The organization created from the merger of two agencies promoting Canadian cereal grains has announced top management.
Dean Dias, interim CEO of Canadian International Grains Institute (CIGI), was named CEO of the new Cereals Canada.
Cam Dahl, who was with Manitoba Beef Producers, will be chief strategy officer of Cereals Canada.
The merger of CIGI and Cereals Canada came about earlier this year when both groups realized they were doing the same job with some overlap. Funding partners were also interested in reducing overlap.
Dias, an immigrant from India 17 years ago, says Canadian wheat is respected around the world.
Having been in numerous CIGI jobs for 11 years, he is familiar with with the task.
Cereals Canada will be overseen by a 16-member board of directors — with eight from producer groups and eight from industry.
CIGI retains its name under the Cereals Canada umbrella.
While CIGI has been around since the 1970s, Cereals Canada was formed seven years ago to promote wheat sales after the Canadian Wheat Board was dismantled.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
