Management Team

Jack Grushcow
Founder

Jack Grushcow is the Founder, President and CEO of Smart Earth Seeds. Prior to founding Smart Earth Seeds, Mr. Grushcow was the Founder and CEO of Consumers Software Inc., one of Canada’s largest software companies. The company was acquired by Microsoft in 1991, in what was then the largest transaction of its kind. The technology developed by Consumers Software provides the underpinnings of the Microsoft Mail family of products including MS Outlook.  
 

Mr. Grushcow served on the Science Council of British Columbia from 1991-1993. He was selected as one of British Columbia’s top business people under the age of 40 by B.C. Business Magazine and has been awarded Canada’s top export development award. He has authored three books on the subject of applying computer systems to business applications with Prentice-Hall and two books in the area of analyzing commodity futures with John Wiley & Sons.

David Csumrik is the Chief Financial Officer of Smart Earth Seeds. Prior to joining Smart Earth in 1997, Mr. Csumrik carried on the practice of law since 1988 - primarily in the areas of corporate finance and technology. From 1984 to 1997 Mr. Csumrik was Chief Financial Officer of CSI Development Corp. CSI Development Corp. (then called Consumers Software Inc.) was a software development and marketing company whose principal product was The Network Courier, electronic mail and communications. Mr. Csumrik holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (economics and accounting) from the University of Toronto (1973) and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of British Columbia (1982).

David Csumrik
Chief Financial Officer

Mark Wagner
Supply Chain Manager

Mark Wagner is the Supply Chain Manager for Smart Earth Camelina Corporation. Mark has over 25 years of experience in the Agriculture Industry. Prior to joining the Smart Earth Camelina team, Mark was the Country Operations Manager for Natural Specialty Crops and Facility Manager at Legumex Walker. Mark has been actively involved in developing and expanding business operations and has trusted connections with producers, suppliers, and colleagues. At Smart Earth Camelina, Mark manages oil production, inventory and help to expand new markets for Camelina oil and meal.

Carlene Sarvas is our Camelina Production Lead offering agronomic support at Smart Earth Camelina Corp. She has over 20 years of experience in the Agriculture and Ag-biotech industry, having previously worked at Aventis CropScience (now BASF), Performance Plants, and Dow AgroScience (now Corteva Agriscience). Carlene graduated from SIAST Kelsey Institute with a diploma in Biotechnology and recently completed the Agronomy Certification from Olds College. Growing up on a farm and living on an acreage, Carlene has a natural connection with producers and a great wealth of experience. In addition to managing grower contracts and agronomic support for our growers, Carlene is also very involved in day-to-day operations at our head office in Saskatoon, SK.

Carlene Sarvas
Camelina Production Lead

Deb Puttick
Research Team Leader

Debbie Puttick is the Oilseeds Research Team Leader and Biotechnology Specialist at Smart Earth Seeds. She has over 22 years of industry experience in molecular biology and lipid protein expression. At Smart Earth Ms. Puttick performs a variety of functions: managing the crop research program, preparing funding proposals, implementing the confined release programs and managing external collaborations with DuPont-Pioneer, POS BioSciences and the University of Saskatchewan amongst others. Prior to her work at Smart Earth, Ms. Puttick managed a fee-for-service analytical chemistry lab for Phenomenome Discoveries Inc. and was the Research Lab Supervisor for the Molecular Lab for Aventis Plant Sciences Inc. Ms. Puttick graduated with the highest honours from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry.

Jack Grushcow
Founder

Jack Grushcow is the Founder, President and CEO of Smart Earth Seeds. Prior to founding Smart Earth Seeds, Mr. Grushcow was the Founder and CEO of Consumers Software Inc., one of Canada’s largest software companies. The company was acquired by Microsoft in 1991, in what was then the largest transaction of its kind. The technology developed by Consumers Software provides the underpinnings of the Microsoft Mail family of products including MS Outlook.  
 

Mr. Grushcow served on the Science Council of British Columbia from 1991-1993. He was selected as one of British Columbia’s top business people under the age of 40 by B.C. Business Magazine and has been awarded Canada’s top export development award. He has authored three books on the subject of applying computer systems to business applications with Prentice-Hall and two books in the area of analyzing commodity futures with John Wiley & Sons.


David Csumrik
Chief Financial Officer

David Csumrik is the Chief Financial Officer of Smart Earth Seeds. Prior to joining Smart Earth in 1997, Mr. Csumrik carried on the practice of law since 1988 - primarily in the areas of corporate finance and technology. From 1984 to 1997 Mr. Csumrik was Chief Financial Officer of CSI Development Corp. CSI Development Corp. (then called Consumers Software Inc.) was a software development and marketing company whose principal product was The Network Courier, electronic mail and communications. Mr. Csumrik holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (economics and accounting) from the University of Toronto (1973) and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of British Columbia (1982).


Mark Wagner
Supply Chain Manager

Mark Wagner is the Supply Chain Manager for Smart Earth Camelina Corporation. Mark has over 25 years of experience in the Agriculture Industry. Prior to joining the Smart Earth Camelina team, Mark was the Country Operations Manager for Natural Specialty Crops and Facility Manager at Legumex Walker. Mark has been actively involved in developing and expanding business operations and has trusted connections with producers, suppliers, and colleagues. At Smart Earth Camelina, Mark manages oil production, inventory and help to expand new markets for Camelina oil and meal.


Deb Puttick
Research Team Leader

Debbie Puttick is the Oilseeds Research Team Leader and Biotechnology Specialist at Smart Earth Seeds. She has over 22 years of industry experience in molecular biology and lipid protein expression. At Smart Earth Ms. Puttick performs a variety of functions: managing the crop research program, preparing funding proposals, implementing the confined release programs and managing external collaborations with DuPont-Pioneer, POS BioSciences and the University of Saskatchewan amongst others. Prior to her work at Smart Earth, Ms. Puttick managed a fee-for-service analytical chemistry lab for Phenomenome Discoveries Inc. and was the Research Lab Supervisor for the Molecular Lab for Aventis Plant Sciences Inc. Ms. Puttick graduated with the highest honours from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry.


Carlene Sarvas
Camelina Production Lead

Carlene Sarvas is our Camelina Production Lead offering agronomic support at Smart Earth Camelina Corp. She has over 20 years of experience in the Agriculture and Ag-biotech industry, having previously worked at Aventis CropScience (now BASF), Performance Plants, and Dow AgroScience (now Corteva Agriscience). Carlene graduated from SIAST Kelsey Institute with a diploma in Biotechnology and recently completed the Agronomy Certification from Olds College. Growing up on a farm and living on an acreage, Carlene has a natural connection with producers and a great wealth of experience. In addition to managing grower contracts and agronomic support for our growers, Carlene is also very involved in day-to-day operations at our head office in Saskatoon, SK.

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