Birth Year: 1978
Occupation: CEO/General Manager,
Northern Country Cooperative
As CEO of Northern Country Cooperative, I oversee
operations for multiple locations serving farmer members
throughout northern Iowa and southern Minnesota. Prior
to this role, I spent several years in the renewable fuels
industry. While I have served in a few agribusiness roles,
I am most proud of my family farm operation shared with
my brother in western Iowa where we grew up.
Education:
Iowa State University, Executive MBA and B.S.
Agricultural Business
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business,
Advanced Management Program
Iowa Lakes Community College, Associate of Science
Current Leadership:
CEO, Northern Country Cooperative
Export & Grain Trade Committee, Iowa Corn Growers Association
WHY I WANT TO SERVE ON THE BOARD:
I would value serving Farm Credit Services of America
for the same reasons I started doing business with the
Association. I know they have the producer’s best
interest at heart. I believe my skillset and background,
both on and off the farm, would provide value to the
Association’s Board as they navigate the years ahead
for our ever-changing industry.
EXAMPLE OF A LEADERSHIP ROLE THAT PREPARED ME FOR A POSITION ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
In addition to growing our family operation, I have
always maintained an off-farm job closely related to
agriculture. All these opportunities required reporting
and accountability to an overseeing board of directors.
Specifically, today, and when I was part of growing
a company in the early stages of the biofuels industry,
I had an active role in reporting to the board on financial
results, sales, risk, legal, business development,
compliance and trading, as well as relationship
management with leadership.
BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND/OR
EDUCATION IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
Strategic Planning: I have initiated strategy sessions
and moderated the planning and execution process of
strategy planning within different roles held. Another
metric for short- and long-term planning includes key
performance indicators for business and individuals,
formulating a strategy, reviewing the plan by evaluating
the previous period and looking at key factors that
influenced the outcome. My experience thus far has
shown me that you are always adjusting the process
for improvement.
Corporate Governance: My experience with corporate
governance has been in terms of the board’s responsibility
to guide and steer the company in the direction that aligns
with the company’s vision, mission and long-term plans.
In most cases, it is simply guiding executive leadership
and staying aligned with the company’s goals to ensure
success and growth.
Financial Reporting: My background gravitates me
toward the numbers and results. I have developed
forward-looking fiscal guidance to review financial
performance as part of company-wide budgeting
processes. I have been fortunate to experience some
amazing corporate growth trajectories, including being
part of a small private company that now can be found
on the public stock exchange. My current role is no
different in that we are focused on performance and
financial returns to our stakeholders.
Business Technology: I have been part of teams
that have brainstormed ideas for new programs/systems
to improve functionality and achieve business operational
goals. There will always be struggles of acceptance,
adoption and cost of implementation, but the need for
information and how it has been delivered is increasingly
optimized each day. Organizations and leaders must
continue to evolve alongside technology to ensure we
are fulfilling the needs of the customer and the longevity
of the business.
Risk Management: I feel risk management is my
greatest business strength. In my roles both on and off
the farm, I’ve had the opportunity to hone my skillset in
this area and successfully oversee accounts for fuels,
crops and livestock, all of which are integral to the farmer
members. I began my professional career merchandising
grains, grew to managing sales and trading for a large
company, have written risk management policies and
lead risk committees.
Talent Management: I understand that human capital
is critical and important for organizations to recognize
the value individuals bring. Many of the organizations
I have been part of have utilized different ways to measure
talent, from scorecards to key performance indicators.
I believe succession planning is critically important for
business continuity and longevity, and is especially
important for farming and agribusiness.