Ian White to Head Up Canadian Wheat Board

This is from a Queensland source. It is not the board that decides whether to keep or ditch its monopoly. The government of course wants to ditch the monopoly. White at least seems to have a lot of experience and this article says nothing unfavorable about him. White has been head honcho while various regulatory changes were taking place at Queensland sugar so he has experience in such situations. This makes him a good choice for Harper. However, White will also not buck any removal of single desk selling unlike the former head of the board. White's experience is just icing on the cake.

QSL’s Ian White to head up Canadian Wheat Board Thursday, 31 January 2008 Queensland Sugar Limited chief executive officer, Ian White, has resigned to take up a new position heading up the Canadian Wheat Board - one of the world's largest grain exporters.
The Canadian Government announced the appointment of Mr White today.
Mr White is best known for his active role in the Australian grain industry and he joins the board at a time of deep turmoil in the industry as it tries to decide whether to keep or ditch its monopoly over wheat exports.
Sugar industry peak body, Canegrowers, said Mr White's departure from QSL presented both opportunities and challenges for the Queensland sugar industry.
Canegrowers CEO, Ian Ballantyne, said the future and stewardship of the export marketing effort for the Queensland sugar industry is of vital importance and the departure of Mr White put the issue in the spotlight and needed to be resolved as a matter of priority.
Mr White has filled a variety of high profile positions including being the first CEO of Graincorp, managing director of Defiance Mills and in more recent times, heading up Queensland Cotton’s North American operations.
He joined QSL in 2000.
Originally from a finance and accounting background in both government and private industry, Ian held senior management positions with Elders Grain and the large grower cooperative, the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, in Canada in the 1980s.
"As chief executive of QSL, Mr White was influential in the development of the international face of the Australian sugar industry and had been on the frontline of marketing the majority of Queensland’s raw sugar," Mr Ballantyne said.
"Ian has also been at the forefront of industry restructure following deregulation, and has been a compelling advocate in arguing for change to the international trade regime."
Mr Ballantyne said the sugar industry was "at the crossroads" in crucial negotiations with regards to raw sugar marketing operations and at a decisive point in determining the future use of sugar terminals.
"At the same time future price risk management arrangements need to be bedded down and rolled out to growers at the earliest opportunity," he said.
"It is imperative that a clear decision be made on QSL’s role, function and authority to operate in marketplace – these matters are vital and need to be very clearly determined before an appropriate replacement for Mr White can be recruited."
SOURCE: CANEGROWERS and FarmOnline.