CANADA - Ontario Produce Marketing Association's (OPMA) President, Ian MacKenzie, announced that he is retiring at the end of this year, according to a press release.
MacKenzie has been with the company for over 20 years, helping it to grow and multiply to more than quadruple its initial size.
“It’s been both a pleasure and an honor to work with so many great individuals in this industry,” MacKenzie said. “Each Board I’ve served has brought something new and innovative to the table that has enabled OPMA to grow from 60 members in 1994 to over 275 today and develop into an advocate for the industry here in Ontario.”
MacKenzie left OPMA for a few years in 1998 to serve and work with the Ontario Apple Marketing Commission as General Manager, returning to stay on as President in 2002. Those who have worked with him are aware of how difficult he will be to replace.
“Replacing Ian will be a difficult task as the role requires a unique mix of skill sets and careful interaction with many segments of the industry,” Steve Bamford, current Chair of the OPMA, said. “Ian has provided the Association with strong leadership for almost 20 years.”
The role requires extensive experience in the produce industry with a strong knowledge and experience of opportunities related to regulation, marketing, and key industry issues. The OPMA Board also added the selected individual should be skilled at nurturing relationships with government, regulatory bodies, media and partner associations nationally and internationally, as well as possess a strong business acumen and the ability to engage members.
While this is a broad collection of skills and attributions, OPMA remains optimistic that they will find the right individual to succeed MacKenzie.
“It will be a challenge to find a suitable replacement, but I am confident that the Board of Directors will be able to find such an individual over the next few months,” Bamford said. “A Selection Committee has been formed and has begun the process of recruiting. They look forward to interviewing a strong slate of candidates who will compete for the position."
Any candidate that wishes to apply for the position should do so no later than March 1.
