The Honourable Joanne Thompson

Minister of Fisheries

The Honourable Joanne Thompson is the Minister of Fisheries and was elected as the Member of Parliament for St. John’s East in 2021 and 2025. She has also served as Minister of Seniors and sat on the Standing Committee on Finance.

Born and raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Minister Thompson is a community leader, registered nurse and entrepreneur. Prior to entering politics, Thompson most recently served as the Executive Director of The Gathering Place, a community health centre serving vulnerable populations in downtown St. John’s. This passion for helping others was ignited at a young age when she started volunteering at St. Clare’s Hospital and then later trained to be a Registered Nurse. She continued her career in community health until 1990, when she turned her focus to her family business and three kids, working two jobs while studying for her MBA in Social Enterprise.

Minister Thompson has always been an active volunteer and member of her community, including when she offered hands-on care to St. John’s most vulnerable as a nurse and again on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been recognized for her work with the Senate of Canada Sesquicentennial Medal and the Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Award

Thompson holds a Master of Business Administration in Social Enterprise from the University of Fredericton, in addition to a Bachelor of Nursing and a graduate degree in gemology from the Gemological Institute of America.

She lives in St. John’s East with her husband and two dogs and is most proud of her three grown children.

The Honourable Heath MacDonald

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Represents the riding of Malpeque

The Honourable Heath MacDonald was elected as the Member of Parliament for Malpeque in September 2021. He served as a member of the Standing Committee on Finance, the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, and the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. Following his re-election in April 2025, he was named to Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food in May 2025.

Prior to serving at the federal level, Minister MacDonald was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in May 2015, representing District 16, Cornwall – Meadowbank. During his time in provincial politics, he served as Minister of Tourism and Economic Development, and later as Minister of Finance. Minister MacDonald resigned as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in 2021 to enter federal politics.

Minister MacDonald has over 20 years of experience in the private sector, with a focus on the tourism industry, and was the President and co-founder of an IT company. He has been an active volunteer for many years, with ties to numerous sports and community organizations, and has earned recognition for his efforts to improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

Born and raised in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, Minister MacDonald still resides there with his wife. They have two adult children and are very proud of their two granddaughters.

Steve Verheul

Principal with GT & Company

Mr. Steve Verheul is a Principal with GT and Company Executive Advisors as well as President of Steve Verheul Consulting Inc. He serves as a member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Canada-U.S. Relations, co-chairs the Coalition for North American Trade, and is a Fellow of the Public Policy Forum. Previously, Mr. Verheul held a number of senior level positions in the Government of Canada, including: Chief Trade Negotiator and Assistant Deputy Minister of the Trade Policy and Negotiations Branch at Global AƯairs Canada; Canada’s Chief Negotiator for the Canada-US-Mexico Trade Agreement (CUSMA); and Chief negotiator for negotiations between Canada and the European Union for the creation of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. From 1989 to 2009, Mr. Verheul worked in international trade policy at Agriculture and AgriFood Canada and was Canada’s Chief Agriculture Negotiator (2003 to 2009) for international trade negotiations on agriculture.

Kristina Farrell

Chief Executive Officer, Food and Beverage Canada

Kristina Farrell is the Chief Executive Officer of Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC), the national association representing Canada’s domestic food and beverage manufacturing industry. Before joining FBC-ABC, she worked in government (Global Affairs Canada), as well as in government relations and public affairs, where she supported the advocacy efforts of several companies and organizations in the Canadian agri-food sector. Kristina was included in The Hill Times Top 100 Lobbyists list for 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.

John Sackton

President, Seafood Datasearch

John Sackton is Founder of SeafoodNews.com, and President of Seafood Datasearch. He has been in the seafood industry for more than 45 years. During his 20 years as publisher of SeafoodNews he wrote daily news stories and market analysis on crab, lobster, shrimp, cod, pollock, salmon and other products. He has worked with both harvesters and processors on market outlooks in Alaska, Newfoundland, Maritime Canada, and the US West Coast. He has been giving an annual overview of US seafood markets to the FCC for more than fifteen years. He retired as Editor of SeafoodNews in 2019 but has continued writing his monthly opinion and commentary column: The Winding Glass.

Derek Nighbor

President and CEO Forest Products Association of Canada

Derek has been President and CEO at FPAC since March 2016.

As the son and grandson of pulp & paper workers in the Ottawa Valley, he is proud to bring the voice of Canada’s forest products sector and its workers, families, and communities to national and international policy and decision-making tables.

Prior to joining FPAC, Derek served for 7 years as Senior Vice President with Food & Consumer Products of Canada, the country’s leading voice for consumer goods manufacturers like Coca-Cola, McCains, Nestle, and Procter & Gamble.

Derek was Senior Vice President of Public Affairs with Retail Council of Canada (RCC) representing over 45,000 retail storefronts across Canada, including leading retailers like Canadian Tire, Walmart Canada, Home Depot, and Home Hardware.

From 2003 to 2005, Derek served as Chief of Staff to Ontario’s Minister of Consumer and Business Services.

