From the Newsroom to the Cattle Barns: Meet New Agribition CEO Chris Lane

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Whether producing award-winning newscasts or producing Canada’s largest livestock show, the process behind the scenes is similar, says the new CEO of Canadian Western Agribition.

Chris Lane joined Agribition in July after working as a senior news producer for CBC in Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Maritimes.

“It’s really about people,” he explains, as we chatted in the show’s media room (you can watch below.) “And I think that’s what makes this organization so good. Everybody is so invested in everybody else’s success.”

Lane replaced Marty Seymour, who moved on to Farm Credit Canada after leading Agribition for five years.

While the black cowboy hat doesn’t look out of place, Lane does not come from a cattle background, having grown up on a grain farm at Grand Prairie, Alberta. He acknowledges it’s been a steep learning curve getting to know the livestock business.

“If you ask people, even the guys who’ve been doing it for 40 years say there’s always something to learn. I think that’s the trick,” he notes.

Lane says he’s also quickly come to appreciate the scope of what Agribition is about for different people — from the commerce in the cattle barns to the Grain Expo to entertainment to ag education. With over 8,000 school kids touring the grounds this week, he’s also excited about how the show serves as a meeting place for people who are not familiar with agriculture.

“I’m quite proud of the fact that we’re the first barn smell for a generation of kids,” says Lane.

We chatted about his background, his vision for Agribition, the construction of new facilities on the grounds, and what he’s looking forward to at his first show as CEO:


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