b'adds. When he says Im open to hearingdone such a marvelous job rolling thatproperty, Collins believes the timing is everybodys input and all the voices ofout. He really took us from zero to 60 inright.the members, that is not lip service. five years. You look at some key topics like In an industry where leadership canWith that foundation firmly in place,Seed Regulatory Modernization that sometimes feel like a top-down exercise,the board was looking for someone whohave taken so much of the airspace, he Wall argues Wright does something morecould build on the momentumnotsays. Now breeding investments and subtle and more powerful: he decentral- simply maintain it. intellectual property seem to be the two izes expertise. We were really looking for someonekey areasand Dan brings expertise in Despite holding senior leadershipthat would have a seed background, firstboth those areas. The timing really fits roles, she says, Wright has always beenof all, but then the ability to take thatlike a glove for him in terms of being able skilled at identifying the subject matterstrat plan and really carry and imple- to use his knowledge base.experts in the room and leaning on them. ment some of the key pillars that we That approach, she believes, is exactlyidentified, Collins says. Dans myriadNo Room for Siloswhat Seeds Canada needs right now as itof attributes made him a logical candi- For Wright, that transition comes at a moves from building the organization todate and were just thrilled that wevemoment when the Canadian seed sector finishing the big files already in motionbeen able to land him. is under pressure from multiple direc- Seed Regulatory Modernization, theWhile Wrights industry credentialstions at once.Variety Use Agreement (VUA), and thewere strong, Collins said it was a moreThe impact of cuts at the Canadian wider question of how Canada maintainspersonal quality that stood out duringFood Inspection Agency (CFIA) and seed innovation capacity in the face ofthe selection process. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada shifting federal priorities. (AAFC) is no longer theoretical. Wright Wall can point to a specific momentdescribes it as the difference between when Wrights leadership style changedwhat if and how do we deal with it her own trajectory in the association. today.She remembers her first Seeds CanadaWEVE DISCUSSED INHis message is blunt: the seed system meeting sitting beside him, when a regu- cannot function on either public or pri-latory issue came up and she leaned overDETAIL NOT RUNNING TOOvate investment alone. It needs both.with a suggestion. Companies dont invest because And he looked at me and said, Well,FAST AT THE BEGINNING,they like a certain country. They invest youre the expert. You tell them whatBUT WALKING AT A PACEbecause the environment there is stable, you think. Dont get me to do it, Wallthe regulatory pathway is clear, and the recalls. WHERE SEEDS CANADASinnovation ecosystem has depth, he says. Wright didnt just encourage her toIf Canada becomes perceived as speak uphe pushed her into leader- EARS ARE WIDE OPEN. unpredictableif either public or pri-ship. Brent Collins vate programs shrink without a co-ordi-That empowerment, she believes, isnated strategy to sustain or grow output something Seeds Canada members will then farmers dont just lose varieties. feel under Wrights leadership as well. They lose leverage in the global market.If Senfts leadership was aboutAnd in Wrights framing, thats the building the machineestablishingI knew Dan, but the one thing thatanchor point for everything: the farmer.a new association, creating structure,jumped out at me upon spending moreHe returns to the idea repeatedly: getting the fundamentals in place time with him was his listening skills,agriculture can get distracted by internal then Wrights leadership, in Walls view,Collins says. Weve discussed in detailcomplexity, but success comes from stay-will be about activating it. Taking thenot running too fast at the beginning,ing focused on what farmers need at the projects that are already underway andbut walking at a pace where Seedsend of the dayand building backward either moving them into their next phaseCanadas ears are wide openlisteningfrom that. or pushing them over the finish line. to the needs of what our members areIn other words, dont start with insti-As Seeds Canada began the search forasking for and what the seed industry istutional structures. Start with outcomes.a new CEO, President Brent Collins sayslooking for. Thats a skill set hes reallyWhat varieties do farmers need? How the organization had a rare opportunitystrong at. many? What traits? What timelines? to reflect on both its progress and itsThat deliberate, listening-firstWhat keeps them competitive globally?future direction. approach comes at a pivotal time forThen design the system that produces When we started out on thethe organization and the broader sector.those outcomes.recruitment for the new CEO for SeedsWith leadership changes across indus- Wright is optimistic that the industry Canada, we kind of had a clean slate,try groups and ongoing conversationscan do it, but only if it moves forward Collins explains. We had just completedaround seed regulatory modernization,collaboratively.a strategic plan, and [Barry Senft] hadbreeding investments and intellectualTheres no room for silos, he says. 8 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA MARCH 2026'