Stephen Sheppard Area Marketing Manager Genex Cooperative Inc. Bad Axe, Michigan

What education are you bringing with you to this position?
I went to Bicton College of Agriculture where I received an national diploma in agriculture and an national certificate in dairy.

Please describe your agricultural background.
I grew up on a small family dairy farm in southwest England. In 1993, I came to Ohio and worked as an intern through Ohio State University on a dairy in west central Ohio. I stayed on this dairy for two years and returned to the family farm in England. In 1997, I decided I wanted to work with large dairies. This not being possible in England, I moved my family back to the states where I started my career in the large-dairy industry.

What territory will you cover?
Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

What are your new responsibilities?
I am to be accountable for the recruitment, training and development of Genex employees and representatives in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. It is my responsibility to build and develop our team of field marketing staff and artificial insemination technicians, ensuring each team member in the Great Lakes region has the necessary resources available to be successful in their positions.

I will work with members, customers and company employees to grow and enhance relationships between the company and its members. Myself and my team will assist farms in their reproductive and genetic needs, and deliver reproduction and genetic education programs to assist dairy owners and managers in making profitable decisions. We will also assist on-farm employees in learning proper reproductive techniques.

What previous positions have you held?
I was a herdsman on Trio Farms, a 150-cow dairy in Botkins, Ohio, interning through Ohio State. I stayed on this dairy for two years and returned to the family farm in England. In 1997, I immigrated to the states. My first position on a large dairy was in northwest Minnesota. I was a herdsman on a 1000-cow dairy. After working there for two years, I was offered a management position on a 2000-cow dairy in Fennville, Michigan, at Scenic View Dairy. In 2004, I accepted a job offer to help a producer expand his 700-cow dairy in the Thumb of Michigan. At the time I left to take my job with Genex, we had reached more than 7,000 cows milking.

In 2012, I joined Genex, consulting on large dairies in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, where my main responsibilities were to deliver strategic and timely consulting, to analyze on-farm data and serve as an outside monitor for the herds. I was to monitor the product performance and guide the national account manager to optimize results. I delivered reproduction and genetic education programs to assist large-dairy owners and managers to make profitable decisions. I worked with on-farm employees in learning proper reproductive techniques, and mentored and provided direction to reproduction specialists by providing up-to-date valuable research and data.

Who has made the biggest impact on your career?
My career has been influenced by many industry professionals, who have been willing to help guide and advise me on my career path. But the biggest impact has been my family. My parents raised me on our family’s dairy farm, demonstrating that there is no substitute for hard work. When there is a job to be done, you have to get up and get it done, with no excuse. My wife has also been a huge influence, also raised with the same work ethic and with the drive to move our careers forward in a way to best suit our family.

How will you be of most help to producers in your region or area of expertise?
With my dairy management background, as well as experience serving as a Genex national account senior specialist, I have an in-depth knowledge of cattle genetics, reproduction and overall dairy management. Members and customers will benefit from my knowledge and desire to provide innovative solutions to increase farm profitability.

Why did you choose this company?
The company recognizes the need for a well educated and structured staff, encouraging its employees to continuously stretch themselves and further their education. We all have the opportunity to expand ourselves with online classes and classroom time through an employee development program. This ongoing education opens new opportunities inside the company to expand my career and meet my personal long-term goals. Also, the people I worked with from Genex, both when I was a farm manager and in my national account specialist position, had a very contagious love for the company, and indeed, being in the company for the past two years, I feel at home working with the team here.

What goals would you like to accomplish while in this position?
First of all, I want to help the dairy industry to further develop and position itself in the world market. Secondly, I want to help individual dairies in my area to be the top leading producers in the nation by pulling my team together to provide reproductive and genetic education to our members and customers. And finally, I want to keep my career moving forward in the dairy industry. PD