Helping BC Tree Fruits overcome loss of confidence in board directors
BC Tree Fruits Co-operative experienced significant challenges that led to members and key partners losing confidence in the board of directors.
"We've lost confidence in our board of directors."
BC Tree Fruits Co-operative (BCTFC) experienced significant challenges that led to members and key partners losing confidence in the board of directors’ governance skills and capabilities, high CEO turnover, and decline in overall performance. Realize was asked to help transform BCTFC’s board and governance practices to help restore trust.
Date
February 26, 2024The client
BC Tree Fruits
The challenge
Decade of significant leadership challenges caused decline in BCTFC performance and public loss of confidence in board
BCTFC was pushed into a serious, life-threatening crisis after a decade of significant leadership challenges resulted in key partners and members losing confidence in the board of directors’ governance skills and capabilities, high CEO turnover, and decline in overall performance.
The solution
Board and governance transformation and actionable roadmap to organizational resilience
Realize recognized that there were two key components to BCTFC’s challenge: 1) identifying and responding to risks and gaps in existing governance practices; and 2) restoring trust in leadership capabilities of the board.
"Realize Solutions differentiates their firm by offering comprehensive strategic insights along with practical implementation support to effectively translate strategy into tangible, realizable benefits."
Former CEO
Our approach and methodology
Confidence in BCTFC’s Board needed to be restored along with modernizing the organization’s governance practices. Realize conducted a comprehensive governance audit of BCTFC’s practices including an extensive review of the co-op’s bylaws and interviews with all three groups of stakeholders (board, members, key partners). Experts from Realize’s network were also brought in to share the latest trends and insights in Canadian and American co-operative agricultural governance. To avoid stagnation and activate the recommendations, Realize drafted long delayed but essential amendments to the organization’s bylaws. The Board was guided in effective strategy, resulting in all the amended bylaws being presented to and approved by membership within the year. A new governance model was designed for BCTFC, enabling the Board of Directors to finally move ahead with critical decisions that had been deferred for over 10 years. Customized governance training was also provided to align the board and sustain long-lasting change.Are you experiencing a similar challenge?
We specialize in designing customized, people-centric solutions to the most complex business challenges faced by organizations like yours.
About BC Tree Fruits
BC Tree Fruits Co-operative is comprised of over 430 growers families throughout the Okanagan Valley and employs over 500 employees across multiple facilities. These grower families grow premium tree fruits including apples, cherries, pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, prunes and table grapes.
About us
Realize Solutions is an award-winning B Corp-certified team that designs practical solutions for organizations with complex problems in the areas of board governance, organizational development, and people.
Next case study
