Adele Buettner
Founded 1993, AgriBiz Communications serves the management, marketing and communication needs of agricultural and food organizations with a local, provincial and national reach.
The success of AgriBiz is grounded in Adele’s leadership skills and natural diplomacy, her focus on collaboration, and an innate ability to problem-solve. She has exceptional insight into board governance through her experience as a manager and senior executive, as well as serving on several boards including roles as an executive member of the Canadian Western Agribition, Chair of the SaskTel Centre, and President of both Saskatoon Prairieland Park Corporation and Agriculture in the Classroom (Sk) Inc.
Adele is a passionate foodie and farm girl based in Saskatoon. She was raised on a mixed grain/beef operation east of Saskatoon and resided in that area until 2009. Today, Adele lives and works in Saskatoon while maintaining involvement in the family farm. Her daily life combines elements of urban and rural Saskatchewan.
Q&A with Adele Buettner:
Q: Why do you think the Saskatchewan Advisory Committee is important?
A: In Saskatchewan, only 13.7% of SME’s are majority female owned, which is lower than the national average. With a progressive business climate in Saskatchewan, there is opportunity to grow this number, which in turn will also help to support our GDP. The Saskatchewan Advisory Committee will work toward identifying what steps are needed to provide the support and leadership to encourage this growth.
Q: What were your (or someone you know) experiences when scaling up?
A: When I was scaling up my business, I was fortunate to have a mentor who helped guide me. However, she lived out of province. Through SAC, we are hopeful to address the importance of mentorship for Saskatchewan women entrepreneurs and ensure steps are identified to provide mentorship right here in the province.
Q: What personal experiences have shaped your expertise on the Committee?
A: For over 25 years, I have been a small business owner who supplies executive management services, marketing advice and communications solutions to agriculture and food-related industries, across Canada and in the USA. I started as a one-person operation and now have a small staff of under 10, but our services and reach have greatly expanded. Through this, I have gained experience in the areas of HR, Finance, Marketing and strategic growth, which I feel are valuable to our committee and women entrepreneurs.
Q: If you could change one thing in Saskatchewan so women-owned businesses can scale, what would it be?
A: I think the number one item that would help women-owned businesses in Saskatchewan is access to qualified mentors in our communities. Being able to ask someone who has already walked that path and can act as a sounding board is invaluable. As well, reasonable access to capital and enhanced training/educational opportunities are also very important.
Q: What about yourself do you feel comfortable sharing?
A: I love Saskatchewan and living in Saskatoon. Upon deciding to start a business, I chose to stay in Saskatoon. While I could have relocated outside of the province, Saskatoon is a great place to raise a family and to own a business. It is also a wonderful community in which to volunteer and support others in their efforts.
The people and the entrepreneurial spirit not only make Saskatchewan a fantastic place to live, it provides for a great business environment. It is important to me to work and live in a community that is supportive, progressive and represents such diversity. I feel that when life has been good to you, it is important to give back.