Q&A with Jeff Schuller, Thomas Foods International Feedlot SA
19 May 2022
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Australian Rural Leadership Program The Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP) is a scholarship program run by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) and provides an opportunity for leadership development using challenge-based and experiential learning. |
Every year, MLA and Australian Lot Feeders' Association (ALFA) award two scholarships to lot feeders to attend the ARLP Program.
Jeff Schuller has spent the last five years working as the Feedlot Operations Manager at Thomas Foods International Feedlot SA, leading a team of 25 employees in the day-to-day activities at one of Australia’s busiest feedlots. In 2020, he was awarded one of ARLP’s grainfed beef industry scholarships.
We took the opportunity to sit down with Jeff recently for a quick Q&A. Here, we find out more about his scholarship and see what advice he might have for people in the feedlot industry looking to grow their skills.
What did the scholarship entail?
The program runs for 16 months and focuses on experiential leadership. The ALRP concentrates on developing your leadership skills, including:
- understanding ethical and social responsibility
- developing analytical capabilities
- improving industry, community and regional engagement.
The program includes five face-to-face sessions comprising up to 54 contact days. This includes time spent in classroom as well as outdoor, experiential leadership programs in remote places like cattle stations in the Kimberley’s, which was an incredible experience.
How did you get involved in the ALRP scholarship program?
Around six or seven years ago, I was fortunate to do the ARLP’s TRAIL program. This program took people from all over the country and helped to develop a strong foundation of skills and knowledge.
The TRAIL program is a condensed version of the full ALRP. So, when the opportunity came up to attend the ALRP scholarship program through ALFA, I took it.
What skills have you taken from the program back to your work at Thomas Foods International Feedlot?
The biggest lesson I learned from the program is understanding what drives individuals – whether that’s myself as a leader or an employee at the feedlot, we are all motivated by something.
The program helped me to better understand people’s motivations and how to work with them in order to get the best outcomes for themselves personally, as well as the broader community or business.
What have been the biggest challenges since completing the program?
The broader issue relating to attracting and retaining staff in the Australian rural sectors.
Programs like these are a fundamental way for the ALFA to help attract and retain top talent within the industry around the country. I feel privileged to be able to undertake formal training in leadership skills in order to help cultivate the next batch of leaders in Australian feedlots.
What would you recommend for other feedlot workers who are looking to grow their skills?
The fantastic thing about the feedlot industry is the plethora of training options and resources available for anyone who wants them. I’m extremely lucky to be able to do great work with Thomas Foods and receive some excellent training with ARLP.
I’d encourage all who are interested to get involved with ALFA and the ARLP, there’s always plenty to discover.
What’s next for you?
I’m loving my work in feedlots and as a part of the Thomas Foods team.
Through my learnings with the ARLP, I am looking forward to continuing to manage my team effectively, and to pass on my knowledge to my networks. I welcome positive, real, lasting change for regional, rural and remote Australia through programs such as this, it’s been a pleasure to be a part of.
