FCCS News & Insights

Succession Planning Emerges as Key Workforce Priority for Agriculture and Food Employers

Breakout session at the 2026 AgCareers Agriculture & Food Roundtable Conference will focus on leadership continuity, internal talent development and workforce resilience.

Succession planning is now a leading driver of hiring activity in the agriculture and food industry, as employers prepare for retirements, career progression, and future skill needs, according to findings from the latest AgCareers HR Review.

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Employers are taking a longer-term view of workforce needs, prioritizing retention, leadership readiness, and replacement planning to address ongoing labor demands.

To address these needs, the AgCareers Roundtable Conference, August 4-6, 2026, in Champaign, Illinois, will feature a breakout session about succession planning for sustainable growth. Jay Lux, Vice President of Organizational Development, FCCS Consulting, will lead the session.

“Succession planning is often misunderstood as a reactive measure, something to revisit only when a vacancy occurs, or an executive retires,” shares Lux. “However, genuinely strategic organizations treat it as a continuous, year-round discipline that ensures leadership continuity, develops internal talent, and drives employee engagement,” adds Lux.

This session will explore:

How to align business strategy with talent planning

Leadership continuity and preparation for future workforce needs

Practical approaches to identifying key roles and developing internal talent

Building sustainable succession plans

Supporting growth, reducing risk, and strengthening organizational resilience

The session will also cover practical tools for measuring individual talent and potential. “Well-liked individuals are often polished communicators and vibrant personalities,” says Lux. “These are wonderful traits, but it can be easy to fall victim to charisma, allowing strong personal presence to overshadow gaps in leadership competency, decision-making capability, or organizational fit,” notes Lux.

At FCCS, Lux leads a team of professionals who build organizational strategy, facilitate the growth and development of leadership and individual skills, construct succession and talent management systems, assess and select senior leadership, lead change, maximize team effectiveness, measure cultural and maximize engagement levels to improve results.

The annual AgCareers Agriculture & Food Roundtable Conference brings together employers, educators and industry leaders from across agriculture and food to discuss workforce challenges, talent development, recruitment strategies, and emerging industry trends. Attendees gain practical insights, build connections, and leave with actionable strategies to strengthen their organizations and programs.

In addition to the Roundtable Conference, executives and senior leaders are invited to add-on the Executive & Senior Leadership Forum, an exclusive half-day experience designed for leaders committed to strengthening their leadership and making an impact in today’s evolving agriculture and food industry.  

About AgCareers 

The AgCareers’ mission is to provide global talent solutions in agriculture and food. They strive to “Feed the World with Talent” in the industries they serve. AgCareers’ passion for agriculture is demonstrated through their investment of time and resources to engage candidates and employers in the industry. They work to build the pipeline of talent to the industry by expanding knowledge about the breadth of career opportunities in agriculture.

For more information, visit www.AgCareers.com.