The post he fills, as group sales manager, is newly created and follows the decision last year to bring the three companies – each specialising in cattle genetics - into the same ownership.Mike brings a wide industry knowledge and experience to the role of overseeing the three separate sales teams, having spent a lifetime in the agriculture industry.
A dairy farmer’s son from Staffordshire, Mike studied at Lancashire College of Agriculture before joining the Milk Marketing Board in 1992. Moving through the ranks from AI technician to breeding advisor (then with Genus), he trained in the company’s mating program which he operated on farms throughout the midlands during the 1990s.
He moved on to NWF Agriculture – then a small regional company selling around 50,000 tonnes of animal feed - in 1997. Beginning as a sales specialist, he moved on to develop sales, first in the central and then in the southern regions, as the company expanded into these areas. Later taking on all sales responsibilities as national development manager, by the time of his departure, NWF had become the largest UK-owned ruminant feed company, selling over 500,000 tonnes a year.
As he joins the Cogent Group, Mike says he looks forward most to being part of a vibrant team of people offering a world-leading portfolio of bulls, originating from both its UK testing programme and its international partners, World Wide Sires Ltd (US).
“It’s clear the team’s expertise and enthusiasm for the future will ensure the group’s bulls are at the forefront of genetics for the years ahead,” he says.
Mark Evington, managing director for the group, says: “We are delighted to have Mike on board to lead and inspire our sales teams and to drive forward our year-on-year growth by striving to offer our clients an unsurpassed level of service.”
