Dan Wright has one word for ag professionals who aspire to serve their industry in leadership roles: start. “Whether you’re early career, mid-career or late, just ensure you’re listening to people. Ask questions, seek clarification and respectfully challenge in some areas. Don’t be close-minded; be ready for people to have different ideas and for your own to evolve.”
This approach has taken Wright across senior management positions at Bayer as well as Syngenta where he led its North American Enogen and Canada Seed divisions. He also spent seven years on the board of the Canadian Seed Trade Association and served as its president from 2017 to 2018.
Named Seeds Canada CEO on Jan. 19, Wright continues to serve within the sometimes complex and controversial environment of the nation’s seed sector. Though the organization maintains a small Ottawa office, he lives and works primarily in Ayr, ON, and his colleagues across Canada largely work remotely. In its support for seed sector growth, Seeds Canada represents the ag value chain from breeder to farmer to retailer. Established Feb. 1, 2021, Seeds Canada completed its first strategic plan, which followed Wright taking over from then-CEO Barry Senft.

Built on strong variety development, Canadian grain has a solid reputation for high quality. However, industry experts increasingly warn this has been put at risk by waning investment, a cumbersome variety registration process and plant breeders’ rights that are often criticized as weak.