THE MERGED ENTITY BECOMES THE LARGEST NUTRIENT COMPANY

Susan Jones, senior vice-president and chief legal officer of Agrium Inc., said she’s proud to work for a company that “feeds the world.”

It’s a company that Jones, this year’s recipient of the Osler Purdy Crawford Deal Making CGCA, knows well. During her tenure she has held a number of diverse jobs, among them marketing, business development, strategy, and even a stint as managing director of Agrium Europe.

Thanks to a blockbuster merger of equals with Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. last fall, Agrium is also a company that is a whole lot bigger. The merged entity becomes the largest nutrient company in the world and the third largest natural resource company in Canada. The deal is expected to generate US$500 million in annual operating synergies, with corporate offices in both Calgary and Saskatoon. Jones says holding a range of business positions before becoming chief legal officer made it easier to understand the nuances of the company and ensure that the legal department is properly mitigating and managing risk and helping execute business strategy.

“What we see going on in our industry is very significant change,” she said. Things move quicklyand technology is impacting the competitiveness of the industry, she said.

“You need to be well ahead of the change if you are going to stay competitive.”