Julian “Skip” Olson Highland Village, Texas Director of Dairy Sales Nutrition Physiology Company
Please describe your agricultural background.
I grew up on a small farm in northern Minnesota where my parents had a cow-calf business and my grandparents had a dairy. I was a partner in a dairy-focused veterinary practice in Wisconsin for 10 years and I have 17 years of experience in various dairy industry positions across the United States.
I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science and a DVM degree from theUniversity of Minnesotawith an emphasis in large animal veterinary medicine. For ten years, I practiced in a large animal clinic with specific focus on dairy production and herd health.
What previous positions have you held?
I have been a partner in a veterinary practice in Wisconsin, held positions as a technical service specialist and have held several sales manager positions all representing dairy specific products. Most recently, I was a national account manager for Land O’Lakes’ milk replacer products in the western U.S. and Canada.
What are your new responsibilities?
My primary responsibility is the further development of the dairy business and growth of Bovamine® sales for Nutrition Physiology Company (NPC) in the U.S. dairy market. NPC was founded in 1996 by Dr. Douglas Ware and Mike Ray because they saw a need to develop a proven direct fed microbial for the cattle market. Dr. Ware used his background in research and development to work with the top microbiologists to screen and test hundreds of bacterial strains to find those most effective in cattle. The result was Bovamine, a unique combination of a lactic acid-producing bacteria and a lactic acid-utilizing bacteria that work in both the rumen and the lower gastrointestinal tract.
What territory will you cover?
The sales and technical support people on my team will cover all of the key dairy markets, including California, the Upper Midwest, the Pacific Northwest, Southwest and Eastern U.S.
What excites you most about working in your new role?
I’m really looking forward to getting back into a management role and working with a successful and professional sales team. Dr. Ware and Mike are still key members of the NPC management team, and I look forward to working with them and learning from them to build the dairy business beyond our current base of dedicated, loyal customers.
My main job is to support the NPC dairy team so that they can do the best job possible to provide service and value to customers who use Bovamine®.
What’s your best story from the first day on the job?
I have an expression that my wife says I use frequently. So, predictably, on the first day on the job, I was in a meeting with our CEO, and in a discussion we were having I exclaimed, “Oh, for Pete’s sake”. Because of my embarrassment, you can probably guess his first name.
Why did you choose this company?
I chose NPC because it has a successful history and is the leader in direct fed microbials for cattle. This position will allow me to get back into a role I really enjoy and to work with dedicated people who believe in Bovamine. I want to continue to build on NPC’s great work and to be a big part of developing a strong and successful dairy team.
What goals would you like to accomplish while in this position?
I want to have all of the open sales positions staffed with talented and motivated people, to support additional dairy research that complements our sound science in the feedlot business and of course, to contribute to the future success of NPC. PD
