Alberta's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 64
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ALBERTA’S TOP EMPLOYERS
There’s a culture of openness and growth at Syngenta
S
haun Vey’s interest in
agriculture began on the
family farm. He started
working with Syngenta
Canada in 2009 as a
summer intern after his first year
at the University of Saskatchewan.
“I learned so much doing field
trials that summer,” says Vey, who
was promoted to president of
Syngenta on January 1. “I wanted
to come back.”
Each summer, he was able to
explore different parts of the
business, gaining experience and
building relationships that would
shape his career path. When
he graduated, a job opened up
for full-time work. “I liked what
they stood for — innovation,
professionalism and safety,” he
says. “I felt at home, right from
the start.”
I feel supported in my
work, whether through
development, accessible team members and
experts, or flexibility that
allows for work-life
balance.
— Melissa Padgett
Key Account Manager
Syngenta is a sciencebased agriculture technology
company that helps farmers
grow abundant, healthy and
high-quality crops with a focus
on advancing sustainable
agriculture. Headquartered in
Calgary, Syngenta Canada has a
team of close to 320 employees
from coast to coast and supports
Syngenta Canada has a collaborative culture that fosters networking across regions and business functions.
products and services spanning
the country’s major crops and
specialty turf.
Vey credits the open culture
at the company for helping him
to gain a broad perspective on
its work. “It’s easy to network,
no matter your level,” he says.
“Employees talk or ask questions
of anybody — even in the
beginning.”
Staff get exposed to different
parts of the business through
project work where they network
and learn. Vey gives the example
of new product launch teams
made up of members from all of
the key functions — from research
and development, technology
solutions and supply operations
to finance, marketing and sales.
There is also a national meeting
in January where people will
network with others from diverse
regions and business functions.
Each employee has an
individual development plan
created in partnership with their
manager. Vey’s included studying
for an MBA. In 2021, he gained
international experience as head
of marketing for Syngenta U.K.,
Ireland and Nordics. “It was a
great development opportunity,”
he says. In 2023, he returned to
Canada as head of sales.
Key account manager Melissa
Padgett joined Syngenta in 2022,
and she has already taken part in
leadership training in the United
States.
“I feel supported in my work,
whether through development,
accessible team members and
experts, or flexibility that allows
for work-life balance,” says
Padgett. She works remotely
outside of Edmonton, and travels
to visit customers. A mother of
two boys, it is important that she
doesn’t have to relocate to an
office. “At Syngenta, I’m not held
back by my location.”
Both Padgett and Vey appreciate
the company’s focus on wellness
and health benefits. Padgett has
used part of the $800 spending
account, available to each
employee for wellness pursuits,
on horse riding lessons. And every
employee gets six weeks of paid
vacation right from the start.
Padgett welcomed the support
