May 9, 2012 - Chips - Jim Reid & Pat Talwin

Jim Reid living in Chads Ford, PA 
"Gosh, its been 27+ years since I left Stoney Creek to move to London, England and 21 years since leaving the Canadian firm to go to the US HQ.   I just retired from AstraZeneca after 32 years with the company.   I live about 1 mile from Bob Woods.

"How nice to hear from you. I am glad you are doing well and enjoying retirement. I have many fond memories of my years at Chipman / Zeneca and the many fine people there. Thank you for getting in touch and please add me to your distribution list for updates.

I’d love to join the group on 6/21;  I expect to be at our cottage in the Bancroft area over that time but will check with my wife re other plans; with 2 new granddaughters I never know what commitments she’s made or what family members will join us at the cottage (they all live in the Hamilton area).  I’ll get back to you ASAP.  Jim"

Pat Talwin living in Southern PA
"I am now retired (as Ric Festarini indicated) and enjoying life in the Pennsylvania countryside, about 20 minutes northwest of Wilmington.

As for updates since my ICI Chipman days, they were busy times indeed and I was very fortunate to have had some excellent opportunities. I will just give you the headlines. Following my transfer from Zeneca Canada Ag to the US, I headed NA IT for 3 years, then was appointed NA HR Director in advance of Zeneca Ag’s demerger from AstraZeneca and our merger with Novartis Ag to form Syngenta. Following this, I had the opportunity to move to Basel, Switzerland to lead the Global IT function for Syngenta’s Crop Protection business for 3 years. Concurrently, I became involved in our “Go To Market Strategy” and ended up heading our global CRM (Customer Relationship Management) initiative. Subsequently I had the opportunity to move to Syngenta’s US Headquarters in Greensboro, NC to complete the US CRM program. Following this I “hung up my skates” as we say in Canada!

I have now settled in southern Pennsylvania and have since remarried. Linda and I have kept busy rehabbing an older home, adding a great room and re-landscaping the property over a four to five year period and otherwise making it our own. Besides “property management” responsibilities,  I am now enjoying a life of leisure playing golf and tennis in the summer and tennis and skiing in the winter.  I also volunteer as a member of the Franklin Township Historical Architecture Review Board.

Having said all that, one of my proudest moments was becoming a grandfather as my youngest daughter, Charlene,  presented us with a beautiful grandson. Miller Patrick is now 23 months old and they will be visiting us next week for a 3 week stay.

During that time, I have been in touch with a few of the folks from the old days - Don Breeze, Robert Durand (we were both in Basel together), Eli Partyka, Bob Woods, Ed Johnson, Art Melanson and Ric Festarini.

It is nice to see such a long and active alumni list. I hope they are all doing well.

Again, many thanks Wendy for getting in touch and all the best. Cheers, Pat"