Stephen Sheppard Bad Axe, Michigan National Account Senior Specialist Genex Cooperative
What education are you bringing with you to this position?
I went to Bicton College of Agriculture [in the U.K.] where I received a national diploma in agriculture and a 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 Trio Farms, a 150-cow dairy in Botkins, Ohio. I stayed on this dairy for two years then 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?
- To deliver strategic and timely consulting along with the national account manager.
- To analyze on-farm data routinely and serve as an outside monitor for each account.
- To monitor product performance and guide the national account manager to optimize results.
- To deliver reproduction and genetic education programs to assist large dairy owners and managers to make profitable decisions.
- To assist on-farm employees in learning proper reproductive techniques.
- To mentor and provide direction to reproduction specialists by providing up-to-date, valuable research and data.
What previous positions have you held?
When I emigrated to the States, my first position on a large dairy was in northwest Minnesota. I was a herdsman on a 1,000-cow dairy. After working there for two years, I was offered a management position on a 2,000-cow dairy in Fennville, Michigan (Scenic View Dairy).
In 2004, I accepted a job offer to help a producer expand his 700-cow dairy in the Thumb region of Michigan. When I left to take my job with Genex, we had reached over 7,000 cows milking.
What excites you most about working in your new role?
The opportunity to meet more people in the industry and to assist producers excel in their businesses. To be a part of a team of highly qualified professionals working in an industry that I love.
How will you be of most help to producers in your region or area of expertise?
By utilizing my experience and knowledge to find and help solve issues on their dairies. My main areas of expertise are reproduction, transition cow management, parlor management and personnel.
Our industry has grown in the past 15 years from small dairies with a very limited number of employees to large businesses with people from non-farm backgrounds working shift work. On large dairies, it is not enough for a manager to only be a good cow person – he needs to know what he wants and how to communicate it to others so that they understand.
I have proven it can be done utilizing lots of practical experience and an understanding of people and their motivations.
Why did you choose this company?
Many of our support and consultancy companies have failed to keep up with the little understood need for an educated and structured staff on dairies. This company recognizes this need and addresses it with this position.
Also, the people I worked with from Genex when I was a farm manager loved the company and loved their jobs. Bob Saar, my national account specialist at the time, had a very contagious love for this position.
What goals would you like to accomplish while in this position?
I want to help the dairy industry 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. Finally, I want to keep my career moving forward in the dairy industry. PD
