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Leading experts from around the globe.
Beef 2006: strategic thinking for a changing industry will feature business leaders from around the globe. Get a global perspective from these experts representing Europe, United Kingdom, Australia, United States and Canada. Seize the opportunity to gain valuable insight into the opportunities that lay ahead in the livestock industry. ILC will also provide you with opportunity to network with producers, policy makers, industry stakeholders and marketers from around the globe.
 Why International Trade Negotiations are Critical to Your Future
Alanna Koch, Vice-President, Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA), Edenwold, Saskatchewan.
Alanna Koch was elected as a farmer director to the board of Agricore United in February 2003. She is a member of the company's Audit Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee. Alanna served as Agricore United's representative on the board of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) for 6 months and then was elected CAFTA's Vice-President in October, 2005.
Alanna has diverse experience and extensive knowledge from almost 20 years in the agriculture industry. She and her husband Gerry Hertz own a small grain farm and operate a business, KoHert Agri, at Edenwold, Saskatchewan.
Her contributions to agriculture include eight years as Executive Director of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association and her continued involvement as an advisor to the organization. From 2000 - 2002, she was a Director of AVAC Ltd., a "virtual" corporation focused on investment in science and innovation to grow Alberta's agrivalue industry. Working with the newly formed Agricultural Development Institute (now AgraPoint International, Inc.) in Nova Scotia in 2001, Alanna assisted in developing innovative extension service delivery through consultation with farmers and farm organizations. In 2002, she served as Chairperson of CARE; a group of farmers from across the prairies promoting the election of farmer-directors who believe in voluntary marketing to the Canadian Wheat Board.
Other accomplishments include: graduate of the first Canadian Agriculture Lifetime Leadership (CALL) program; past director of the George Morris Centre at the University of Guelph; steering committee member for the International Grains Council's Year 2000 World Grain Conference; 1994 and 1999 National Judge for Canada's Outstanding Young Farmers Program; former trade show committee member for Canadian Western Agribition; and, nine years with the Government of Saskatchewan in a number of senior civil service positions. Throughout her career, Alanna has been involved in provincial, national and international policy development initiatives, with particular focus on marketing and transportation reform. In recognition of achievement in and service to the agricultural industry, the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists awarded Alanna with an Honorary Life Membership in 1999.
Beyond the agriculture industry, Alanna's community involvement is extensive including Vice-Chair of the Edenwold School Council, children's education Co-Chair at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Past Chair of the Edenwold Playground Fundraising Committee, and five years as an elected trustee to the Buffalo Plains School Division Board of Education. In 2005, Alanna was awarded the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal for her significant contributions to her province.
Alanna and Gerry have two young daughters. Alanna attended the College of Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan.
 Global Economics and Your Business
Glen Hodgson, Vice-President and chief Economist, The Conference Board of Canada, Toronto, Ontario.
Glen Hodgson brings 23 years experience and a specialization in international economic and financial issues to the position of Vice-President and Chief Economist of The Conference Board of Canada. Mr. Hodgson is responsible for overseeing the Board's macro-economic outlook products, tourism, and custom research. He is the Board's chief spokesperson on economic issues, has written extensively on Canadian and international economic and financial issues, and is bilingual.
He plays a central role in enhancing the Board's public policy analysis and contributes to The Canada Project, a three-year program of research and facilitated dialogue that seeks to improve Canada's standard of living and its place in North America and the world.
Mr. Hodgson joined the Board in September 2004, after 10 years at Export Development Canada (EDC). He held several senior positions at EDC, including Vice President of Policy and Deputy Chief Economist. He also spent 10 years with the federal Department of Finance. From 1984 to 1988, Mr. Hodgson served as Advisor/Assistant to the Executive Director for Canada, Ireland and the Caribbean at the International Monetary Fund. Mr. Hodgson has an M.A. in Economics from McGill University and also pursued Ph.D. studies at McGill. He resides in Ottawa with his wife and two sons. He spends leisure time coaching, and participating in, a variety of athletic activities.
 The Effect of Changes in the Exchange Rate on the Canadian Beef Industry
Dennis B. McGivern, Vice President, Informa Economics, Inc.
Mr. McGivern's primary responsibilities include red meat analyses, meat-based project consulting as well as client service. He came to Informa in 1999 from XL Foods Ltd., Calgary, Alberta, where he worked for 16 years in the areas of economic and market analyses, long-term planning, boxed beef pricing, and sales and market strategy development. Prior to his work at XL Foods, Mr. McGivern spent three years as a market analyst for CANFAX (the market information division of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association) and four years as territory manager for Shur-Gain Division, Canada Packers Inc. He received his bachelor's degree in agricultural sciences from the University of British Columbia and his master's degree in economics from the University of Calgary.
 Global Feed Grain Market and Supply
Brant Randles, President, Louis Dreyfus Canada Ltd., Calgary, Alberta.
