Minister Ritz Announces Appointment To The Canadian Dairy Commission

OTTAWA, ONTARIO – Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced the appointment of Henricus (Hennie) Bos as a Commissioner of the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC).

"I am pleased to announce the appointment of Hennie Bos to the Canadian Dairy Commission," said Minister Ritz. "With over 30 years of dairy industry experience in both Canada and the Netherlands, I'm certain Mr. Bos will work with the board members to serve the Commission's stakeholders well."

A Crown corporation established in 1966, the CDC acts as a key facilitator within the Canadian dairy sector. It is mandated to provide dairy producers with the opportunity to get a fair return on their labour and investment, and to ensure that Canadian consumers are provided with adequate supplies of quality dairy products. The CDC helps design, implement, and administer policies and programs to address dairy producer and processor needs.

As Commissioner, Mr. Bos will sit on the CDC's three-member Board of Directors, along with the Chairperson and the Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Bos' appointment is effective immediately for a term of three years. A biographical note is attached.

To learn more about the CDC, please visit www.cdc-ccl.gc.ca.

Biographical Note

Henricus (Hennie) Bos has over 30 years of experience in leadership capacities in dairy organizations in both Canada and the Netherlands. Mr. Bos immigrated to Lacombe, Alberta in 1994, where he and his family established a successful dairy farm and in 1996, founded their natural yogurt business, Bles-Wold Yogurt.

Mr. Bos has been an a leader in Alberta's dairy industry for many years. He served Alberta Milk between 2002 and 2013, where he became its Board of Directors' Vice-Chairman in 2008 and then its Chairman from 2009 to 2013. From 2007 to 2013, Mr. Bos also served as Alberta's representative on the Dairy Farmers of Canada board, where he took an active role on various committees, including serving as chair of the Canadian Quality Milk Advisory Committee. Between 1998 and 2002, Mr. Bos also served as a board member with organizations such as the Central Alberta Holstein Club and the Alberta Milk Producer Association.

Mr. Bos graduated with a B. Sc. in Dairy in 1974 in the Netherlands. Before moving to Canada, he took on various governance roles in the Netherlands dairy industry, while at the same time owning and operating a dairy farm.

Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada