Blair Clark, CPC:
President/Practice Leader – Saskatchewan
Blair Clark is the Grasslands Group’s president and founder. He has over 30 years of management and business development experience in the staffing, manufacturing, testing, training, retail, and agribusiness industries. He has already had success as an entrepreneur and business owner, and he still has a keen ability to identify and pursue business trends. Blair is deeply involved in the day-to-day operations of Grasslands Recruitment Specialists and has firsthand knowledge of Western Canada and its labor market.
Blair is the Past President of the Saskatchewan Chapter of the Association of Canadian Search, Employment, and Staffing Services (A.C.S.E.S.S. ), and his Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) certification recognizes the highest level of staffing industry knowledge and experience in North America. He has served as the chair of the NPAworldwide Agribusiness Specialty Group in the past.
Blair works closely with clients to ascertain a candidate’s corporate, community, and job fit.
Mike Bachner:
Vice-President/Practice Leader – Ontario
Mike Bachner has had a significant presence in the Canadian agribusiness/agrifood market as an executive recruiter since 1996. Raised on a farm and formally trained in agronomy, Mike has earlier progressive career experience in retail, sales, marketing and management in both plant and animal agriculture-related sectors of the industry.
Mike brings his extensive experience in and knowledge of the Eastern Canadian agrifood industry and labour market to Grasslands Group and is highly involved in the daily management of Grasslands Recruitment Specialists.
Mike has a proven track record of acquiring top level talent for leading agricultural firms in all sectors of the industry. He has successfully introduced and placed quality individuals for mid to C-Suite positions throughout the industry. Much of Mike’s success can be attributed to his vast network of connections and his customer service, results-oriented philosophy: “…whether it’s helping my client hire the ideal talent to fill a critical role on their team, or helping a candidate find the next ideal step in their career- my role is to fulfil their needs.”
Mike employs a detailed process of discovery to achieve both a full understanding of his client’s needs and an appreciation of his candidate’s career aspirations and trajectory. With this knowledge in hand, he works diligently to ensure a precise, long-term fit for everyone involved in his engagements.
Randy Ritchie, BComm:
Senior Search Consultant – Saskatchewan
Randy began his career in the Calgary executive search industry in late 1988, and, in 2002, he co-founded an Executive Search Firm where he was Managing Partner until early 2020. He has a long track record of over 600 successful search assignments including Company Directors, Presidents, COOs, and CFOs, as well as senior management and senior technical positions in engineering, geoscience, accounting, and finance. He has a B.Comm in Accounting and General Business and is a Saskatoon native. He also has some experience working with investment banking organizations and pension funds. He most often worked with small to intermediate-sized companies that were growing and in need of experienced talent.
Randy is an executive search expert with Canada’s leading agricultural specialist search firm. Randy’s background includes a thorough understanding of your company’s goals, strategy, and culture. Randy understands that finding the right talent for your organization is a complex process that necessitates a thorough understanding of your organization’s goals, strategy, and culture.
Zoya Smith:
Business Manager – British Columbia
Zoya is a Business Operations Leader with over 15 years of experience in Human Resource/Employment Service in psychometrics, employee assessments, staffing, and permanent placement services. Employee support, operating system administration, business automation, technical consulting, training, and coaching are among her areas of expertise.
Zoya also supervises our organization’s IT, marketing, social media, and third-party vendor relationships.
Verena Marsden, BA:
Project Coordinator – Saskatchewan
Verena is a marketing and sales professional with a focus on results and the customer. She has a variety of experience in the planning, development, and management of trade shows, incentive programs, and national seminar series. She has planned events for 50 to 200 people, ranging from weddings to corporate year-end galas, using her organizational skills. She has more than 13 years of experience in the technology sector in sales and marketing.
Her areas of expertise include understanding market trends, system applications, getting past objections, and using a soft sell strategy. She is fluently bilingual in French and English and is currently applying her abilities to the staffing industry, concentrating on the agri-food sector.
Patricia Rawlek:
Project Coordinator – Alberta
Patricia has over 25 years of experience in the agricultural industry and holds a diploma in land management with a focus on crop advisory from Olds College. She had the honor of serving two terms in a variety of capacities on the board of directors of the North American Weed Management Association.
Patricia has a strong passion for agriculture and is eager to collaborate with others as they pursue careers in the sector.