David Hendrick, is CEO and Chairman of the Board of Sevita International; a family owned company that is the Centre of Excellence for NON-gmo soybean research and variety development in Canada. The core business elements of this international soybean company are the development of specialty trait soybean varieties for seed sales in Canada and abroad; and the export of foodgrade soybeans to consumer markets in Japan, Asia and Europe. In Japan, the company holds a 15% market share of the total foodgrade NON-gmo imports into Japan. David is responsible for shaping the long term business plan of the company, and particularly, for establishing R&D strategies that will ensure sustainability of research, and opportunities for innovation. Innovation at Sevita is defined as the commercialization of science. His belief is that scientific research and innovation are the keys to future success. Mr. Hendrick is the visionary behind Sevita International, and has built the company from a small family farm operation in early 1990s, into an international corporation that now has annual sales in excess of $67 million dollars. His business skills have allowed the company to prosper over the past 20 years, and to develop a very strong international reputation for quality and sound business practices. Mr. Hendrick has held several senior management positions in the public and private sectors and has managed his own private consulting firm, before returning fulltime to his agricultural enterprise. He has extensive experience in the areas of strategic and operational business planning, organizational analysis and review, and team building. Mr. Hendrick’s personal values are health, family, and friends. In business, he also recognizes that each employee has their own personal values; and that these values need to be respected. Only then can the Sevita staff feel motivated and proud of their contribution to their company’s success.