CEO & Leadership Team

Brendan Wall

CEO, Agrifoods Cooperative

Brendan joined Agrifoods as the CEO in the spring of 2023. With a BSC in Dairy and Food Science, he began his career in the dairy industry in Ireland, where he worked as a Production Manager for Kerry Foods and Dairy Gold. Upon immigrating to Canada, he got a job as a Management Trainee at Gay Lea Foods and worked in various positions across the organization, eventually becoming the VP of Operations. One of his highlights was building and commissioning the most advanced Evaporation and Spray Drying facility in North America, at the time. After 20 years with Gay Lea under his belt, Brendan wrestled with the idea of making a change. This led him to the Executive VP of Operations role with Andrew Peller Limited, Canada’s largest premium family-owned wine producer. He quickly learned that the wine and dairy industries are very different and welcomed the challenge of trying something new. He believes that you always have to evaluate yourself and continue to grow and learn so that you can apply the learnings to help your team move forward.

Having spent 15 years in the wine industry Brendan’s career has come full circle as he returns to his dairy roots of wholesome food and the world of cooperatives. With a shared vision for Agrifoods’ future opportunities and the adventure of moving from Ontario to British Columbia, he is excited to join the Cooperative and be on this journey.

Coming in after a challenging year, Brendan is impressed by the people and culture that make up the Cooperative. He is adamant that we will survive and thrive as we move forward, working hard together as a team.

“Tough times don’t last, but tough teams do. There is resiliency in the Agrifoods team. There is a desire and passion to move the business forward and to succeed, and at the same time to support each other.”

Leveraging the strengths of his team, he is focusing on working with them to provide quality products that people want and need in their daily lives.

With a passion for travelling, Brendan and his wife enjoy getting in the car and exploring Canada whenever they can. They love living in Vancouver because the mountains and oceans remind them of Ireland. He enjoys living an active, healthy lifestyle and stays fit by jogging and lifting weights.

Sandeep Cheema

Chief Financial Officer

As the CFO, Sandeep is responsible for overseeing the company’s financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting, while ensuring alignment with the organization’s strategic goals. He is committed to financial integrity and driving operational excellence to foster continued growth and financial success of the company.

Bringing over 23 years of experience in financial management, strategic planning, and corporate governance, Sandeep started as an Assistant Controller at Agrifoods in 2007 and has been part of the tremendous growth of the company both organically and through acquisitions since then. He excels at navigating complex financial landscapes, driving financial growth, and implementing innovative solutions.

Fun Fact: Sandeep enjoys travelling around the world and creating memories with family (his wife and two sons) and friends.

Adrian Alzona

Director of IT

Originally from Sydney, Australia, Adrian’s extensive experience in telecommunications, machinery manufacturing, real estate, and food production has honed his skills in technology, project management, and business continuity. This rich background enables him to deliver strategic solutions that drive success and enhance business capabilities, including crafting a comprehensive business continuity strategy, implementing support processes, building robust infrastructure, creating effective disaster recovery plans, and cultivating a tech-savvy, analytical team.

Fun Fact: Adrian’s deep passion for the NFL and expertise in fantasy football have led him to consult for several successful teams and attract offers from social media circles to join fantasy football advisory panels. He is also a commissioner in multiple leagues and enthusiastically declares that his favourite season is "NFL SEASON." Additionally, Adrian was a former major league baseball invitee and continues to be an active player.

Mayuri Chauhan

Director of Supply Chain & Logistics

With over 26 years of experience in supply chain management, Mayuri brings extensive expertise in Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) manufacturing, including Dairy, Bakery, and Aerosol products and excels in developing and implementing comprehensive supply chain strategies that align with organizational goals. Demonstrating a strong track record of analytical problem-solving and decision-making, Mayuri’s skills span a broad range of supply chain processes, including customer service, forecasting, inventory management, production planning, procurement, distribution, warehousing, and co-packer management.

Mayuri is adept at leading and motivating cross-functional teams. Her exceptional communication and negotiation skills have been instrumental in driving results, achieving objectives, and driving innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Fun Fact: Mayuri has a passion for food. She loves exploring diverse cuisines around the world, learning about different foods, ingredients, and their benefits, and applying her knowledge to her everyday cooking.

