Agribusiness
A Calgary Chamber Alberta Next Series event
March 11, 2025
BMO Centre | 1:00PM – 6:00PM
More than home to the Calgary Stampede, Calgary has played a significant role in the agricultural sector. Calgary and Alberta’s leadership in agriculture is a testament to its fertile land, diverse crop production and dedication to sustainable farming practices, technology development and innovation in the sector. We play a pivotal role in local and global food production, underlining our province’s significance in the Canadian agriculture industry.
This event focused on key challenges and priorities in this sector, including rural decline and talent and labour shortages, volatility in the markets and global trade uncertainties and innovation and technology supporting sustainable practices and food security.
Early-bird tickets are available until February 11, 2025
Keynote
John Barlow
Member of Parliament for Foothills Alberta
John Barlow was elected as a Member of Parliament to represent the federal riding of Macleod on June 30, 2014 and was re-elected in 2015, 2019 and 2021 to the riding of Foothills. He currently serves as the Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Agri-Food, and Food Security and is the elected Chair for the Canada-Scotland Parliamentary Friendship Group.
Panel Discussion
Sowing Solutions: Navigating Market and Workforce Challenges in Alberta Agriculture
Join us for an insightful panel, where our expert panelists will delve into the critical issues affecting Alberta’s agriculture industry. Panelists will explore how current trade policies shape Alberta’s agricultural exports and uncover the root causes of labor shortages, discussing innovative solutions to attract and retain skilled workers. Additionally, we’ll analyze the economic implications of these challenges on the profitability and growth of the sector. This discussion will provide insights into the future of Alberta agriculture in the context of global trade and labor trends.
Meet the speakers
Cherie Copithorne-Barnes
CEO, CL Ranches Ltd.
Cherie is a 4th generation rancher and CEO of CL Ranches Ltd., a 138-year-old ranching operation consisting of cattle, a feedlot and mixed grain farming operations.
In 2025, Cherie will be the incoming first Vice Chair of the Calgary Stampede and will be its first female President and Chair of the Board. She also sits on the Board of Governors for Olds College of Agriculture and Technology. She has held many roles in the past such as co-chair of the Government of Alberta’s Red Tape Reduction Panel for Agriculture, Food and Bio-Industrial, founding chair of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef as well as a member of the Executive Committee for the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef as they developed global beef sustainability goals.
She is passionate about not only telling her story about raising livestock in Alberta and Uruguay, but also about informing the public of the often-neglected, positive impact that agriculture accomplishes here in Canada.
Jesse Hamonic
VP & Country Head, Nutrien AG Solutions
Jesse Hamonic is Vice President & Country Head, Canada for Nutrien Ag Solutions, the retail business of Nutrien.
In this role, Jesse oversees all of Nutrien’s retail business in Canada. Focused on being the most farmer centric agronomic solutions provider, Nutrien Ag Solutions Canada serves grower customers through 200+ branch locations across the country.
Most recently, Jesse served as Head of Seed, North America and prior to that, Senior Director, Marketing with Nutrien Ag Solutions in Loveland, Colorado.
Before joining Nutrien Ag Solutions in 2019, Jesse spent ten years at Monsanto where he held various leadership roles in sales, marketing, product management, and supply chain in both Canada and the US.
Jesse holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Manitoba. He grew up on a grain farm in St. Malo, Manitoba, Canada and currently resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Shannon Sereda
Senior Directory, Alberta Grains
Shannon Sereda is a senior Director with Alberta Grains. She joined the commissions in 2016 and has become a well-respected voice for Canadian agriculture as an advocate on behalf of farmers.
Over the past several years, Shannon has gained expertise on a wide range of agricultural policy files as well as a deep knowledge of the grain marketing and regulatory systems. Prior to joining the commissions Shannon worked as a commerce officer for the Canadian government working in the energy directorate of Industry Canada in renewable energy and spent three years working abroad as a Trade Commissioner with the Canadian Embassy in Quito, Ecuador.
