Contributors

J.P. Gervais
Vice-President and Chief Economist

Jean-Philippe (J.P.) Gervais is the Vice-President and Chief Economist at FCC. His insights help guide strategy and monitor risk throughout the corporation. In addition to acting as an FCC spokesperson on economic matters, J.P. provides commentary on the agri-food industry through videos and the FCC Economics blog.

Prior to joining FCC in 2010, J.P. was a professor of agricultural economics at North Carolina State University and Laval University. He’s also a past president of the Canadian Agricultural Economics Society (CAES). J.P. earned his Ph.D. in economics from Iowa State University in 1999.

@jpgervais


Desmond Sobool
Director, Economics and Deputy Chief Economist

Des Sobool is the Director, Economics and Deputy Chief Economist at FCC. His insights help support strategy and monitor risk throughout the corporation. In addition to acting as an FCC spokesperson on economic matters, Des provides commentary on the agri-food industry through economic reports and the FCC Economics blog.

Prior to joining FCC in 2006, Des was a professional research associate at the University of Saskatchewan. He was also a relationship manager at another financial institution. Des earned his master of agricultural economics degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 2005.


Martha Roberts
Economics Editor

Martha joined the Economics team in 2013, focusing on research insights about risk and success factors for agricultural producers and agri-businesses. She has 25 years’ experience conducting and communicating quantitative and qualitative research results to industry experts. Martha holds a Master of Sociology degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and a Master of Fine Arts degree in non-fiction writing from the University of King’s College.


Leigh Anderson
Senior Economist

Leigh Anderson is a Senior Economist at FCC with experience in agricultural markets and risk. He specializes in monitoring and analyzing FCC’s portfolio, industry health and providing industry risk analysis. In addition to his speaking engagements on agriculture and economics, Leigh is a regular contributor to the FCC Economics blog.

Leigh came to FCC in 2015, joining the Economics team. Prior to FCC, he worked in the policy branch of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. He holds a master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Saskatchewan.

@AndersonLeigh3


Kyle Burak
Senior Economist

Kyle joined FCC in 2020 as a Senior Agricultural Economist, specializing in monitoring and analyzing FCC’s agri-food and agri-business portfolio, industry health, and providing industry risk analysis. Prior to FCC, he worked in the procurement and marketing department of a Canadian food retailer. He holds a Master of Economics from the University of Victoria.


Graeme Crosbie
Senior Economist

Graeme joined FCC in 2013 and has worked in a variety of roles in risk management within the organization. He joined the Economics team in 2021, specializing in the development and maintenance of risk analysis models and economic forecasting. Graeme grew up on a dairy farm in Saskatchewan, holds a Master of Science degree in financial economics from Cardiff University and is a CFA charterholder.


Isabelle Nkapnang Djossi
Economist

Isabelle joined FCC in 2018 as a Product Training and Support Analyst on the AgExpert team. Her prior experience includes working at the Canadian government’s Indian Residential School Secretariat and managing research projects in the banana and plantain industry in Central and West Africa. Isabelle holds PMP certification from the Project Management Institute, an MPA from the University of Regina and a PhD in Rural Economics from Belgium’s UCLouvain.


Justin Shepherd
Senior Economist

Justin joined the FCC Economics team in 2021, specializing in monitoring agricultural production and analyzing global supply and demand trends. He grew up on a mixed farm in Saskatchewan and continues to be active in the family operation. Justin holds a Master of Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University and a Bachelor in Agribusiness from the University of Saskatchewan.