Brant Randles first joined Louis Dreyfus Canada Ltd. in 1981 and has been its President since 2000. In 1986 he became the General Manager for Louis Dreyfus Canada Ltd. in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was the Commercial Manager for Louis Dreyfus Asia in Singapore from 1992 to 1995 and was the General Manager for that office from 1992 to 1995. From 1995 to 1998 Mr. Randles was the Managing Director for Louis Dreyfus Africa in Johannesburg and was Vice-President and General Manager of Louis Dreyfus Canada from 1998 to 2000.
Mr. Randles is currently a board member of the Churchill Gateway Development Corporation, a board member of the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange, executive member of the Western Grain Elevator Association and involved in a community association.
 Facilitating Change
Honorable Doug Horner, Minister of Agriculture Food And Rural Development, Edmonton, Alberta.
Doug Horner was elected to his second term as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert on November 22, 2004, and on November 26, 2004 was sworn in as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.
Born in Barrhead, Alberta to Jean and Dr. Hugh Horner, Minister Horner has spent most of his life in rural Alberta. Three generations of his family have been involved in agriculture and his father, Dr. Horner, was a previous minister of agriculture.
Minister Horner also has a solid business background, graduating from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) with a Diploma in Business. After completing further studies, he was accredited by the Institute of Canadian Bankers.
Before being elected to the Alberta Legislature, Minister Horner had extensive experience in the private sector including banking in southern Alberta and a sound understanding of the value-added sector of agriculture. He was integral in the start-up and operations of his family's barley and oat processing mill. Later, he became responsible for international marketing and sales of specialty grains for ConAgra out of its Nebraska office. After three years, he moved back to Canada and established a trading company for agri-foods and agri-feeds for domestic and international markets.
Minister Horner is an active member of his community. He is currently a member of the Spruce Grove and District Chamber of Commerce, the St. Albert Parkland Rotary Club, the Royal Canadian Legion, the Loyal Edmonton Regiment Association, as well as several other service and community organizations.
Minister Horner has previously served as a member of the standing committee on Law and Regulations, the special standing committee on Members Services and the Standing Policy Committee on Justice and Government Services. He has also served as chair of the Alberta government's Information and Communications Technology Implementation Committee, and vice chair of the Alberta Grain Commission.
 Our Rural Human Resource Challenge
David Baxter, Executive Director, Urban Futures Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia.
The executive director of the Urban Futures Institute, Mr. Baxter is one of that rare breed of business thinkers - someone who has both the desire and the ability to conduct original research into business trends, while having the outstanding presentation skills required to deliver the conclusions in and entertaining, engaging, and meaningful way. The results could, without hyperbole, be described as revolutionary. People from dozens of industries and an array of professions have walked away from Mr. Baxter's presentations with a better understanding of the issues facing their company or their organization, and with the tools to effectively meet the challenges ahead. One of the most-quoted business experts in the country, Mr. Baxter's irreverent, witty, and provocative style and brilliant content have made him a favorite with audiences in Canada, the United States, and around the world. David Baxter was recently named the Worldwide ERC Workforce Mobility Expert.
 CRC Research to Guarantee Eating Quality of Australian Beef
Prof. Bernard Michael Bindon, B.RurSc, M.RurSc (NE), PhD (Syd), D.RurSc (hc) (NE), FASAP, FAAABG, Former Chief Executive Officer, CRC for Cattle & Beef Quality, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.
Prof. B.M. Bindon has been a CSIRO livestock researcher for 43 years, retiring in September 2005. He has completed a lifetime of research in physiology and genetics of domestic livestock and has managed research projects in Australia, France, Latin America and southern Africa.
In 1992 Bernie Bindon established the CRC for Cattle and Beef Quality, designed to work in partnership with the Australian beef industry to address the genetic and non-genetic factors affecting beef quality. The CRC was renewed for its third term in 2004 bringing the overall budget for the Beef CRC to $260 million.
In 2005 the Beef CRC has been recognized as playing a significant role in the transformation of the beef sector from a "bulk commodity" culture toward a "highly differentiated, quality specific" beef culture. Beef is now Australia's most valuable agricultural export.
Bernie Bindon has been recognized by the Australian beef industry as recipient of the Beef Improvement Association's Howard Yelland Award (2000), Rural Press R&D Award (2001) and the Rural Press/Rabobank Red Meat Innovation "Beef Achiever of the Year" Award (2005). In 2003 the Beef CRC received the CRC Association's Award for Excellence in Innovation, presented by the Prime Minister. He has published 135 journal papers and book chapters and some 200 conference papers and proceedings. He has been elected Fellow of the Australian Society of Animal Production (2000) and Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics (2005).
 Congress Wrap-up: Solutions to Meet Global Challenges
Professor David Hughes, Imperial College, University of London, UK.
Dr. David Hughes is Emeritus Professor of Food Marketing at the Centre for Food Chain Research, Imperial College London, and Visiting Professor at the Royal Agricultural College, U.K. He has lived and worked in Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Africa and South East Asia. Hughes is an international advisory board member with food organizations in three continents; and a Non-Executive Director of KG Fruits - a U.K. farmer-owned berry fruit business (C$250 million in turnover by 2006). He works closely with senior management of food firms on business strategy development and with governments on food policy formulation; his focus is on global food industry issues, consumer trends, and building vertical alliances in the food industry.
...and more! Watch for coming updates.
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