Cambridge, Ontario - The Ontario Holstein Branch Board of Directors is pleased to announce the addition of Peter Brand as the new General Manager of the Ontario Holstein
Branch. Peter will assume the role on November 1st 2015. He will work out of the Ontario Holstein Branch office in Cambridge, as well as serving as the Field Representative for West-Central Ontario.
"Peter brings a unique combination of skills and background to this role," says President Ian Fraser. "In these fast-paced times, the Board is thrilled to support someone who offers both Industry experience and a vision for the future, including the increased use of data in day to day herd management."
The son of Holstein breeders, the new General Manager was raised on a dairy farm in Huron County and has dedicated his career to the dairy industry. A graduate of Ontario Agriculture College at the University of Guelph in Farm Operation and Management, Peter’s career has included a variety of roles including serving as a technician for the former United Breeders; coordinator of field Systems with the former Gencor; and over 14 years with Canadian Dairy Network (CDN) in a variety of roles, the most recent being Industry Service Manager. Major projects during that time include the Canadian Test-Day Model; Data Exchange System including health trait data; and SNP genotyping for the use in genomic evaluations. Most recently, Peter has served as the Manager of Business and Technology Solutions at Holstein Canada for the past three years. Peter has been the main force behind the complete rewrite of the Herdbook software to be launched later this fall. In effort to see this project through this major milestone, Peter will remain with Holstein Canada until November 1st.
"With Peter playing such a key role in the rewrite of Holstein Canada’s Herdbook software, and with the Herdbook software also being a very important tool for the Branch, we are very supportive of having Peter join later in the year," says President Fraser.
"I’m looking forward to reconnecting with our producers and working with the Ontario Holstein Branch staff and Board of Directors," says Peter Brand. "We have a great industry that is constantly changing, and working closely with grassroots and industry makes us strong to navigate through these changes."
The Board of Directors would also like to acknowledge the deep appreciation they have for the current Ontario Holstein Branch team for their support during the transition this summer. "The summer and fall are always very busy with member events, and their dedication to the Branch and to its members is highly motivating. We know they will make a great team with Peter. The future for the Ontario Holstein Branch is bright," adds President Fraser.
Although Peter begins his new position full-time on November 1st, he will be spending some time with the Branch team before then. Peter may currently be reached by email at pbrand@holstein.ca until further notice.