Alex Graham is sorry he’ll be on the sidelines as Canada’s newest grain company gets up and running.
But he continued to maintain an official silence on the circumstances surrounding his unexpected resignation from the presidency of Alberta Wheat Pool last month.
“I don’t have anything more to say,” he said from his home in Calgary in a telephone interview last week.
When he announced his resignation after four-and-a-half years at the helm of the pool, Graham said he wanted to pursue other interests and spend time with his family.
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The unexpected departure surprised virtually everyone in the grain industry and led to speculation that it might be linked to the merger project.
Pool officials denied it and last week Graham said that was “absolutely not” the case. But he declined to discuss his resignation in more detail.
During his years as pool president, Graham developed a reputation as an enthusiastic, brash and sometimes outspoken leader who wasn’t afraid to make waves or rub people the wrong way on occasion. A number of Alberta Pool officials have said he was instrumental in promoting the idea of a merger and bringing it to fruition.
While he wouldn’t discuss his departure, Graham was willing to talk about the merger, saying he expects the new company will make a big splash in the grain industry.
“There’s every reason for it to begin immediately by being aggressive and pro-active,” he said, noting the company has a dominant market share in two well-defined geographic areas, owns good facilities and infrastructure and has lots of expertise.
Also, the two pools have a history of working together successfully in joint ventures, which bodes well for the new company.
Changing circumstances in the grain industry both at home and around the world make it vital for organizations like the pools to grow and be a success.
“If in fact they do what I think farmers are looking for, obviously they will support it.”
