Syngenta Canada cultivates a people-first environment

Leah Welter finds it easy to succinctly sum up her 17-year experience at Calgary-based Syngenta Canada Inc.: “Rewarding and fulfilling.”

Welter began her career as a territory sales manager in Saskatchewan for Syngenta, a leading global agricultural innovation company with a pan-Canadian presence and offices in Alberta and Ontario. She says that ever since, her managers have continually given her opportunities to develop her skills, help direct her own career, take on new challenges and advance in the company.

Welter eventually moved to Calgary, where she is now district manager for southern Alberta and British Columbia. She says her relocation provides a prime example of Syngenta’s commitment to its employees’ career progression and well-being, which are integral to the company’s “people-first” strategy.

“I was given the opportunity to take on a new role and really shape that role within the organization very early in my career,” Welter says. “The second piece was just the whole relocation was so seamless. I remember my parents saying to me, ‘Wow, Syngenta sure makes it easy on you.’”

Welter says another key reason Syngenta is a rewarding and fulfilling place to work is its commitment to two-way, employee-manager dialogue. Through regular Pause2Talk sessions, employees are able to express their career aspirations and identify development opportunities to get there. To facilitate mobility and promotion in the company, Syngenta offers individualized management and leadership programs and continuing education assistance.

Welter says Syngenta also listens to employees’ ideas about how to improve operations and has sought out their participation in developing company policies. “I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to a number of initiatives within Syngenta over the last 17 years,” she says, “and really felt part of building the strategy within the organization.”

Trevor Heck, president of Syngenta Canada, says the company’s organization-wide “culture of feedback” and open door policies have increased employee engagement and satisfaction. Another positive catalyst has been the company’s steadfast commitment to providing top training possibilities to its staff, regardless of the economic environment, and ensuring it offers top benefits, including an unusually generous six weeks of annual vacation to start for any hire.

“We want to attract the best people, support them in their career development and foster a progressive and inclusive workplace,” Heck says.

Another reason people stay at the company for the long term is its commitment to innovation, sustainable agriculture and increasing food production while protecting the environment, says Heck, who started at Syngenta in 1992.

The company extends that corporate purpose into its community outreach strategy. Launched in 2023, its Zero Hunger Challenge is a multi-year campaign to support rural food banks. It’s a national effort with regional activities that include corporate sponsorship, employee giving, harvest donations and industry engagement. In Alberta, for example, Syngenta collaborated with customers at a 2024 golf event to donate the equivalent of nearly 5,000 meals to local Alberta food banks.

“Helping combat food insecurity and supporting local communities really give people purpose to their job,” Heck says.

For Welter, Syngenta’s positive contributions to society and the environment, and its deep commitment to the customer experience, really stand out.

“I’ve always been proud to stand up in front of a group of farmers or retailers and say, ‘I work for Syngenta,’ because we bring new innovation and we’re focused on our customers and farmers growing their best crop,” Welter says.

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Alberta’s Top Employers winners, published January 28, 2025 in the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.