Our Team

The Maizex Seeds team across the board has a passion and dedication to Canadian agriculture and the seed industry. Our focus on meeting the needs of Canadian farmers crosses all areas of the business from research and development to production, agronomy, sales and marketing, customer support, and administration.  

In agronomy support and sales, our team combines practical knowledge and research to better position products for your farm. We spend significant time on product and agronomy training every year as we recognize the importance of product positioning in your farming success. Talk to your local Maizex seed representative about the products and research that can make a difference on your farm.

Sales Team

Chuck Belanger
Senior Territory Manager – Southwestern Ontario

Chuck grew up on a farm near Pain Court, ON and continues to reside in the family farmstead house. He served in the Canadian Navy and in dispatch with the Ontario Provincial Police prior to returning to his roots in agriculture. He worked as a retail agronomist prior to joining Maizex as a corn specialist, which led to his current role. Chuck is a recognized specialist in crop management and agronomy and puts his experience to work through ongoing research and agronomy efforts with farmers across the region.

Laura Johnston, CCA-ON
Territory Manager – Southcentral Ontario South

Laura grew up on a family farm near Dutton, ON and now lives in the Port Stanley area with her husband and children. She’s a graduate of the University of Guelph with a degree in Agronomy. Her career includes being a Precision Ag Specialist at Laresco and Agronomist at Cargill prior to joining Maizex. Laura is a Certified Crop Advisor and is respected for her agronomy knowledge and straightforward recommendations. 

Kirk Van Will, CCA-ON
Territory Manager – Southcentral Ontario North

Kirk grew up near Norwood, ON and now resides in Strathroy. Farm customers recognize Kirk as a specialist in providing crop management, agronomy and marketing solutions. Kirk holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with a Major in Agronomy, from the University of Guelph and is a recognized CCA in Ontario. 

Bryce Ruppert
Territory Manager – Western Ontario Southeast

Bryce originates from the Delhi area, where he is still involved with the family farm operation that focuses on corn and soybean production. He graduated from the University of Guelph with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and joins Maizex from his previous position as a sales agronomist with Sylvite Agri-Services. There, Bryce worked with farmers on a range of crops from corn and soybeans to a full spectrum of specialty and vegetable crops.

Mike Eckert, CCA-ON
Territory Manager – Western Ontario North

Mike grew up on his family’s cash-crop farm outside of Mitchell, ON, growing corn, soybeans, wheat, and edible beans. He remains an active contributor to the family farm in Mitchell, where he still resides with his wife and two young children. Mike graduated from the University of Guelph with an Associate Diploma in Agriculture, then became employed with Thompsons Limited (which later became Sylvite Agri-Services) shortly after, where he gained valuable experience as a sales agronomist and seed lead, which helped him establish a solutions-based approach to dealing with the complex world of crop production. He obtained the Certified Crop Advisor designation in 2008.

Justin Brennan, CCA-ON
Territory Manager – Central-East Ontario

Justin joins Maizex from his previous position as a Dairy Farm Consultant with Campbellford Farm Supply, where he was also involved with crop inputs. Prior to this, Justin gained experience as an Agronomic Advisor in field crops with Cargill in Saskatchewan. He is a graduate of the University of Guelph, Kemptville Campus, where he earned his Agriculture diploma and was co-valedictorian of his graduating class. The family farm that Justin grew up on is a small beef operation outside Belleville, where he still helps out today. He resides nearby in Napanee, Ontario, with his wife, two boys, and family dog.

Philippe Defoy
Regional Sales Manager – Quebec, Eastern Ontario and the Maritimes

Philippe was born and raised in Quebec City and it was on his grandparents' farm in Mauricie that his passion for agriculture developed. He graduated from Laval University with a Bachelor's degree in Agronomy and has spent his career working in corn and soybean seed sales and agronomy support focused in regions of Quebec. He now lives in St-Boniface, QC.

Steve Letendre
Territory Manager – Northern Quebec

Steve grew up on the family dairy farm and then cash crop farm near Drummondville, QC. He worked for several years in the crop inputs business in the Montérégie and Central Quebec regions while living on the family farm with his wife and family. Prior to joining the Maizex team, he worked for SIGA Informatics as a sales representative and then as general manager. His desire to see farmers succeed and prosper, together with his analytical spirit make Steve an excellent support person for the farmers and sales representatives he works with.  

Stéphane Larose
Territory Manager – Western Quebec

Stéphane was raised in Marieville in the region of Montérégie; there he found his passion for agriculture while working on his grandfather’s dairy/cash crop operation as a teenager. He continues to reside in Marieville with his wife and family. He received his degree in Agriculture at ITAA in Québec and went on to achieve his teaching degree, specializing in agriculture. Prior to joining Maizex, Stéphane worked with Ceresco, specializing in seed sales and agronomic support. Stéphane's diverse background brings specialized insight and expertise to providing farm solutions to his customers and sales representatives.

