, leading both the Sustainability and Human Resources functions and serving as a member of the Executive Leadership Team. She played a pivotal role in launching Nutrien’s environment, social, and governance (ESG) efforts and, through her most recent role as the organization’s Chief Human Resources Officer, focused on ensuring people strategies and inclusion initiatives were aligned with business strategy.
She first joined the Canadian Chamber’s Board of Directors in 2019 and served as Vice-Chair from 2021 to 2022, assuming the role of Chair of the Board of Directors in 2022. She is proud to have grown up in Saskatchewan, where her family maintains a longstanding farming operation.
Alfredo C. M. Tan is a people-first leader, change agent, and impact-focused innovator with global experience. He was a founding team member of Facebook Canada in 2009 and has held senior roles in several storied companies — including Loblaw Companies Limited, WestJet, Rogers Sport & Media, Yahoo!, Bell Nexxia, and Sympatico MSN — helping to guide innovation, oversee strategy, and build transformative, high-performance cultures. He is currently the Chief Digital and Information Officer at Canada Goose, where he is responsible for the strategy, implementation, and adoption of all consumer-facing digital.
Patricia Stroup is the Former Chief Procurement Officer for Nestlé SA, and the Former Chief Executive Officer for Nestrade SA. Patricia Stroup is an executive with extensive international experience in upstream supply chains, with specific expertise in the intersection of cost, sustainability and supply risk management as well as a unique background in food and agriculture. Recognized as a dynamic and charismatic leader, Patricia has recently retired from her roles as Chief Procurement Officer and Senior Vice-President of Nestlé SA, the world’s largest food and beverage company, and as Chief Executive Officer of Nestrade, Nestlé’s global commodities entity. Patricia has a long history in business and food production, stemming from her early career running her own dairy farm in the United States. She later worked in government relations, sustainability, communications, business development, and supply chain for agricultural cooperatives and food companies before moving into an international business career eighteen years ago with Nestlé, living and working in North America, Asia and Europe. She currently resides in California, USA, and consults on agriculture/food, supply chain, and leadership topics.
Heather Scoffield is senior vice-president of strategy at the Business Council of Canada, focused on collaborating with business leaders and policymakers to find practical solutions to the economic challenges of our time: climate, competitiveness and the constantly changing workforce. Previously, Heather was the Ottawa bureau chief and economics columnist at the Toronto Star where her writing focused on political economy and its effect on people. She was also the Ottawa bureau chief for The Canadian Press, leading an award-winning team of 15 journalists focused on politics, public policy and the nation’s capital. Over the course of her 30-year career in journalism, she covered monetary and fiscal policy, economics, trade policy, social policy, aboriginal affairs, environment and energy, and several different political parties. Before joining CP in 2009, she spent 12 years at the Globe and Mail. She and her team won several National Newspaper Awards for their work, among other recognitions. Heather has a Master’s degree in journalism from the University of Western Ontario and a BA in international relations from York University. She lives in Gatineau, QC.
A renowned evolutionary biologist, award-winning television presenter, and bestselling author, Dan Riskin has dedicated his career to igniting curiosity in audiences worldwide. Whether he’s inspiring viewers as the co-host of Discovery Canada’s flagship science program, Daily Planet; terrifying them as the host of Animal Planet’s docu-horror show, Monsters Inside Me; or covering the latest news as CTV’s Science and Technology Specialist, Riskin’s passion and curiosity have made him an unparalleled source of science inspiration for all.
David MacNaughton is Canada’s Former Ambassador to the United States | President, Planatir Canada. Mr. David MacNaughton was recently appointed as President of Palantir Canada. He will head up the Canadian operations of Palantir Technologies, the Silicon Valley-based data integration and analytics software giant. Prior to his joining Palantir Canada, Mr. MacNaughton was Canada’s Ambassador to the United States of America. He presented his credentials to President Barack Obama on March 3, 2016.
Dr. Andrea Love is a biomedical scientist and science communicator with a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology. She works full-time in life sciences biotech and has over a decade of experience in basic sciences, translational medicine and clinical research. She is adept at translating complex science for the public, scientific professionals, and healthcare providers. Dr. Love is the Founder of ImmunoLogic, a science communication organization and newsletter which demystifies science and health topics. She is the executive director of the American Lyme Disease Foundation, columnist for Skeptical Inquirer, and frequently authors pieces for other outlets. She also teaches CME courses and creates medical education content for healthcare professionals, and was the 2023 American Medical Writers Association McGovern Award Recipient.
Kaihan Krippendorff is the CEO of Outthinker Networks, a global think-tank of chief strategy and innovation executives shaping the future of business. He has been recognized by both Global Gurus and Thinkers50 as one of the top 30 global thinkers in strategy and innovation. Krippendorff’s work helps organizations generate breakthrough ideas that drive transformation and growth in our accelerated world of change. Krippendorff holds a doctorate in strategy and has degrees from the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering, Wharton, Columbia Business School, and London Business School. With a mother from Bangladesh, father from Germany, and wife from Latin America, Krippendorff is a global citizen who brings a holistic, diverse, and worldly perspective to everything he does.
Toban Dyck is a grain farmer and an award-winning writer/columnist. He is the principal of Burr Forest Group, an agricultural service company focused on working with provincial and national farm organizations to effectively communicate their value, extend their research, and better engage with industry, lawmakers, and the public.
Carl Boutet is a Montreal-based business strategist, and executive advisor with over 25 years of hands-on operational, marketing, and retail executive experience. He has worked across a full array of business environments from the very large, such as 10 years with Costco Wholesale to working with a national network of independent retailers. As the founder of StudioRx.world, he advises executives, B2C/B2B solution providers, and all types of ecosystem partners on how to tailor their solutions according to customers’ evolving needs and build effective commercial strategies to meet them. He is the principal advisor for the McGill University Retail Innovation Lab in partnership with Couche Tard.
Darren Baccus is the Executive Vice-President, Agri-Food, Alliances and FCC Capital. Darren brings more than 25 years of diverse global investment experience to FCC, having held a variety of senior executive roles at provincial and federal Crown corporation investment organizations. He started his career as an attorney with Torys LLP after graduating from the University of Manitoba. Prior to joining FCC, Darren was a co-founder of a U.S.-based farmland investment firm that acquired operating farmland alongside grower partners, with a business plan of transitioning management practices from conventional to regenerative. Having lived in five Canadian provinces in addition to New York, Darren and his family support a variety of charitable initiatives throughout communities they’ve called home. These include the University of Winnipeg Foundation and the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.
