Five Questions With: Justine Hendricks, President and CEO, Farm Credit Canada

When Justine Hendricks became the first woman to lead Farm Credit Canada (FCC) as President and CEO, she didn’t just step into a historic role — she began reshaping the narrative around leadership in one of the country’s most important industries. With a career defined by both innovation and impact, Justine brings a bold, strategic vision to Canadian agriculture, blending financial expertise with a commitment to social responsibility and sustainability.

Before her appointment at FCC, Justine made waves as Export Development Canada’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, where she helped redefine the financial landscape for Canadian exporters by integrating sustainability into core business strategies. Now, she’s applying the same forward-thinking leadership to an industry that feeds not just Canada but the world.

In this conversation, Justine reflects on breaking barriers, why sustainability and innovation are inseparable in modern finance, and how FCC is positioning itself for the future of global agriculture — a future where inclusivity and leadership equity aren’t optional, but essential.

You’re the first woman to lead FCC — an institution deeply rooted in Canada’s agricultural history. What personal and professional forces shaped your approach to leading in a space where tradition often meets resistance to change?

Of course, becoming a CEO of any organization is an immense privilege and it’s not lost on me the significance of being the first woman to lead Farm Credit Canada. But for me, it’s not about breaking barriers for the sake of it. It’s about running an organization that has an incredible reputation with its customers and delivering an impact for people who truly rely on us.   

Especially at this moment in time for Canada, I am humbled by the responsibility of our organization to ensure our agriculture and food system not only weathers the storm but comes out of it stronger and more resilient than ever.  

Throughout my various roles at Export Development Canada, to when I became the Chief Sustainability Officer, and now as FCC’s CEO, I am guided by our customers’ grit and determination. Having conversations face-to-face with Canadian companies who are dreaming of building a better life for their families or improving their communities gives me energy and a drive to make meaningful progress. 

Many of our customers are third or fourth generation farmers. They have immense pride in what they are doing and it’s also tremendously personal for them if things aren’t going well. I don’t take that responsibility lightly.  

The most important thing I can do as CEO in these moments is to make sure my organization keeps pace with our industry, acts with urgency, and gives them the tools they need to thrive.   

Sustainability is often framed as a corporate responsibility, but your work has positioned it as a growth strategy. How does that mindset shift influence your leadership at FCC?

What makes me optimistic is that sustainability in the financial world has evolved from being seen as a cost, to a competitive advantage and one that generates profit. For example, many people don’t know that Canada’s Ag and Food system is one of the most sustainable in the world. For decades Canadian producers have been using sustainable practices but didn’t necessarily get the recognition for it because these practices were initially adopted to generate better yields or to make crops more resilient to weather disasters. But in reality, those same practices also reduce water usage, sequester carbon, reduce fertilizer usage, and so on – all sustainable practices.  

So at FCC, our job has not been to reinvent the wheel but to support these practices that are already happening, moving them from informal to formal practices, and capturing the sustainability data stemming from them. This way, Canadian producers can tell their story to the world and get the recognition they deserve.  

Too often, sustainability is seen as a cost, something to tackle when there’s extra time or resources. I see it differently. When done right, sustainable practices reduce costs, fuel growth, drive innovation and can strengthen the future of Canadian agriculture. 

Don’t get me wrong, every sector has areas for improvement, but our work starts with understanding the linkages between productivity, profitability, and sustainability and going from there.

Agriculture has long been seen as a male-dominated industry. What systemic barriers do women still face, and how is FCC evolving to break them down at both the boardroom and farm levels?

It’s undeniable that agriculture has traditionally been male dominated. However, women haven’t been absent, but rather their contribution hasn’t been recognized. For many farm families, women have played a key role in labour that is often unpaid, unrecognized and informal – but essential to the operations of the farm. Women on farms and in food production have been the unsung heroes of Canada’s food production for decades. This isn’t unique to Canada. I spoke at a conference in Costa Rica where almost every country represented spoke about this phenomenon. Even for farm operators, systemic barriers still persist. It wasn’t that long ago that women farmers were unable to secure a loan to finance operations of a farm – even when the title of the land was in her name.   

