Please join us for a new seminar series featuring alumni of the Department of Animal Biosciences who have gone on to build careers across a variety of sectors. This series aims to strengthen connections among industry, faculty, students, and alumni while showcasing the diverse career paths and experiences of our graduates.

Seminar Topic

Why did the chicken cross the road? Connecting Data, Communication, and Strategy in Ontario's Chicken Industry

When people think about the chicken industry, they may rarely think about change management, digital platforms, stakeholder engagement, or data. This seminar shares what it's like to work at the intersection of these functions, connecting the farmers who generate data, the systems that collect it, and the business decisions that rely on it. Through examples from the launch of a new farmer digital platform, pricing initiatives, disease reporting, and broader communications efforts, attendees will gain a behind-the-scenes look at how collaboration and communication support decision-making across a key organization in Ontario's agri-food sector.

Bio

Carleigh Johnston (MSc, MBA) is a University of Guelph alum whose career spans from animal nutrition research to science communication, innovation, and now the poultry sector. After completing her BSc in Biology and MSc in Animal Nutrition at the University of Guelph, where her thesis explored dry matter variability in forages fed to dairy cattle, Carleigh found that one of her strengths was translating complex information into something people could understand and apply. This supported her role at the Ontario Agricultural College Dean’s Office, where she led the Liaison Program for nearly six years, connecting prospective students to pathways in food and agriculture through experiential learning.

Along the way, she completed an MBA in Sustainable Commerce through the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics. Carleigh went on to work at Communitech, a tech innovation hub in Kitchener-Waterloo, where she designed and delivered a program that connected Canadian tech founders and startups with municipal and enterprise partners to solve urban, mobility, and supply chain challenges. She now works at Chicken Farmers of Ontario as a Business Partner on the Communications & Corporate Affairs team, leading strategic communications and cross-functional initiatives. As former varsity rugby player, Carleigh stays connected to the Gryphons as the women’s rugby team manager. Having hung up her cleats, she has traded the pitch for triathlon, taking on the challenge of Ironman racing.