Greg Cherewyk takes over for Gordon Bacon
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Greg Cherewyk is the new chief executive officer at Pulse Canada.
He takes over for Gordon Bacon, the organization’s first CEO, who announced his retirement after 25 years with Pulse Canada.
Cherewyk is also the organization’s president and provides management services to the Canadian Special Crops Association.
He’s been with Pulse Canada for a total of 17 years and the experience he’s gained during his tenure makes this a seamless transition, he said.
“It’s a big shift but it also feels quite natural,” he told Farms.com. “I’ve had a lot of different opportunities over the years to get exposure to different parts of the industry.”
Some Cherewyk’s roles during his tenure with Pulse Canada included working with stakeholders in Asia and acting as the organization’s director of transportation.
And transportation is at top of mind at the moment.
Negotiations between the Maritime Employers Association and Canadian Union of Public Employees have stalled. If a deal isn’t reached soon, workers at the Port of Montreal will go on strike on March 20.
Canada moves around 700,000 tonnes of pulse products through that port each year.
The federal government needs to intervene to keep the port operational so Canadian goods can flow through it, Cherewyk said.
“It’s important for our industry to have a very fluid, efficient, predictable and reliable supply chain,” he said. “I’d like to see the government use whatever tools it has in its toolkit to bring both parties to the table.”
Pulse Canada and other ag groups from across Canada have started a campaign called Stop The Strike. Users can use this website to submit a letter to Labour Minister Filomena Tassi.