Things are improving all the time. In my travels to meet customers, I’ve met many women who are owners/operators of their farm, changing the face of Canadian agriculture and bringing new practices and ideas to the table. They are innovative and savvy business owners who inspire me! 

Financial institutions like FCC need to continuously examine ourselves to ask if we’re doing all we can to reduce barriers to women entering, and thriving in the sector. This involves looking at our practices, understanding institutional biases, and building targeted programs which will help create opportunities for women in agriculture to succeed. 

For example, FCC’s Women Entrepreneur Program provides financial support, skill development and industry connections to women across Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sectors. Through this program, women can access financing tailored to their needs, including the Women Entrepreneur Loan, which helps break down the financial barriers that have traditionally limited growth and expansion. These efforts are part of our overall Women in Agriculture and Agri-food Strategy. 

I believe that with the right support, women across the value chain will continue breaking barriers from the boardroom to the farm – and drive massive economic growth for Canada along the way.

Canada’s agricultural sector faces immense pressures — climate change, technological disruption, and shifting global markets. How is FCC preparing to help farmers not just survive but lead in this next era of transformation?

The pressures on Canadian farmers today are unprecedented, creating significant challenges, but also presenting new opportunities for the industry.

As I said earlier, our job is to evolve at the pace of our industry and so when I first took on this role, I traveled across Canada to visit as many producers as I could. And in those conversations, I kept hearing the same thing. “We love FCC. You’ve always been there for us. But we need you do to more”. I took that to heart, and we’ve been hard at work over the past 2 years to deliver on that more.

One key area was expanding our financial offerings. No two operations are the same and sometimes they need traditional loans but other times we can be more creative with our financial products and so we’ve stood up a new line of business to provide equity and venture capital, and new debt support to help companies expand and grow in the way that’s best for them.

We’ve also been hard at work to tell more people the Canadian Ag and Food story and help them understand the opportunities for investment in the industry. I’ve been to Bay Street, Asia, South America, and Europe to tell Canada’s story. It’s paying off and we’re seeing new investors come to the table, with new passion for Canadian Ag and Food.

FCC is also a major player in the agri-tech space. We are one of Canada’s largest investors in AI and we have increased our investment in our software platform AgExpert, which is one of the largest databases of farm data in Canada. This year we surpassed 6.5 million acres of farmland managed through AgExpert – which is roughly the size of the Netherlands.

Through better data capture, AI, and new investments, we feel strongly that we’re preparing the industry for renewed success in the years to come.

But what I couldn’t be more proud of is the fact that we’re 100% invested in Canadian Ag and Food. Especially at this time in our country’s history and when farmers and food producers need us, we wear the maple leaf with a passion.

You’ve been a champion of mentorship for much of your career. Looking ahead, what advice do you have for young leaders (especially women) who are determined to change the industries they inherit?

Mentorship has played a key role in my career, and I’m passionate about paying it forward. Because without the mentors in my life, I wouldn’t be where I am today. My advice to young leaders, especially women, is to be bold, build strong networks and trust your gut.  Don’t hesitate to challenge the status quo and bring your unique perspective to the table. Women can often talk themselves out of raising their voice or questioning their gut, but to create change, we need new ideas brought forward with confidence and conviction.

But change takes time. And you will experience pushback along the way. That is when your network of trusted voices in your life needs to be your sounding board – to hear different perspectives, test your resolve, and then you go forward, trusting your gut.

Building a network of mentors and peers is crucial. No one does it alone. When I was just starting out in my career and now, to this day, I still have a network of trusted voices who allow me to be vulnerable, ask me tough questions and encourage me. Surrounding yourself with people who both challenge and support you is key to growth. Mentorship is not just about advice, it’s about learning, evolving and pushing yourself to reach new heights.