After almost 25 years as chief executive officer at Pulse Canada, Gordon Bacon has decided to hand the reins over to the next “great leader.”
Bacon, who retired at the end of March, admits it was “passion for the work being done and its vitality to the industry” that made it easy to hold the position for so long.
“You really feel like you’ve made a contribution to society,” Bacon explained. “I think the job was the big reward for me; the feeling I got when I (went) to work. It’s not something you put on your shelf.… We really made a difference.”
Change is good for an organization, Bacon remarked, and the future looks bright. He has worked alongside his replacement, Greg Cherewyk for the past 18 years.
“We’ve worked closely together as partners in all things Pulse Canada,” Bacon said of the relationship. “There truly is no one who knows more about Pulse Canada than Greg. He will be a terrific leader.”
Despite choosing to step down, Bacon will remain a constant within the global initiative.
“While my CEO position will end, I plan to continue to work with the global pulse connection to ensure we continue to focus on defining the role pulses can play in system transformations to reflect human and environmental health,” he said. “I think we did good things and there’s a lot of work left to do.”
Whether animal protein or plant-based, all food has to be looked at from the same perspective, Bacon said of current issues trending in the industry.
“We have successfully started a transition in consumer demand, which is reflected in new plant-based facilities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.”
The facilities centre on healthy, affordable, nutritious and sustainable food.
“Healthy people, healthy planet. Those are four words that summarize what I’m proud of,” Bacon said.