Welcome to the world of retirement. It won’t take you long to figure out that you will be as busy as before – but you will have the freedom to choose to do what you want, when you want.
If your retirement plans take you back to Canada for a
visit, you have an open invitation to visit your many friends and colleagues on
this side of the pond. We all look forward to see you again.
From Wendy Fries
Robert, I wish you and Rhonda all the Best in your Retirement! I can't believe it was over 20 years ago that I was your Executive Assistant in Stoney Creek when you were Director of Research & Development. I have fond memories of working for you and the R&D Management Team. We worked hard but had a lot of fun. It was a great group of people!! I am recently retired and enjoying a stressfree life!! Hello Pension, Goodbye Tension!! Can't believe how busy I am doing all the things I never had time for. I have discovered that Retirement is when you stop living at work and start working at living.I love the following quote by Jonathan Clements - "Retirement is like a long vacation in Las Vegas. The goal is to enjoy it to the fullest, but not so fully that you run out of money." Affectionately,
Wendy J. Fries
From Brent Sigurdson
Robert – best wishes to you and Rhonda for a long and prosperous retirement !Thanks for all you’ve done for us – and if your ever in North Dakota, do stop in!!
Brent Sigurdson
From Gary Campbell
The things I remember about Robert was well just trying to understand his accent, his love for Canadian wine!!! but most of all I remember is what a great mentor he was to so many of us. Best wishes for a great retirement
Gary Campbell
From Steve Hawkins
Bonjour Robert! I have 2 memories in particular from the Canadian pre-Syngenta times.
1 was when I 1st interviewed for a marketing job which I was not successful in securing. Robert was of course correct in his decision. What he did do was take the time to learn about me, listen to what I aspired to do and gave council on continuing to grow into a marketing future.
The 2nd was the National Conference in Quebec City.Specifically at the little farmhouse where we have the grand finale dinner and evening events.What a great time! Robert was leading the charge on the wine selections and I can’t remember a more energetic and spirited event in my career. That’s when the Canadian business was really hitting all of the aspirations that it had set for itself.
Reason to celebrate!
Bonne Chance Robert!
You have contributed hugely to what is now Syngenta.
A career to be proud of.
Steve Hawkins
From Murray De Pape
Robert - my best wishes to you on your retirement and a thank you for being a supportive mentor during my years at ICI – Zeneca – you were always open to discuss and advise. Enjoy your well deserved retirement with your family and friends.Best Regards.Murray De Pape
From Gary and Sharon Price
Robert, very best wishes for a long and enjoyable retirement. I remember working for you with the warmest of memories and I enjoyed our shared successes in the business with the introduction of Achieve and personally as I took lessons from your leadership and applied them to my life beyond Zeneca. We have since visited France a number of times and it was all you described and also have learned to appreciate the quality of a fine wine. Thank you for expanding my horizons.
We send you our warmest regards and very best wishes.
Gary and Sharon Price, Carson City, NV
From Grant Ozipko
Please pass along my regards to Robert. He always brings a positive perspective and influence to the business and people around him. Wish him the best of success, health and time to enjoy the next chapter he creates …Grant Ozipko
From Norma Zavarella
Retirement is a time to look back with satisfaction, and a time to look ahead with anticipation.A time to fill each day with enjoyment.Wishing you all the joy a happy retirement can bring...
Norma Zavarella
From Ed and Carol Johnson
Wishing you all the best in retirement. I only wish we had worked on a few more launches together. Your leadership on the Achieve launch was stellar. Retirement means entering into a whole new era where you do what you want ,how you want. We hope our paths cross soon and I hope you and your family enjoy a healthy and happy new adventure.
Ed and Carol Johnson
From Tim Woerlen
Wishing Rhonda and you a prosperous retirement !Enjoy the grandchildren and many more to come.
Tim Woerlen
From Jean Durand
Cher Robert,
Ainsi te voilà arrivé à la retraite! Retraite et Durand semblent pourtant être un oxymoron…
Je me réjouis avec toi de ta situation, sachant à quel point tu brûles de venir te faire tirer la pipe au Canada; et je suis sûr que tes nouvelles passions te permettront enfin d’avoir de précieux moments auprès des tiens.
