A long-established agriculture insurance company in Alberta has named a new Chief Executive Officer to lead them through these uncertain times.
Red Deer native Darryl Kay has been named the CEO of Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) at the start of this month.
Kay achieved his charter accountant designation in Red Deer and then moved to Bermuda for about a decade before returning to Canada and starting with AFSC in 2011 as a finance controller.
He says they recently laid out their five-year strategic plan, where they plan on streamlining their organization to make things simpler for farmers.
“At the end of the day we really want to make sure that we really have deep relationships with our clients, make sure that our programs are working for them, and that we’re providing good support. So that’s about spending time with producers across the province, understanding their operation, and making sure that we’re a true, trusted partner in supporting their farming operation.”
Kay says he's excited to fill this role after seeing all the hard work their company has put in this year during these unprecedented times.
“I’m really really excited to take on this role. We’re supporting a great industry in the province. We have great staff. A lot of our staff across the province are actually producers themselves, so this is extremely important work that they do. We’ve had a challenging year, we’ve managed through this COVID crisis, and I just like to say thanks to all the staff for all the great work that they’ve done through a challenging time.”
The Agriculture Financial Services Corporation is a Crown Corporation that provides crop and livestock insurance and loans to farmers.
“Darryl has strong background with AFSC and the agriculture industry, and we believe he is the right person to successfully lead AFSC forward as we continue to support Alberta’s producers,” said AFSC Board Chair Mabel Hamilton. “He brings strong financial and business expertise and solid relationships with our industry partners and the Ministry.”
“I’m pleased to welcome Darryl Kay as the new CEO for Agriculture Financial Services Corporation,” shared Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Devin Dreeshen. “Darryl’s understanding of the challenges in agriculture and experience within AFSC will serve Alberta’s farmers and ranchers well. With Darryl’s leadership, AFSC will prioritize customer service, work to improve farm programs, and attract more value-added food processing investments to Alberta. He will be a farm-friendly CEO.”