Saskatchewan Wheat Pool restructured its senior management last week, cutting three jobs and promoting three employees in a move described as flattening the structure.
Chief executive officer Mayo Schmidt downplayed the departure of two key company officers. Michael McCord had been chief financial officer and Will Hill was senior vice-president of the grain group.
Both had been with the company since 2000, arriving after Schmidt took over as CEO.
Instead, Schmidt said the announcement acknowledged company leaders who had contributed to the recent organizational and financial restructuring.
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“This is recognition of a few individuals … their contributions and abilities,” he said in an interview. “These are people who through their own contribution and excellence became obvious.”
Lyn Kristoff, currently vice-president of finance and corporate controller, was named interim CFO. The chartered accountant joined the pool in 1996 after working at SaskEnergy.
Doug Weinbender, who had been interim general manager of agri-products since Bill Dorgan left, was formally appointed to the position. He has been with the company since 1976 and has worked as an elevator manager, grain trader and territory manager.
Fran Malecha takes over as senior vice-president of the grain group. He joined the pool in June 2000 from General Mills Inc.
His former position as grain group vice-president was eliminated along with two other managerial jobs in the group.
“We have flattened out the management structure, which improves internal communication and efficiency within the company,” Schmidt said.
The changes bring the grain group more in line with the company’s other divisions.
Schmidt declined to reveal how much the job cuts would save.