Mille vœux de succès, cher Robert, pour cette nouvelle étape de ta vie,
Amicalement, de ma cabane au Canada, représentant de tes petits cousins,
Jean Durand
From Albert Valdivia
Ely, please include my name in wishing Robert a most enjoyable retirement.
Robert as you know played an integral role in the success of Achieve in W-Canada. He was famous for his favorite pastime: "Kicking the cat" and the cat's scream was just a "meow".
Albert Valdivia – Winnipeg, Manitoba
Albert Valdivia – Winnipeg, Manitoba
Please pass along my Very Best Wishes to Robert. I still remember when I interviewed and got the job as Robert’s Admin. Assistant and good old Charlie Trail (now deceased) came up to me and said “well, well April – how good is your French??” to which I replied “well Charlie, it’s not quite as good as Robert’s English…so I guess that’s how we’ll be communicating”.
And communicate we did – he was the most honourable man I have ever worked for. Robert gave guidance without ever being overbearing and enough leeway to encourage free thought. He & his wife Ronda were supportive; they hosted Christmas get-togethers for the department in their home. When Rhonda and Robert moved to England they graciously hosted me for dinner I was there on ICI business; as I’m sure they did with many other colleagues who travelled from Canada.
Good Health & Happiness in your retirement Robert!
April Hewitt
Congratulations, Robert, on your retirement!I remember working for you (or with you!).Those were good times.Ed always said I liked you better because I did more for you.Not so - I think it was even.
Does Rhonda still paint?We have some of her paintings still in our possession and on our walls.One of the things I remember was that you and I always had a "running feud" on French wines vs Ontario wines. So one Marketing meeting we had a wine tasting test. We had one flavour of wine so it was comparing "apples to apples" And, lo and behold, when finished, you picked the Ontario wine - but I picked the French wine!Hope you take the time to taste the wine and smell the roses when you retire.Good luck.
Carol Wachnuik
I would be pleased if you would put my name on the list wishing Robert and Rhonda a long and healthy retirement. I remember Robert joining us in Chipman coming as the Technical Manager of Chipman and being a valuable member of the management team. It was quite a personal adjustment coming from Toulouse in France to Stoney Creek but Robert and his wife and his children adjusted very well.
Jack King
Best wishes Robert in your retirement….. I am so jealous as I still have a few years to go !!
Hope you have lined up many activities and things to do and places to visit, maybe even Calgary one day.
I wish you much happiness, good health, and loads of fun in your retirement years.
My Very Best wishes.
Sue Simpson
Robert and Rhonda – best wishes on a long and enjoyable retirement !
The National Meeting (I think Robert’s first) in Vancouver if I remember correctly. Robert was introduced to the “Saskatchewan cheese chop” where he was blindfolded and asked to remove his tie and socks. He was then given an axe and told to start chopping the “cheese” which was really his tie and socks on a block of wood. After some vigorous chopping the blindfold was removed and there was his favorite tie in pieces.
A meeting in Stoney Creek where Robert’s legendary nose for wine was put to the test. He was blindfolded and presented with glasses of wine from many different countries and even a glass of beer. He rated each one and as I recall the French and Italian wines were the winners. As I recall the beer received the lowest score and the most adverse reaction.
Robert – the best wishes to you and Rhonda on a GREAT RETIREMENT
Brad Smith
Robert: Congratulations. Enjoy your retirement and thanks for the opportunity to work with you here in Canada.
Always enjoyed your wine selections!
Tony & Val Grandoni
Always enjoyed your wine selections!
Tony & Val Grandoni
From Wayne Myers
Robert, I would like to wish you well on his retirement and ask him for something. My wife runs a small decorating business that features antique décor and France is a place where she draws a lot of inspiration. We make an annual trip to France each year, but we have not, as yet, strayed too far from Paris. I would like to keep in touch, on where in France we should go next for inspiration and/or buying a thing or two.
Wayne Myers
From Cam and Maili Davreux
Robert -all the very best to you and Rhonda for a long, happy and healthy retirement. We are quite envious that you are re-locating to Southern France. We spent some time in Paris, Lyon and Provence last September and enjoyed all three immensely, in particular Provence. Our very best, and please stop by for a visit if you’re ever back in the Toronto area.