Leigh Hudson-Templeton, CCA-ON
Territory Manager – East Ontario Kingston to Cornwall

Leigh was raised, and remains active, on her family’s 200 sow farrow-to-finish, cash crop, and market garden operation west of Ottawa. She graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, and also attained her Certified Crop Advisor designation. She has had extensive sales and agronomy experience working directly with growers across Ontario through previous agronomist roles at Sharpe Farm Supplies in Guelph, and at Parrish and Heimbecker near Kincardine. Leigh is well-respected in Eastern Ontario by dealers and customers for her forthright agronomic skills. 

Klay Ansems
Territory Manager – the Maritimes

Klay was raised on a vegetable and cash crop farm located near Canning, NS, where he also operates a farm today. Klay has extensive experience in positioning corn, soybean and forage varieties both as a Maizex Seeds dealer and now as Territory Manager for the region.

Darrel Théroux
Territory Manager – Manitoba North & Saskatchewan

Darrel joins Maizex with extensive experience in a range of crops, including corn and soybeans through his previous positions with Northstar Seeds and Monsanto. He is highly regarded for his ability to work with farmers to position products on their farm with the goal of increasing yield and profitability. His appointment supports Maizex Seeds’ ongoing commitment to enhancing the company’s service and support in grain, silage corn, and soybean production regions across Canada.

Danielle MacCallum
Territory Manager – B.C., Alberta

Danielle grew up on a pedigreed seed farm near Vulcan, AB. She attended Lethbridge Community College and the University of Lethbridge where she received her B.Sc. in Agriculture Studies. She also holds a Certified Crop Advisor and Professional Agrologist designations. Some of her previous work experience includes roles as an agronomist with Cargill and a territory account manager for Monsanto in southern Alberta. Currently, Danielle and her husband farm and ranch near Del Bonita, AB where she also grows grazing corn. 

Stephan Chabbert
Territory Manager – Manitoba South

Steph grew up on a family farm near Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes in Manitoba, and still resides in this area. He holds a degree in Agriculture from the University of Manitoba and is a Fellow of the Manitoba Institute of Agronomy. Steph has a wealth of experience in the agricultural field, having worked in research, distribution, and sales in the co-op system before joining the Maizex team. He is passionate about the seed industry and is eager to better understand and help his customers grow their farming businesses.

Support Team

Dave Baute
Founder and President

Raised on a 250-acre family farm, Dave grew his first crop when he was 16 and founded Maizex with his wife, Brenda, in 1985. He has a diploma in Agricultural Production and Management from Ridgetown College, and also studied at The University of Guelph. Throughout his career, Dave has been recognized and awarded for his innovation and leadership by many industry and government groups. He is the current chairman of the Agri-food Foundation (Ridgetown Campus) and is a past-president of the Canadian Seed Trade Association (now part of Seeds Canada). Dave is also active in his community and sits on the board of the Chatham Kent Community Foundation. In addition to his responsibilities as Maizex's CEO, Dave owns and manages Soiex Farms with a focus on pedigreed seed production.

Blake Ashton
General Manager

Blake joined Maizex Seeds in 2016 as Controller and now oversees day-to-day operations of the business in his role as General Manager. Blake grew up on a cash crop farm located near Clachan, ON where he continues to be involved in the family farm operation. He is a graduate of the University of Ottawa and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). Prior to joining Maizex, he worked in public accounting with exposure and experience in financial and strategic management in a range of industries. His passion for agriculture and his business acumen have been key assets for Maizex, as demonstrated in his involvement in the formation of the successful joint venture between Maizex and Sollio Agriculture.

Stephen Denys
Director of Market and Product Development

Born on a field and vegetable crop farm near Chatham, ON, Stephen’s goal from his earliest memory was to farm and be involved in agri-business. He has a B.Sc. in Agriculture from the University of Guelph and an MBA focused on corporate strategy and strategic marketing from the University of Windsor. Stephen started his professional career in crop protection before focusing on strategic marketing consulting. From there he was given the challenge and opportunity to lead a competitor national seed brand. He is a recognized leader in the seed industry for his efforts in business development and importantly, contributions to several industry issues and initiatives. He is a past-president of the Canadian Seed Trade Association (now part of Seeds Canada). Stephen also operates a family cash crop farm operation where he practices what he preaches through on-farm research and use of the genetics and seed technologies used by Maizex customers. 

Georges Chaussé
Strategic Seed Advisor

Growing up on a family farm in Berthierville, QC, Georges has been involved in agriculture in one way or another his entire life. He studied at the Agri-food Institute of St. Hyacinthe before achieving his MBA at the École des Sciences de la Gestion de l’UQÀM in Montréal. Georges has held a variety of positions and appointments, including as a seed specialist in Peru in the 1990s, where he met his wife and got married, later having two children. He was instrumental in the success of the Elite-brand seed business, which he built over three decades into a leading seed brand in Quebec. Georges has been active as a leader in the seed industry, as a longtime board member of Seeds Canada and its predecessor, CSTA. He was President of the Association des Marchands de Semences du Québec (Quebec Seed Trade Association) from 2007 to 2019.

