FEATURE AN UNPLANNED PATH TO A SUCCESSFUL JOURNEY World Grain talks with David Krejci, who is retiring after 37 years as GEAPS' executive vice-president by Arvin Donley D DYLG.UHMFLLVWKH¿UVWWRDGPLW that his career path falls under WKH FDWHJRU\ RI ³OLIH LV ZKDW KDSSHQV WR \RX ZKLOH \RX¶UH EXV\ PDNLQJRWKHUSODQV´ 7KH*UDLQ(OHYDWRUDQG3URFHVVLQJ 6RFLHW\ *($36 H[HFXWLYH YLFH SUHVLGHQW ZKR ZLOO VRRQ UHWLUH DIWHU \HDUVLQWKDWSRVLWLRQJUHZXSLQ 6W3DXO0LQQHVRWD86VWXGLHGDU FKLWHFWXUHDQGHQJLQHHULQJLQFROOHJH DQG \HW VRPHKRZ HQGHG XS LQ WKH JUDLQLQGXVWU\ ³0\ DJULFXOWXUDO FDUHHU EHJDQ LQ KLQGVLJKW ZLWK D FKDQFH HQFRXQWHU ZLWK'U+HQU\.DXIPDQQZKRKDGLQ WKHODWHVHVWDEOLVKHGDQGOHGWKH &DUJLOO *UDLQ 5HVHDUFK /DERUDWRU\ LQ 0LQQHDSROLV 0LQQHVRWD´ .UHMFL WROG World Grain GXULQJ D 0D\ LQWHUYLHZDW*($36KHDGTXDUWHUVLQ *ROGHQ 9DOOH\ 0LQQHVRWD 86 ³, ZDVEHJLQQLQJP\SXUVXLWRIDQHOHF WULFDO HQJLQHHULQJ GHJUHH IURP WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI 0LQQHVRWD , PHW 'U .DXIPDQQRQO\EHFDXVHWKHIDWKHURI WKHJLUO,ZDVGDWLQJWKHQZRUNHGDW WKH*UDLQ5HVHDUFK/DERUDWRU\´ +H WRRN .DXIPDQQ¶V MRE RIIHU DV DQLQWHUQDQGLQWKDWSRVLWLRQZDV¿UVW H[SRVHGWR*($36DWWHQGLQJKLV¿UVW *($36([FKDQJHLQ:KHQKH OHIW&DUJLOOLQWRSXUVXHDFDUHHU LQDUFKLWHFWXUH.UHMFL¶V¿UVWDUFKLWHF WXUDOFOLHQWZDV&DUJLOOZKRUHWDLQHG KLPIRUFRQWLQXLQJZRUNRQLWVQHZ SRUWIDFLOLW\LQ7ROHGR2KLR86 David Krejci is retiring this summer after 37 years as GEAPS executive vice-president. Photos by Arvin Donley. 76 ³0\ &DUJLOO FRQQHFWLRQ IROORZHG PH WKURXJK VHYHUDO HPSOR\HUV WR LQFOXGH EHFRPLQJ D FRQVXOWDQW IRU *($36LQWRVXSSRUWWKHQHZO\ IRUPHG *UDLQ ,QGXVWU\ 6DIHW\ DQG +HDOWK&HQWHULQGHYHORSLQJDQGSUR GXFLQJ HGXFDWLRQ PDWHULDOV IRU KD] DUGUHFRJQLWLRQDQGFRQWURO´KHVDLG ³0\ZRUNDVDFRQVXOWDQWWR*($36 OHGWRDQHPSOR\PHQWRIIHULQDV GLUHFWRURIWHFKQLFDOVHUYLFHV´ $QGWKHUHVWDVWKH\VD\LVKLVWRU\ )LYH\HDUVODWHU.UHMFLZDVQDPHG H[HFXLWYH YLFHSUHVLGHQW RI *($36 DQGKHOSHGOHDGWKHLQWHUQDWLRQDORU JDQL]DWLRQ WR XQSUHFHGHQWHG JURZWK RYHUWKHQH[WWKUHHSOXVGHFDGHV+H ZLOOUHWLUHDVVRRQDV*($36QDPHV KLVVXFFHVVRUZKLFKLVH[SHFWHGWREH WKLVVXPPHU 7KHIROORZLQJDUHH[FHUSWVRIRXU FRQYHUVDWLRQZLWK.UHMFL WG5REHUW7D\ORURI&DUJLOOPHQ WLRQHG WKDW XQGHU \RXU OHDGHUVKLS *($36 KDV VLJQL¿FDQWO\ H[SDQGHG LWVUROHDVWKHLQGXVWU\¶V³NQRZOHGJH UHVRXUFH´ 'RHV WKDW DFFXUDWHO\ GH VFULEH*($36¶SULPDU\PLVVLRQDQG FDQ \RX JLYH PH VRPH H[DPSOHV RI ZKDW0U7D\ORULVWDONLQJDERXW" KREJCI *($36 ³YLVLRQ´ LV ³WR EH7+(NQRZOHGJHUHVRXUFHIRUWKH ZRUOG RI JUDLQ KDQGOLQJ DQG SUR FHVVLQJ LQGXVWU\ RSHUDWLRQV´ :KLOH WKDW YLVLRQ VWDWHPHQW LV UHODWLYHO\ UHFHQWLWDFFXUDWHO\GHVFULEHVWKHHV VHQFH RI *($36¶ SULPDU\ PLVVLRQ :KLOHLW¶VDQKRQRUDQGSULYLOHJHWR KDYH ZRUNHG IRU DQG ZLWK VR PDQ\ June 2019 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.comhttp://www.World-Grain.com