The 2024 USPOULTRY Financial Management Seminar provided attendees with information that is shaping today’s business landscape. The program offered insights ranging from cybersecurity legal ramifications to economic forecasts and leadership principles.

Dabbs Cavin, CEO at Mountaire Corp., discussed the significance of leadership in the workplace, expressing the importance of maintaining a positive culture within the work environment while in a leadership position and the value of trusting employees.  When asked what makes a good leader, Cavin said, “Integrity is number one, two and three. You need to be willing to hire your weaknesses; people that may outshine you.” Continuing with what he learned from his role as CFO to now CEO, Cavin noted how crucial it is to learn from different mentors. “Find the people that you admire that have the qualities you’d like to have or maybe enhance the ones you already have,” he said. “That’s a powerful tool.” 

As part of their presentation on cybersecurity, Melanie Ramey, senior associate at Eversheds Sutherland LLP, and Alexander Gross, chief business officer of CYPFER, spoke about the latest threat landscape and discussed trends, including generative artificial intelligence, deep fake technology, ransomware and ChatGPT in the workplace. Gross highlighted how farms across the U.S. are increasingly becoming targets of cyber attacks, often in the form of ransomware, jeopardizing animal welfare and disrupting the consumer supply chain. Ramey gave an overview of some of the legal ramifications that may result from a cyber incident.

Mark Jordan, executive director at LEAP Market Analytics, provided an economic update, offering insights on various economic factors, such as inflation, public debt, employment and agriculture. While Jordan mentioned inflation is “cooling,” it is still running comfortably ahead of long-term average levels. Regarding the agriculture market, Jordan noted an increase in corn and soybean production, which should result in cheaper feed costs for 2025. Protein demand is expected to ease from the “pandemic bubble” but remain elevated by historical standards.

USPOULTRY is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. Up to 12 CPE credits may be awarded to seminar attendees. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. 

Source: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association