PORK Perspectives: A Minute with Gene Spellman, Page 2
Q. What will the business look like 20 years from now?
A. I see the U.S. pork industry doubling or more in the next 20 years in terms of production. We are the safe protein producer for the world. In light of that, we will grow in providing solutions to help make our producers have that reputation as the safe protein producer for the world. I believe Central Life Sciences will continue to grow as the industry grows in providing solutions that improve working environments for pigs, people and our neighbors.
Q. If you could go back and do something differently in your career, what would it be and why?
A. There’s not a lot I would change. I come from an old era where you could target one company in your career and stay with them until you retire. If I could do things differently, I wouldn’t have bought into that mindset and looked for more experiences in different areas with different companies. As the saying goes, “Your job is to do as good of a job as you possibly can, but in addition to that, your other job is to find your next great job.” To me, broadening your experiences and stepping out of your comfort zone into different positions would benefit a person.
Q. What advice do you have for someone who might like to do what you do someday?
A. Emphasize the sciences: math, chemistry, statistics. What I do is evidence-based research for proving that something, when implemented, will have a return on investment. Develop a strong foundation in financial and statistical analysis and understanding how research is conducted.
Q. How do you think COVID-19 has and will continue to impact the future of the pork industry?
A. As we work more remotely, cyber security will become a bigger issue. I think it’s going to impact us in a way that’s going to force us to analyze the interaction of our employees working around our animals more, including more scrutiny on interaction for employee relations, employee health and the impact on their network of people after they leave their operation.
PORK Perspectives is a recurring column that provides business and leadership strategy tips from some of the pork industry’s finest. Opinions expressed in this column are the opinions of Gene Spellman and do not represent the opinions of Farm Journal's PORK. Watch for future columns featuring advice and insights from more of the pork industry's leaders.
