Month: August 2020

Meet StockCo’s newest Agrifinance Manager, Charlotte Baker. Charlotte began her career studying Agribusiness and Animal Production Science at the University of Queensland (Gatton campus) where she gained a wealth of knowledge and insight into the Agricultural finance industry.

Not only does she possess a great deal of Agricultural knowledge, but she also brings with her an extensive background in the financial industry. She thoroughly enjoyed her most recent role as Assistant Manager in Business Banking at Westpac, however, found that the position at StockCo would satisfy both her financial passion as well as her agricultural wisdom.

From an early age, Charlotte spent most of her childhood living on a hobby farm in Brisbane’s northside and grew up working in various farmhand positions before she graduated university. She says it was her hands-on upbringing that sparked her love for animals, its people and the industry as a whole.

“It really is true. People from the bush are worlds away from people in the city, and those are the people I want to work with.”

Straight away, Charlotte knew she wanted to join the team at StockCo. She claims she knew straight away that the position of Agrifinance Manager aligned perfectly with her goal to help the Australian beef and sheep industries in the best way that she can.

“I am most excited about the chance to immerse myself in such an exciting industry and to meet new people from many different areas and backgrounds.”

From her time at UQ Gatton campus, Charlotte studied the science behind livestock like beef and sheep which ultimately provided her with a plethora of technical knowledge. In her new role, Charlotte plans to put this extensive knowledge into action.

“My main goal is to provide the most appropriate solution to my customer’s needs and to the best of my abilities.”

Based in Brisbane, Charlotte’s primary responsibility, as Agrifinance Manager, is to support her Queensland and Northern New South Wales customers, delivering strategic finance solutions to meet their needs.

Charlotte is optimistic about her future at StockCo and leaves this final piece of advice for her clients:

“If you’re one of the lucky ones to have received rain, take advantage of that extra carrying capacity, don’t let it go to waste!”

StockCo is proud to announce Charlotte Baker as our newest Agrifinance Manager based in Brisbane. If you’re looking to speak to an experienced Agrifinance Manager that understands your wants and needs, get in touch with Charlotte on 0431 834 482.

StockCo is thrilled to announce the appointment of Chris Howie as the new Business Development Manager. We sat down with Chris to discuss his experiences within the agricultural industry as well as what he is most looking forward to as he settles into his new role.

Chris has a wealth of experience when it comes to working within a livestock agency and management based on livestock trading opportunities. It’s no surprise Chris is extremely passionate about the agricultural industry after working within it for over 30 years.

“I am passionate about the industry because it is founded on tradition yet is continually changing. Being heavily involved in measurable outcomes whilst dealing with real people makes it a great place to be.”

Chris decided to become a part of the StockCo team because he found that many of the opportunities provided to customers were limited by access to finance and understanding. StockCo closes this gap by offering a service that allows customers to focus on livestock and achieving the best outcomes. 

Chris started out his career shearing sheep for six years, boning mutton for a short stint before moving onto working with Elders to eventually become the National Livestock Manager. It’s evident that Chris understands the industry from its grassroots and believes that his long-standing, hands-on experience will allow him to keep his advice to customers simple and relevant with measurable outcomes.

Chris is looking forward to being heavily involved in many aspects,

“I’m most excited about the business development aspect across the livestock agency, feedlot, processor and live export industries. I’m also excited to have the ability to identify opportunities in advance and bring some focus that allows those involved the time to absorb and act on them.”

We asked Chris to describe what he sees as the biggest opportunities for his clients right now, and this was his response:

“Breaking through the glass ceiling of what producers have always done – making their enterprise work for them, not them working for the enterprise.” 

With his appointment, Chris brings a vast network that spans across Australia where he can share his years of knowledge in cattle and sheep production as well as his technical understanding of wool and genetics.

At StockCo we are pleased to welcome Chris into his new role of National Business Development Manager. If you’re looking to maximise returns on existing operations or embrace new business opportunities, get in touch with Chris on 0408 842 331.