“Do what you love and call it work,” Wayne Cast said after being honored by United Animal Health with the 2022 John B. Swisher Leadership Award on Thurs., June 9 at World Pork Expo, celebrating his lifelong contributions to the swine industry.
“I am a bit overwhelmed by this award,” Cast told the crowd at the United Animal Health tent. “If I have been of service to this industry, it is because of all the help others in the industry have given me. My philosophy is that it is okay not to know, but it’s not okay not to try to find out. People helping you and you helping them—what a great thing.”
The John B. Swisher Leadership Award is awarded annually during World Pork Expo to an individual who has significantly contributed to the advancement of the swine industry and who has exhibited extraordinary leadership qualities throughout their career, the company said in a release.
“This year, we celebrate Wayne Cast and his significant contributions to the swine industry,” said Doug Webel, Ph.D., President and CEO of United Animal Health. “Wayne is an industry icon and a well-respected leader in the swine industry. He is a dedicated leader committed to serving the swine industry, and we are pleased to recognize his achievements.”
Cast, a nutritionist at PIC, received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Nebraska with a focus on swine nutrition. He previously served as Director of Nutrition for Premium Standard Farms, a swine company that produced more than 4 million pigs annually, and his first nutritionist role was at Webel Feeds.
“Wayne is a naturally inquisitive guy. He is always asking questions—the right questions—to find new answers to old and new problems. His dedication to leading the way to new answers makes him the perfect candidate to receive this honor,” Webel said.
Cast continues to be a significant influence in the swine industry after more than 40 years of working in the field of swine nutrition, United Animal Health said in a release.
“John Swisher would appreciate Wayne’s intelligence,” said Ronny Moser, Ph.D., Vice President of Corporate Initiatives and Planning at United Animal Health. “Wayne is a smart individual, and he networks well within the industry. Wayne has the unique ability to take complex concepts and simplify them so everyone else understands.”
As a part of this award, United Animal Health will donate $5,000 in Cast’s honor to universities of his choice—the University of Nebraska and Kansas State University.
