Succession planning isn’t just for farms — it’s important for every business.
A few years ago, Josée Lemoine brought her business, Pivot Performance, into the Backswath Management fold. As planned, Backswath founder Terry Betker is now stepping down (but not away) from leading the business, as Lemoine will step up to lead the company as CEO.
In this interview recorded at the 2022 Agricultural Excellence Conference at Canmore, Alta., Lemoine shares how she and Betker created a strategic alliance with their complementary companies, and have moved the succession plan forward. Now, Lemoine will focus on growing the Backswath business outside of the Prairies.
“Knowing that I was going to go into the role of CEO, it was important to have a plan that I was very active in. We want to see Backswath continue to grow in the Prairies, but we’d also like to expand into Ontario, BC., and wherever else we can go. And the focus stays the same, you know, it’s working with farm and ag biz, and it’s all about your business, your success. That’s really what we’re there for.”
Lemoine says the company has shifted its model in the last few years, including hiring consultants in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
“We all bring a little bit of a different background and experience. So it really is about understanding where the farm family or the ag biz is at a point in time, and then we can bring in different experts,” she says. Backswath’s team offers diverse backgrounds and specialty areas meaning clients can leverage a team with a lending, mediation, accounting, or human resource-background, depending on what they need.
Lemoine says Backswath works with clients to create a vision for where the company is headed, aligns the finances to see what’s possible, and then evaluates the management structure to make it all happen.
Check out the conversation in the full video, below:
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