A lifelong advocate for advancing Canadian agriculture, Jay Bradshaw is a respected agribusiness leader whose vision and curiosity set him apart. Always with a long view, Jay’s career has transformed the Canadian value chain.
Jay was born and raised in a farming community in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. After completing a degree in environmental science at the University of Guelph and an MBA at the University of Saskatchewan, his professional career began with a sales territory in Saskatchewan and saw him become one of the most respected leaders in Canadian agriculture.
Jay’s career in the crop protection sector started with Monsanto followed by Cyanamid, where he continued through its successful acquisition by BASF. He then joined Syngenta Canada, serving as president until his retirement in 2018. A passionate coach and mentor, Jay made leadership look easy. He created key leadership programs at Syngenta including Leadership at its Best and Grower University—programs that have made a lasting contribution to the agriculture and food industry in Canada.
Jay always had a bold vision for the future of farming. He channeled his passion for the industry and focused on solutions that would make great change happen, building partnerships to benefit and sustain the entire industry. He served as chair of CropLife Canada several times. And as an early champion of building public trust in the Canadian agricultural sector, he refocused CropLife’s efforts to creating positive opportunities for modern agriculture, instead of reacting to negative news. While on the CropLife board, Jay helped launch and serve as inaugural chair of CleanFarms—a successful agricultural container recycling program that now extends beyond the plant science sector.
Jay was part of the driving force and founding director at Cereals Canada. He supported the creation of GrowCanada—a coalition of national stakeholders working to promote and advance innovation in Canada. And he also served as director and tireless advocate for the Rural Ontario Institute, Canadian Association of Agri-Retailers and 4-H Ontario Foundation.
Today, Jay’s support for the sector continues with Ag Capital Canada, a private equity fund that invests in Canadian agricultural innovation, small agri-business growth and entrepreneurship.
For his longstanding contributions to the industry, Jay has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his dedication to Canadian agriculture and its people, the Canadian Agri-Marketer of the Year and CropLife Canada’s Lifetime Member.
Jay Bradshaw has contributed a lifetime of advancing modern agricultural technology, and his legacy is evident in the collaborations he encouraged and the leaders he groomed.
