Several changes to the Premier Select Sires management team will take place in the coming weeks and months. Premier excitedly announces that Brad Barham will join the team as the Southern Regional Sales Manager, David Whitlock will retire his position as the current Southern Regional Marketing Manager, and Kirk Sattazahn will become Vice President of Marketing and Development.
Brad Barham has accepted the position of Premier Regional Sales Manager for the Southern Region. Barham will bring with him years of experience in the agriculture and A.I. industries, as well as a forward-thinking and innovative attitude.
Barham was raised on a 200-head registered Jersey dairy in Southeast Tennessee. After earning a degree in finance and management, he built a career working with the American Jersey Cattle Association, River Valley Farm, and most recently, All West/Select Sires as the California Sales Manager. In three years of working at All West, Barham’s impact has been great. Specifically, he led the cooperative to tremendous growth in the Jersey business, increasing sales, market share, and customer reach; he impacted the Holstein business, specifically with his ideas centered on sex sorted semen and the NxGEN program; and he worked with his team members to help them learn and apply the Optimal Genetic Pathways (OGP) program, and provided great support to the field implementation of OGP. Barham says he looks forward to the opportunity to work closely with the great member-owners of Premier Select Sires as he transitions into his new role with Premier in July.
“We are very excited to have Brad join the management team,” said Mark Carpenter, CEO of Premier Select Sires. “His knowledge, experience, and proven track record of innovative adaptation of programs to deliver value to producers will serve our member-owners and cooperative well. We are especially glad that Brad has proven himself a leader in the Jersey breed as that is an important component of the region he will serve as well as demonstrating his commitment to serving local producers of all sizes and breeds.”
David Whitlock, current Regional Marketing Manager for the Southern Region, will retire on June 1, 2020 after 30 years working for Premier and its preceding cooperatives. Whitlock has served the cooperative in many different ways, and he charted the course in making reproductive analysis part of the everyday management and profit discussion with member customers. His efforts have enhanced the role of the Reproductive Specialist into a true partner and trusted advisor on farm.
Whitlock held the title of Regional Marketing Manager for the past four years of his career, and in that leadership role he worked closely with the Southern Region Area Sales Managers, Reproductive Service Specialists, and support staff to maximize sales and service. He attracted many new team members and helped them develop into their roles, strengthening the cooperative and the sense of teamwork in the Southern Region.
“Dave has been a champion for Premier, a mentor to many, and a thought leader in reproductive applications on farm that arguably was the basis for what we call SRS today,” said Carpenter. “Premier has such strong foundations in our organization that provide us the opportunities to let our branches grow and develop, and I personally want to thank Dave for his contributions and leadership to this foundation. Please join me in wishing Dave our collective appreciation for his service and the best of luck in his new endeavors.”
Kirk Sattazahn will assume the role of Vice President of Marketing and Development, effective May 16, 2020.Formerly the Director of Marketing for Premier, he begins this role after a few months serving the dairy industry in a different capacity. Sattazahn’s new position has been developed after more than a year of analyzing Premier systems and processes as a 23-state cooperative to determine the best way to effectively manage sales and marketing efforts.
Sattazahn will be responsible for achieving sales and service objectives for Premier Select Sires and increasing total sales and market share. He will be accountable for helping successfully translate strategy into achieving business objectives as a member of the senior leadership team. Areas of focus will include implementation and development of sales programs to include budgets, planning strategies, product mix, pricing, market research and analytics, marketing/communications, as well as suggested advertising, promotion and public relations programs. He will also assist the CEO as a senior executive to develop the mission, purpose, and priorities of the organization and collaborate on M&A targets and activity to enhance the member value proposition.
“I am very excited to have Kirk on the Premier team in this new capacity, and I look forward to working with him for the betterment of our members and employees,” said Carpenter. “With the tremendous opportunities Premier has ahead, we feel that this change will serve our cooperative well.”
Premier Select Sires is a farmer-owned cooperative that serves beef and dairy producers in its 23-state member area. Dedicated to providing its members with all they need to achieve success, Premier provides:
- Industry-leading genetics from the Select Sires, Accelerated Genetics, and GenerVations brands
- Effective herd health and management products, as well as artificial insemination supplies
- Reliable services and programs backed by years of success
- Knowledgeable industry experts who are easily accessed for consultation, advice, and on-farm assistance
Together with its five sister cooperatives across the United States, Premier owns and controls Select Sires Inc., the world’s most recognized name in bovine genetics.
