About

Areas of Expertise

• Sales and marketing
• Change optimization
• Creating and marketing value
• Performance enhancement
• Competitive differentiation
• Business process enhancement
• Goal setting, action planning and measurement
• Fostering cultures
• Leadership development
• Coaching and mentoring

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Delivery Methods

Speeches

• Keynote
• Kick-off or closing for company or industry gatherings
• Tastefully humorous, with take-home tid-bits attendees will remember, and put to use
• Pertinent points appropriately woven into a message in tune with the times and theme of the function
• After breakfast/lunch/dinner
• Mood-setting and motivational use of humor and anecdotes refined to reflect the interests and aspirations of the respective group
• Generally 30 to 45 minutes, but flexible... with time for questions if client desires

Presentations
(PowerPoint™, professionally prepared)

• General interest... aimed to be informative and to a diverse group with assorted interests
• Pointed and focused on business issues and realities in line with expectations of the times and the audience; topics/themes developed to address customer desires
• Generally 45 to 60 minutes... with time for questions/break-outs if desired by client

Workshops

• Interactive and participatory approach to:
  • Determining roadbloacks to enhanced performance and opportunities to uncover
  • Defining accountability and action/timelines directed toward strategy and goals
  • Skills development (sales, leadership, relationship, etc.)
  • Address areas of particular interest to client
• Pointed and focused on business issues and realities in line with expectations of the times and the audience; topics/themes developed to address customer desires
• Generally 45 to 60 minutes... with time for questions/break-outs if desired by client

 

Experience

Don held various sales positions with the J.R. Simplot Company, and was ultimately promoted to President of the Minerals and Chemical Group. The position was responsible for mining, manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing (through eighty company-owned stores) as well as all other administrative areas.

He was the first President and CEO of Saskferco, a world scale nitrogen plant built and owned by the Government of Saskatchewan and Cargill.

Don joined publicly-traded Ag-Chem Equipment Co. in Minneapolis as Vice President, Sales in 1996. Soon thereafter, he was promoted to President, a title he held until the company sold to AGCO in 2001. During his time at Ag-Chem, the company enjoyed double digit annual revenue increases. As well, leadership based on goal achievement was emphasized, business processes were refined, training and education were implemented and communication was leveraged. AGCO was the successful buyer of Ag-Chem, outbidding both Case and John Deere.

After the 2001 purchase of Ag-Chem by AGCO, he remained with AGCO through 2008 as Vice President of Major Accounts and Global Partner Relations. In this role, he interfaced with top ag-retail customers in North America, South America, Europe and Russia. During 2007 and 2008, Pottinger held the same responsibilities half time with AGCO. The other half of available time was aimed at consulting with such sophisticated companies as International Raw Materials, a global player based in Philadelphia.

Company/Client Relationships

Companies worked with in various capacities:

• Agrico Canada Ltd.
• The McGregor Company
• C-S Agrow
• Heartland Co-op
 
• Agrium/ CPS/ Western Farm Service/ Royster Clark
• Mosaic (Ag College)
• Douglass Fertilizer
• Pike Management Group
• AGCO Corporation
• Central Valley Co-op
• South Dakota Wheat Growers
• Green Drop
• AdFarm
• International Raw Materials
• Helena
• Michigan Agricultural Association
• Canadian Association of Agri Retailers
• Canadian Fertilizer Institute
• Minnesota Agricultural Association
• Ziegler Cat.
• Butler Cat.
• Green Markets

Speeches Delivered

• Agricultural Retailers Association Convention - As convention chair, kick off the annual meeting invo lving five hundred delegates
• Canadian Association of Agri-Retailers - Kick off breakfast for annual convention involving eight hundred delegates
• South Dakota Wheat Growers - Board/member annual meeting
• AgExcellence - Kansas City KC. Membership is a group of upper end ag retailers who meet semi annually to listen to industry experts and discuss salient issues
• Pike Management Group - Outlook conference for membership including several hundred Canadian growers

Presentations Given

• Agricultural Retailers including: Agrium Retail (Galesburg IL); Central Valley AG (Omaha NE);The McGregor Company (Colfax WA. 2008 ARA retailer of the year); C-S Agro (Calumet IA. 2006 ARA retailer of the year); Helena Chemical (Collierville TN); Growmark (Bloomington IL); South Dakota Wheat Growers (Aberdeen SD); International Raw Materials (Philadelphia PA);
  • Marketing Value, Change Optimization, Strategic Planning, Raising the Skills Bar and other topics of particular interest to clients
• Mosaic Ag College (by invitation only)
  • Annual industry-leading informational event involving four hundred top ag retailers

Workshops Led

• AGCO Corp. Duluth GA. Develop and facilitate annual Customer Focus Meeting
• Agrico Canada. Toronto ON. Prepare and deliver workshop aimed at assisting Crop-Care retailer members improve market share and impact with growers
• Tremont Ag. Dixon CA. Sales skills enhancing workshop aimed at taking top sales producers to an even higher standard. Follow up session planned
• Heartland Co-op. Des Moines IA. Three-pronged workshop aimed at 1. Working with top-end growers, 2. Optimizing the value of personal customer relationships and 3. Creating and marketing distinctive value
• Ziegler CAT. Minneapolis MN. Workshop involving both sales and service groups, aimed at teamwork, co-operation and market-share enhancement