Remsoft CEO Takes Over As New Brunswick Business Council Chair
FREDERICTON–Andrea Feunekes has taken on the mantle as the newest chair of the New Brunswick Business Council (NBBC).
Feunekes, CEO of Fredericton-based Remsoft, is taking the reins from Bryana Ganong, president and CEO of St. Stephen’s Ganong Bros. Ganong, a member of the company’s founding family, served a two-year term.
“Any leadership role makes you a good candidate as chair. I hope I’ll be able to understand what’s important to CEOs,” Feunekes said. “Anytime you get 29 different CEOS from different businesses, they’re all going to have different priorities, but underlying that it’s really about looking for the consistent issues for all of us.”
Feunekes said one of the major priorities she has inherited as chair will be building a more inclusive workforce in New Brunswick.
“Housing is connected to that and we all know that housing is an issue, particularly in rural communities. If we get people to move here they have to have a place to live. We need to work on that for sure,” she said.
“It’s about listening and looking for what the private sector needs and helping the government and communities and others understand how they can be part of that, as well. The next ten years are going to be exciting and challenging and I’m looking at working together to make sure we win.”
Feunekes said investing in a low-carbon economy, encouraging Indigenous participation in the economy, and helping the government to support the province’s private sector are all priorities.
“There are a lot of things we’re working on and trying to figure out how we can contribute,” she said. “I’m just looking forward to see what I can do.”
The 29-member NBBC includes CEOs, presidents, and chairs of New Brunswick’s leading private sector companies. Their common goal is ensuring New Brunswick reaches its potential by implementing policies that affect key economic, social, and environmental issues.
“What’s really wonderful about the council is that when the CEO or head office of a company is based in New Brunswick, decisions get made here and growth happens here, so we can improve our tax base,” she said.
Feunekes has been named RBC Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005 and an Edelman Laureate by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. She is known as one of the province’s top CEOs, having helped Remsoft grow into a world leader in its industry.
Remsoft is based in Fredericton and has offices in Ontario and New Zealand, and a Brazilian subsidiary. It manages over a half a billion acres of land and uses software to help better manage the forestry supply chain and other critical areas of infrastructure.
In addition to her role as chair and CEO, Feunekes is a director with Opportunities New Brunswick, a board member for a global paper industry manufacturer, and volunteer in her community.
Feunekes is also a member of The Gathering Circle, an advocacy group building partnerships between private sector businesses and Indigenous communities. She has been awarded the Startup Canada Adam Chowaniec Lifetime Achievement Award and is a member of the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame.
Sam Macdonald is a Huddle reporter in Moncton. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].