Edward Makin, the president and CEO of Rogers Sugar and Lantic Sugar in Canada, is the 2014 “Sugar Man of the Year.”
Makin, who has played a major role in the sugar industry in the United States and Canada for more than 40 years, received the coveted Dyer Memorial Award at a Sugar Club dinner in New York City on March 31.
Born in Liverpool, England, he immigrated to Canada in 1965, where he earned a Bachelor of Commerce honors degree in business administration from Concordia University in Montreal.
Makin’s career in the sugar industry began in 1972 when he joined Redpath Sugars in Montreal. He worked in sales, distribution and human resources. He served as Redpath’s vice president of raw sugar operations, which covered trading and raw sugar purchasing.
In 1987, he was appointed vice president of sales and marketing, which made him responsible for all of the company products. In 1989, he was promoted to president of Redpath Sugars.
He joined Domino Sugar in 1992 and served as president and CEO until 1998 at which time he joined C. Czarnikow Sugar as senior vice president and director. In 2005, he became president and CEO of Rogers Sugar and Lantic Sugar.