b'ALLAN GRAYEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND PROFESSOR, Visual Appeal Does PURDUE UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR FOODAND AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS Not Indicate Efficacy@AllanGrayPUgray@purdue.edu agribusiness.purdue.edu IMAGINE ITS SPRINGand your grower cus-tomers are anxiously awaiting soil temperatures Taking a Leap andto enter the 50s. When it does, they are ready to roll, and you better be too. As they open that big black box or watch the seed pour into the planter, Landing on Success their hopes for a successful and profitable growing season hinge on the seed in front of them.While it might make you and growers feel good to see evenly coated seed with a nice sheen, IN A CROWDEDmarketplaceexcel in her full-time position. Theappearance doesnt indicate efficacy of whats thats only getting smarter, howpractical tools and subject matteron the seed. Previously, Ive used the saying that do you set yourself apart? Astaught allowed her to translateredder is not always better, and thats true but it a young professional, GW Fuhrher learnings to the real worlddoesnt matter what color you use. had a passion for agriculture andand immediately implementAppearance doesnt tell us anythingall it aspirations of becoming a salesthem in her daily operations. Shedoes is make us feel good. Just like the saying we leader. Surrounded by other younggained an increased understand- shouldnt judge a book by the cover, we shouldnt professionals with the same level ofing of the inner workings of ajudge a seed treatment by its appearance. So how education and experience, he wasbusiness specifically tailored toshould we judge a seed treatment application? looking to broaden his skill set andthe agribusiness industry. Knowing the accuracy of a seed treatment and knowledgebase to set himself apart. Since graduating in 2002, GWthe actual amount of active ingredient per seed is With a wife and son, timehas been able to see success incomplex. In the case of soybeans, specifically, the outside of his full-time positionseveral positions and says the pro- active ingredient is applied at a specified amount for professional development wasgram provided him with capabili- per seed; it doesnt matter if its a big seed or a little limited, but he knew he neededties he needed in his toolkit andseed. Each seed gets the same amount of active to build skills outside of the salesinstilled a hunger for continuousingredient, but this doesnt necessarily make for a arena. In 2000, after findinglearning. Brittany gained valu- visually appealing seed. Some seed will be darker Purdues Executive Master ofable analytical skills and becameand some seed will be lighter. Thats the nature of Business Administration program,an empathetic but decisive leader,treating seed on a per seed basisit doesnt mean GW seemed to have found hisreceiving three promotions thatthat you arent following the label rate. In fact, its answer. But what pushed him toled her to her current position asjust the opposite and we can show that internally take the leap? logistics manager at Bunge Northand with farmers through transparency in data.For GW, the idea of an onlineAmerica since starting the pro- Technology advances allow us to print out a masters degree program taughtgram in 2014. report and all the data that accompany that seed for by top-tier agribusiness facultyReady for a quality educa- internal purposes but also for customers so they can cemented his decision. The busi- tion you can manage whileknow whats actually on that seed. The only way to ness topics and concepts taughtjuggling work and other respon- get past the visual inspection is with numbers. With allowed him to do more than justsibilities? The MS-MBA in Foodhard data that comes from real-time application expand upon his sales knowl- and Agribusiness Managementrecordings. This is automa-edge, but also gain an increasedProgram is two degrees, spanningtion. This is transparency. understanding of other disciplines,over 27 months and is 85% online.This is not the future, its such as finance, HR, supply chain,In partnership between Purduetoday. strategy and more.and the Indiana University Kelley Brittany Schaefer was led toSchool of Business, students earn the MS-MBA program by a familyan MS in Agricultural Economics tie, but the depth of the cohortfrom Purdue and an MBA fromJASON KAEB and programming is what led herthe Kelley School of Business. FindDIRECTOR OF BUSINESS to take the leap. Uninterested inmore information on applicationDEVELOPMENT,KSI CONVEYORSleaving the workforce, Brittanydeadlines and requirements at@jasonkaeb_ksiwas able to successfully completeagribusiness.purdue.edu/degrees/ JasonKaeb@ksiconveyors.comthe program while continuing toms-mba/. KSiConveyors.comFEBRUARY 2020SEEDWORLD.COM /39'