As Senior Requirements Manager at AGCO, Slawi Stesny supports product development teams with a focus on connectivity, data management, and interoperability within the agricultural sector. This is also reflected in his role as lead of the AEF AgIN initiative.
With a background in Computer Science, Slawi combines conceptual thinking with product and requirements management.
e is recognized for fostering teams and motivation, creating momentum around shared goals and innovations.
Austin Gellings is the Senior Director of Agricultural Services for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).
Austin is a Wisconsin native that grew up on his family farm where he still helps raise hay and livestock today. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens point with a major in marketing. He then attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he received an MBA.
In his roll with AEM Austin serves the Secretariat for the Ag Industry Electronics Foundation and as the liaison for AEM’s ag technology, dairy, water management, specialty crops, and sprayer equipment groups. He also works with agricultural members to help address and solve various industry issues.
Eric Hawley is a Requirements Manager for Data Interoperability topics at AGCO Corporation and a member of the AEF’s AgIN taskforce. Additionally he serves as the AGCO Foundation’s Employee Advisory Member for North America, where he is heavily involved in cultivating career opportunities for youth in Digital Agriculture.
Eric was born and raised in rural Manitoba where he graduated with a degree in Biosystems Engineering from the University of Manitoba. He is also an alumni of North Forge’s Founder program and a certified scrum master.
Eric has extensive experience in commercializing IP from industry-academic partnerships and has a background in both field equipment and post-harvest technologies.
Dusty grew up on a horse farm in south-central Manitoba.
After realizing early on that horses weren’t his calling, he went on to study agronomy at the University of Manitoba before beginning his career in independent agronomy and later transitioning into crop protection sales.
With more than 13 years of experience in the agriculture industry, he brings a strong background in agronomy, sales, and grower support to his role at ADAMA.
Dusty and his wife live in Brandon and enjoy escaping the prairie winters to travel and scuba dive.
Darren grew up on a family farm in central Saskatchewan and remains actively involved in its operation.
A graduate from the University of Lethbridge with a Bachelor of Science in Ag Studies, Darren brings over 20 years of experience in the ag-chem industry across the prairies.
As the Eastern Prairies Regional Sales Manager for Nufarm, he leads a team of 7 territory managers and supports a broad portfolio of products across multiple crop segments. With a strong foundation in agronomy, sales and coaching, he brings both technical insight and practical advice to every conversation.
Froats still enjoys getting into the field to help out anyone and everyone, while continuing to tackle solutions to farming’s toughest problems.
Rachel Evans is a dynamic agronomist with 10+ years of experience providing agronomy training, research coordination and project leadership.
Rachel’s love for the outdoors led her to pursue a B.Sc. Agroecology (2011), and later a Master of Plant Science (2015) from the University of Manitoba, where she explored the use of fall rye cover crops for weed management in Manitoba’s pulse production systems.
Since 2018, Rachel has been working as Technical Sales Manager at FMC Canada, covering Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan. She brings her strong academic background in the areas of plant and soil science to provide science-based solutions and guide best practices for FMC farm customers.
Prior to joining FMC, Rachel worked with the Flax Council of Canada, as Extension Agronomist, and Native Plant Solutions (Ducks Unlimited Canada), as project coordinator, experiences that laid her foundation in working with diverse stakeholders from across the Ag sector. Rachel is passionate about supporting the next generation of agronomists, twice serving as mentor in the Agriculture Mentorship Program for Women in Agricultural Studies at University of Manitoba Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences.
She is a Certified Crop Advisor (2017) and a member of the Professional Agrologists Institute of Manitoba (2016), now serving as an elected Provincial Councilor.
General Manager
Manitoba Ag Days Inc.
coordinator@agdays.com
Office Manager
Manitoba Ag Days Inc.
admin@agdays.com
204-728-4137 Kristen (Brandon Office)
204-845-2198 Brittany (Elkhorn Office)
Manitoba Ag Days
P.O. Box 394
Elkhorn, MB R0M 0N0
