Christina Pollock, Senior Account Manager

Department: Sales

Farming roots

“I grew up in Stirlingshire on my family’s beef and sheep farm and I try to spend as much time as I can there. I have always had a keen interest in livestock farming and how results can really make a difference to the farmer, animals and business.”

“I have grown up surrounded by the agricultural industry and to be honest I think this has inspired me to choose the career path that I’m perusing. However, back in the day I did have another job which wasn’t linked to farming and after two years I knew it wasn’t for me. I then changed direction and completed a MSc at the university of Harper Adams. I studied part time for four years and graduated with a master’s degree in Ruminant Nutrition.”

Sales team and area

“I joined ForFarmers six years ago and time has really flown by. I began as a Trainee and over the years have worked my way up to the position of a Senior Account Manager. I cover the Central Scotland area which runs from Renfrewshire across to Fife, and Perthshire down to Lanarkshire."

"As an Account Manager my role consists of working with dairy, beef and sheep farmers to help them get the most out of their farming business. This often means reviewing their inputs, adjusting them and improving their outputs. Efficiency is so vital in today’s world and small incremental changes can make a big difference. I really believe in the benefits of costings and by monitoring over time it helps guide business with informed data-led decisions."

“ForFarmers operates internationally but here in the UK there are a number of sales teams. I am part the Penrith Team and there are seven of us in total. My colleagues are really supportive and experienced, so there’s always someone to turn to if I need assistance with anything."

"We enjoy our jobs out on the road and we share knowledge, ideas and help one another to formulate the best solutions for our customers. By having a mixture and range of experience in our team helps create an enjoyable working and learning environment.”

Visiting farms and customers

“Before Coronavirus turned our world upside down I use to be on the road, walking cows, taking silage samples, reviewing rations and advising customers on our wide range of products and services. As I have a large area to cover, I always plan my week in advance in order the make the best use of my time.”

“Now life is a bit different and I spend a lot of time on the phone to customers. I can still monitor performance and work towards the farmer’s goals remotely, you just need to be a bit more versatile. Visolac is a great tool and allows me to monitor a herd's performance remotely. It also provides monthly reports which indicate performance and potential improvements.

“I enjoy the variety of tasks within my job and I’m really look forward to being back on the road visiting customers face to face.”

Taking customers on a journey

“Being a farmer’s daughter, I’ve always been interested in animals, farming methods and innovation. There’s always new things to learn whether at home on the farm, with colleagues or customers. I am sociable person and hence talking to farmers about their cows is an easy task.”

“One of the things I enjoy most about my job is seeing improvements. I work closely with customers to review their current situation. We then create goals and consider a range of suitable options. After some discussion we implement the changes and monitor them over time ie. improve milk yields by adjusting the ration or adjust the youngstock feeding protocols and monitor their DLWG. It brings me a huge sense of achievement when we meet targets and this also helps me build strong relationships with my customers across the region”

A brighter future

“With Covid-19 and Brexit still causing uncertainty in the industry, I think farmers are looking for advice on how to improve efficiency and create more sustainable businesses for the future."

"Here at ForFarmers we have the best tools, a diverse portfolio of products and a wealth of knowledgeable individuals which collectively helps our customers to successfully progress their enterprises.”