In 2022, Derek was appointed by his colleagues at the International Council of Forest & Paper Associations (ICFPA) to be the global industry and business representative to the United Nations Forum on Forests. He also currently represents Canada’s forest sector at the UN Food & Agriculture Organization’s Advisory Committee on Sustainable Forest-based Industries (ACSFI) as well as on the Initiative on Advancing Sustainable Forest-based Bioeconomy Approaches, currently being led by the Government of Austria.

Richard Wright

Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Advisor

Richard Wright is the CEO of Ocean Advisor, a scientific technology company that uses oceanographic science, geophysics, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics to help commercial fishing companies improve fishing efficiency, profitability, and sustainability. Ocean Advisor’s predictive fishing platform generates daily catch probability forecasts that help vessels reduce search time and fuel consumption, improve catch performance, and support responsible harvesting practices. The company’s solutions are used by leading seafood companies operating in major fisheries around the world.

Prior to founding Ocean Advisor, Richard worked as a Geophysicist across South America, the North Sea, Australia, West Africa, the United States, and Canada. He later led a data-driven exploration strategy for Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial oil and gas company that attracted nearly $4 billion in industry investment and increased annual investment levels by more than 700% above the previous decade’s average. The organization was subsequently named a finalist for Petroleum Economist’s Exploration Company of the Year award alongside Chevron and ENI.

Richard has authored and co-authored more than 50 scientific publications and is the recipient of the Energy NL Rising Star Award, the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Early Career Accomplishment Award, and UCLA Anderson School of Management’s Outstanding Academic Achievement Award for graduating at the top of his MBA class. He holds a B.Sc. (Honours) and Ph.D. in Geophysics from Memorial University of Newfoundland and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Craig Klemmer

Manager, Thought Leadership at FCC

Craig is the Manager of Thought Leadership at FCC. His insights guide corporate strategy and identify opportunities where FCC can influence change to help the agriculture and food industry maximize
its potential. In addition to acting as an FCC spokesperson on forward-looking opportunities, Craig provides industry commentary through blogs, white papers and social media.

Richard has authored and co-authored more than 50 scientific publications and is the recipient of the Energy NL Rising Star Award, the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Early Career Accomplishment Award, and UCLA Anderson School of Management’s Outstanding Academic Achievement Award for graduating at the top of his MBA class. He holds a B.Sc. (Honours) and Ph.D. in Geophysics from Memorial University of Newfoundland and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management.

David Cook

Vice President, Credit Solutions at Aon

David Cook is Vice President, Credit Solutions at Aon, advising Canadian businesses on the design, placement, and management of trade credit insurance programs. He leads portfolio and receivables risk strategies, structures tailored credit and political risk solutions, and guides clients through complex claims and coverage issues. Drawing on deep market insight, he combines underwriting perspective, broking execution, and strategic advisory support to help clients strengthen receivables protection, unlock growth, and enhance balance sheet resilience.

David has more than 15 years of specialized experience in trade credit and receivables risk, working with mid-market and large corporate clients across Canada. He has held senior roles in both brokerage and carrier environments, providing a balanced view on policy design, negotiation dynamics, and market capacity. At Aon and previously at Coface, he has managed diverse portfolios, led new program implementations, and supported clients through the full policy and claims lifecycle. His background includes extensive work with cross-border exposures, multi-jurisdictional programs, and close collaboration with finance and treasury teams to align credit insurance with broader risk and capital objectives.

David’s expertise includes designing and executing credit risk management strategies that sharpen credit intelligence, reduce loss frequency and severity, and transfer non-payment risk through insurance to protect earnings. His broking specialties span traditional trade credit insurance, syndicated placements, and credit insurance solutions that support structured trade and receivables finance.

Ása Linda Egilsdóttir

Managing Director of Eimskip Canada

Ása Linda Egilsdóttir is the Managing Director of Eimskip Canada and a seasoned shipping and logistics executive with nearly 30 years of experience in the industry. Holding an Executive MBA in Shipping and Logistics from Copenhagen Business School, she has built an international career with Eimskip across Iceland, Denmark, and Canada. Her expertise spans shipping, supply chain management, business leadership, operational excellence, and organizational transformation, with a strong focus on customer experience, innovation, and sustainable growth.

Ashley Kanary

Director, Global Agri‑Food at Export Development Canada

Ashley Kanary is Director, Global Agri‑Food at Export Development Canada (EDC), where he leads initiatives to support the international growth of Canada’s agri-food sector. Based in the Greater Toronto Area, he works with industry partners and Canadian companies to expand into global markets, strengthen commercial relationships, and drive strategic sector development.

Ashley brings over 40 years of experience in the agri-food and consumer food industry, with deep expertise spanning sales, marketing, operations, and international market development. Prior to joining EDC, he held senior executive roles including:

• Vice President & General Manager at Lassonde Industries (major Canadian juice producer)
• Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing at BCI Foods

Across his career, he has contributed to the growth of leading Canadian and private-label brands and has developed a strong track record in building customer relationships, expanding distribution, and driving revenue growth.

At EDC, Ashley focuses on:

• Supporting Canadian agri-food exporters in accessing new international markets
• Advancing strategic partnerships across the global food ecosystem
• Identifying growth opportunities in areas such as private label, protein, and innovation

He holds a Specialization in Strategy certificate from Harvard Business School, with a focus on global business, strategy execution, and sustainable practices.