Shannon holds a Bachelor of Management degree in International Business and a Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Development. Her educational pursuits have given her a strong global perspective, and a well-rounded understanding of the impacts of business and politics on all facets of the economy, environment and society.
Panel Discussion
Harvesting the Future: Tech Innovations Shaping Tomorrow’s Agriculture Landscape
Join industry thought leaders as they explore the groundbreaking technologies reshaping Alberta’s agriculture sector. From the emergence of data-driven farming to the transformative impact of precision agriculture tools, panelists will explore the innovations in automation and robotics that are revolutionizing labor-intensive tasks and addressing labor shortages. Gain insights into the crucial role of agri-tech startups in driving innovation, and learn how sustainable farming technologies, such as vertical farming, are helping farmers reduce their environmental impact.
Meet the speakers
Marlise Hunter
Director of Platform, Tall Grass Ventures
Marlise is the Director of Platform at Tall Grass Ventures, a Calgary based Agrifood Tech Venture Firm, where she supports the growth of early-stage companies who are driving the transformation of the agrifood sector.
Before joining Tall Grass, Marlise had over 10 years of business development experience with a strong penchant for supporting organizational growth, strategic partnership development and investment attraction.
Her experience had led her to work at the intersection of academia, government and industry in previous roles within agtech venture capital, economic development and tourism. She also currently serves on the Advisory Council for the Simpson School of Public Policy which has a mandate to translate fact based academic research in the agrifood sector to help inform public opinion and drive public policy.
Coming from rural roots, she is now an impassioned advocate for bridging the urban/rural divide and driving change within the broader agriculture innovation ecosystem in Canada.
Ryan Wright
President & CEO, NuLeaf Farms
Ryan began his career in 2000 and possesses extensive experience in engineering, construction, commissioning, project management, and product development/certification of industrial power and control equipment.
He has an in-depth knowledge of B2B sales, product distribution, and contract negotiations. Prior to NuLeaf, he worked in sales management for a national distributor, engineering firms, and manufacturers.
As President and CEO of NuLeaf Farms, Ryan is focused on creating partnerships with customers and community stakeholders. Understanding their needs and developing new innovative solutions to advance the indoor farming industry.
Chris Terris
Global Head, Telus Agriculture & Consumer Goods
As Global Head, Consumer Goods and Animal Agriculture & VP, Acquisitions and Strategic Investments, Chris Terris has played an instrumental role in shaping the development of TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods, including on the strategy, brand, M&A and integration fronts.
He and his team are focused on applying TELUS’ technology to deliver solutions that create better outcomes for the food and consumer goods industries, by improving the flow of information across the value chain, from producers all the way to the end consumer. Chris leads the Consumer Goods team, which serves some of the world’s biggest brands and suppliers, as well as the Animal Health team, which delivers innovative solutions grounded in leading-edge research and data-driven insights to enable customers to optimize animal health and nutrition and drive net profitability.
Since joining TELUS in 2000, Chris has held executive positions in operations, product management, process improvement and systems delivery. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Calgary and an MBA from Athabasca University.
A staunch supporter of TELUS’ commitment to “give where we live”, Chris serves as the Vice-Chair of the TELUS Manitoba and Saskatchewan Community Board and he is a member of the University of Calgary Haskayne Business Technology Management Industry Advisory Committee. He previously served as Executive Sponsor of the Calgary Chapter of the TELUS Connections Women’s Network.
Networking Reception
Connect with other thought leaders and organizations from the sector at a networking reception to conclude the the day.
AgTalk: Mental health support for farmers
AgTalk, powered by Togetherall, is a secure, anonymous online community for individuals 16+ in agriculture to connect, share, and support each other on mental health topics—available 24/7 with clinical moderation.
Alberta Next: Agribusiness is supported by:
Presenting Sponsor
Thanking Sponsor
Thanking Sponsor
Supporting Sponsors
Sponsorship opportunities
Reach out to the Calgary Chamber team to discuss available sponsorship opportunities.