Cam and Maili Davreux
From Louis and Lucile Caron
I have known Robert since the mid eighties. As you know I also worked with Robert when he was marketing director. So here are my 2 cents. Some of the facts are a bit vague since my memory becomes a bit gray over the years.
I first met Robert when I was on secondment in Farnham UK and he was on secondment from France to Jeallot’s Hill. I seem to recall at that time he was involved in the development of the ultra low volume electrostatic spray technology – “Electrodyn”. Can anyone remember that far back? Better yet, does anyone remember the infamous ED Sprayers? Maybe Robert can shed some light on that saga.
I returned to Canada in 1988 and at that time, Robert was working in the technical department at Chipman. A year or so later he became marketing director – much to the amazement of everyone – how could a teckky become a marketing guru? I sure was puzzled myself. He soon proved that he had the skills to run an effective marketing department. I recall the long marketing strategy discussions in his office where he was growing the very large passion flower. Eli, I think he wanted to prove that he could compete against your cactus that was literally growing through the ceiling in your office!
Some of you may recall the office launch of Premier seed treatment –Vladimir Wagner was the manager of the seed treatment business. After the announcement, we asked Robert to do a blind Champagne taste test. We chose about 8 different sparkling wines, including Baby Duck at one end of the scale and one high quality Champagne. But we also added one little surprise at the end. Robert had to rate each sample on a scale of 1 to 10. In this random test, he scored the high quality Champagne as a 10. He sure know his Champagne! Then the next one was a surprise… We had substituted the wine for beer. The expression on his face was priceless. He scored beer as zero!
Some of you may know that Robert enjoyed Canada a lot. In fact, enough to become a Canadian citizen. But the irony was that on the same day he became a Canadian citizen, he found out that he would be relocating back to Europe! Life’s little surprises.
In late 1995, I had the opportunity to visit Robert in his new role at Fernhurst. I recall that I was visiting the UK for one of the famous international “fly-ins”. At that time I was also a strong advocate of Lotus Notes. Robert and I shared the same positive thoughts on this effective communication tool, but that was not shared by the rest of the company’s IT department since Microsoft was the chosen platform. At that same get together, I announced to Robert that I was leaving Zeneca and starting Norac Concepts. The look on his face and the body language was priceless!
These are just a few fond memories of the Robert. Lucile and I always enjoyed the marketing department parties with Ronda and Robert at their house in Waterdown. Over time we became not only work colleagues, but good friends as well.
Robert, enjoy your retirement and if you are ever in Ottawa, please come to visit us.
Louis et Lucile Caron
From Ed Thiessen
Robert, congratulations on your retirement after many years of working with Syngenta and legacy companies. I still vividly remember when you came to Stoney Creek to head up the Technical Department and how you were able to get all of us to see the bigger picture as well as instilling your international experience into a small and young group of managers. We all benefited from that mentoring in our careers long after you had moved on to bigger and better things. Hopefully you look back on your time in Canada with fondness knowing that you had a very positive impact on all of us individually and the company as a whole.
I wish you and Rhonda all the best as you enter the next phase of your lives.
Ed Thiessen
From Eli and Sherrie Partyka
Robert – congratulations on retirement, after a distinguished career at Syngenta, Chipman, ICI, ICI Chipman and Zeneca. You have been an inspiration to many of us, I will always be grateful for all you have done for me and many others in Syngenta.Our careers are in part thanks to your mentorship.I am not alone in saying that you were one of the greatest leaders in Syngenta! We wish you all the best in your retirement.
Eli and Sherrie Partyka
From Eli and Sherrie Partyka
Robert – congratulations on retirement, after a distinguished career at Syngenta, Chipman, ICI, ICI Chipman and Zeneca. You have been an inspiration to many of us, I will always be grateful for all you have done for me and many others in Syngenta.Our careers are in part thanks to your mentorship.I am not alone in saying that you were one of the greatest leaders in Syngenta! We wish you all the best in your retirement.
Eli and Sherrie Partyka
