The Aberdeen-Angus Society is recruiting for a new chief executive following the decision of long-serving chief executive Ron McHattie to take early retirement due to health reasons, after 18 years in the role.
Mr McHattie, who came to the Society from a farming and business background, says it has been a great honour to have worked for the Society during such an exciting time in its history.
“Overseeing the breed during its resurgence as a leading beef breed and the development of branded Aberdeen-Angus beef ranges in a number of leading retailers has been a hugely exciting career.
“The growth of both the Society and the Aberdeen-Angus brand in the time I’ve been involved with the breed is testament to the hard work of breeders in producing cattle to suit the modern market and to the foresight shown by the Society’s council in working with leading processors and retailers to develop markets,” he explains.
“In my time with the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society it has been my pleasure to implement a number of ground breaking initiatives on behalf of breeders and, while leading from the front is not always without controversy, it is a mark of the breed that the Society has been involved in developing and implementing new technologies and services.
“Foremost among these has been the establishment and growth of Pedigree Cattle Services as a leading service provider in the field of performance recording to UK beef breed societies.” The rapid uptake of the ABRI BreedPlan system by a wide number of societies has been a resolute backing for the vision the Aberdeen-Angus Society had when first bringing the system to the UK, adds Mr McHattie.
The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society is now the second largest beef breed Society in the UK and has extensive links with leading processors and retailers, something which is undoubtedly the envy of other beef breeds across the country and indeed the globe.
“I am sorry to be leaving the role and could not have achieved everything I have without the support of a loyal and dependable office staff and the backing of a succession of Society presidents and council members.
“I wish the Society and its breeders the very best of luck in future and look forward to seeing the breed continue to thrive and develop in the coming years,” added Mr McHattie.
The position of Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society chief executive is to be advertised from Friday 1st May.