Jaco Groenewald

Director of Transportation

Jaco began his career with Agrifoods in 2010 as the Operations Manager in Saskatchewan and expanded his responsibilities to include Manitoba, Alberta, and BC. In 2017, he was promoted to Director of Transportation and has been instrumental in the progressive success of Agrifoods Transport, ensuring operations are efficient, safe, and in regulatory compliance and positioning the company for future growth and profitability.

Under Jaco’s leadership, the transportation team has secured new contracts and seen significant improvements in service delivery and cost management, aligning with the company’s strategic objectives and driving continued improvement. Through his effective communication skills and sense of humour, Jaco maintains an unusually low driver turnover rate for the trucking industry. He believes in building relationships with producers and staff, resulting in a highly cohesive team that is dedicated to achieving success.

Fun Fact: Jaco enjoys the thrill of mountain biking and navigating the challenging hills and mountains of the picturesque Shuswap region in BC.

Denis Kizin

VP Operations

Born and raised in Belarus, Denis moved to the UK for educational pursuits, marking the beginning of a journey filled with growth and opportunity that shaped both his personal and professional life, and eventually brought him to Canada. With a strong commitment to fostering growth and sustainability, Denis focuses on making a meaningful contribution to the continued success of the Cooperative.

Denis’ career in the dairy industry began in 2003 as the Plant Manager for Lucerne Foods, which later was acquired by Agropur Dairy Cooperative. During this time, Denis progressively advanced through senior roles, including Plant Superintendent, Production Manager, and Plant Manager. In 2022, Denis joined Sunrise Farms as the Vice President of Operations, Primary Processing, embracing the opportunity (and challenge) of overseeing six facilities across three provinces, managing the entire process from receiving live animals to packaging fresh and frozen products.

Fun Fact: Denis has a passion for the outdoors – whether it’s camping, hunting, fishing, or horseback riding – and enjoys exploring the backcountry with his two German Shorthaired Pointers. A true farm-to-table enthusiast, he takes pride in processing and cooking everything he harvests.

Nancy Korva

Senior Vice President, Dairy

Nancy has always had a passion for natural foods, a commitment to making a difference, and the ability to help businesses achieve their growth potential. With over 30 years of experience, Nancy has spent most of her career in the Consumer-Packaged Goods Industry, working on leading brands in the food sector. She is currently responsible for driving sales growth, innovation and profitability for Organic Meadow, Rolling Meadow, Meadowfresh, a2 Milk™, and Happy Planet. She is also the co-chair of the Western Dairy Council, representing Agrifoods Cooperative.

Growing up in Windsor, Ontario, Nancy moved to Vancouver in 1990 to pursue her love of natural foods, where she soon met Randal Ius (co-founder of Happy Planet). In 1996, she joined Randal at Happy Planet, where she spent 8 years learning the business and helping it grow from the ground up. Nancy briefly left Happy Planet and rejoined Happy Planet as the Director of Operations and moved into a Director of Procurement and Logistics role at Earth’s Own in 2011. Shortly after Agrifoods Cooperative acquired Organic Meadow in November 2015, she was named the General Manager and transformed the brand from a state of receivership to experiencing over 100% growth.

Nancy's extensive and varied career with Agrifoods’ family of brands has given her a unique depth and perspective on the business units. She continues to inspire her team through her heart-centered leadership approach while increasing profitability for the Cooperative.

Fun Fact: Nancy has a passion for hands-on living, spending most of her free time cooking, gardening and renovating her 100-year-old house with her partner, Greg.

Manj Takhar

VP HR

Manj has played a pivotal role in establishing a robust HR framework for Agrifoods, spanning from corporate to operational functions nationwide. Her efforts include implementing HR best practices, ensuring alignment of compensation strategies, fostering employee engagement, instilling organizational values, enhancing talent acquisition processes, optimizing performance management systems, and facilitating succession planning initiatives.

Under Manj's leadership, the Cooperative has witnessed significant advancements in its people-related initiatives, resulting in a more cohesive and productive workforce. Her strategic approach to HR management has demonstrated the importance of a people-first approach.

Fun Fact: Manj is an enthusiastic supporter of Liverpool (the English Premier League football team) however, her family supports the opposition. This friendly rivalry creates an interesting and exciting dynamic in their weekend conversations, making football discussions lively and engaging within her household.