Marie Stephenson, Sales Manager – North Regional Sales (Ruminant)

Tell us a little about your background, how long have you been with ForFarmers?

I’ve been with ForFarmers for about five and a half years, joining the company as a Senior Account Manager before working my way up to my current role of Sales Manager. In this role I’m responsible for managing a team of six, who cover the medium to large dairy sector in the north.

I started working in the industry 25 years ago after finishing my degree in Agriculture and Animal Nutrition and followed in my dad’s footsteps by taking on a sales role. Over the years I’ve had numerous roles in sales and nutrition, and I’ve built up quite a lot of experience. It’s great to now be in a role where I can share this knowledge with my team to support them and help them develop. Helping others thrive in their role is definitely where my heart lies now.

What is your favourite part of the role?

The team is definitely one of the best bits of my role. It’s great to work with such committed colleagues who share the same vision and want to achieve the best for our customers. The camaraderie between the team has really built over the last year, and it’s been really rewarding seeing them flourish in their roles as a result.

The variety that comes with the role also really suits me – one day I can be running a meeting with the regional team and the next I can be out on farm supporting one of my team members or popping to the mill. I’ve got an active mind which needs to be occupied and so although stepping into this role was a challenge, it’s one I’ve really relished and enjoyed.

At the moment I’m also training for the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge alongside a number of colleagues in memory of our late team member Keith Colley. It was such a shock to lose Keith last December and it’s been really tough for the whole team. Taking on this challenge has been a good way for us to come together while also raising money for the British Heart Foundation and FCN.