Shane Jantzi, CCA-ON
National Sales Manager

Shane grew up working on a dairy cash crop farm in Haldimand County, ON. He is a graduate of the University of Guelph (Bachelor of Science), and the University of Western Ontario (Bachelor of Education). His experience includes sales positions with Cargill and Dow AgroSciences prior to joining Maizex in 2001 as a District Sales Manager. Shane assumed his current role in 2012 and leads our expanding team of Territory Managers across the country. Shane is an active supporter of local Soil and Crop Associations and has his Certified Crop Advisor designation.

Philippe Defoy
Regional Sales Manager – Quebec, Eastern Ontario and the Maritimes

Philippe was born and raised in Quebec City and it was on his grandparents' farm in Mauricie that his passion for agriculture developed. He graduated from Laval University with a Bachelor's degree in Agronomy and has spent his career working in corn and soybean seed sales and agronomy support focused in regions of Quebec. He now lives in St-Boniface, QC.

Sharmeen Kukkadi
Accounting Manager

Chantal Lecavalier
Quality Assurance Manager

Luc Roger
Supply and Distribution Manager

Karen Dunlop
Marketing Manager

Chad Faubert
Plant Production Manager | Tilbury

Tom Dehoey
Plant Production Manager | Blenheim

Edward Grant
Field Production Manager

Shawn Winter, CCA-ON
Product Development Manager - Corn

Shawn grew up on a farm in Southwestern Ontario and continues to produce corn and soybeans on his family farm, growing genetics tested through his program. He is a University of Guelph graduate, with an M.Sc. (Plant Breeding and Genetics) and B.Sc. (Agronomy). Shawn is recognized within the industry for his expertise in corn genetics and product positioning and leads one of the largest corn testing and development programs in the country, working in maturity ranges from 68 to 112 days. Shawn also maintains his Certified Crop Advisor designation, is a recognized Plant Breeder by the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association and is a past chair of the Ontario Corn Committee. 

Jeremy Visser, CCA-ON
Product Development Manager - Soybeans

Jeremy was born in Berwick, NS, and grew up on dairy farms in Atlantic Canada and Ontario. He received his B.Sc. in Agriculture from what is now the Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture. After graduation, Jeremy moved back to Ontario to work as a research technician with Pioneer Hi-bred in Tavistock for 11 years prior to joining Maizex in 2016 as a research technician. In 2020, Jeremy’s experience and knowledge led to his promotion to Soybean Product Manager. Additionally, Jeremy attained his CCA accreditation. Jeremy leads our soybean testing efforts across the country, ranging in maturity ranges from 000 to 3.0RM.

Pascal Larose, agr.
Agronomy and Product Lead – Corn & Soybeans | Quebec & Maritimes

Pascal is a graduate of McGill University in agronomy. A member of the Order of Agronomists of Quebec since 1995, he has held various positions within the Sollio Agriculture network leading to his role as market development agronomist for Maizex Seeds in Quebec. In addition to providing product positioning and agronomy support to sales representatives and growers in the region, Pascal plays a key role in the positioning of our products as they are commercialized to ensure the best positioning for growers in the region. Pascal is also a corn and soybean producer on his own farm, testing and growing products he has worked with.

Lyne Beaumont, agr.
Product and Agronomy Lead – Forages and Cereals, Quebec

Lyne grew up in Pont-Rouge near Quebec City where her family grew potatoes. After a sporting career that led her to a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000, she obtained her degree in agronomy from Laval University. She was an expert consultant and then a seed advisor in the Sollio Agriculture network before becoming product and agronomy manager at Maizex Seeds. She is passionate about forage plants, cereals, and cover crops and aims to support producers with the best-performing products.

Henry Prinzen, CCA-ON
Market Development Agronomist – Western Ontario South & Eastern Ontario

Henry established his roots in agriculture on his family cash crop and farrow to finish farm operation located near Jarvis, ON, where he is still involved today. Henry holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Guelph where he graduated with distinction with a Crop Science Major. Henry is also a Certified Crop Advisor and is well-respected for his agronomic insight and product positioning. 

Adam Parker, CCA-ON
Market Development Agronomist – Western Ontario North

Adam has a strong agricultural background with excellent agronomic skills. He brings to Maizex his education and expertise, which includes a Diploma in Agriculture from the University of Guelph - Ridgetown Campus and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Guelph. Additionally, Adam is a Certified Crop Advisor. Prior to joining Maizex, he served as a sales agronomist at Sharpe’s Farm Supply. Adam also operates a sheep and cash crop farm with his family near Guelph, ON.