Cow Talk
“Attitude is e verything...”
Marion Challenor: hows she’s survived b
woman in the AI industry
D
aughter of celebrated cattle
breeder Fred Williams, Mar-
ion Challenor is a woman
with attitude and aptitude for busi-
ness and people.
Since its modest beginnings in the
sixties the 43-year-old has taken
the business from strength to
strength, building up one of the
most successful Artificial Insemi-
nation companies within the UK at
present.
This may be an achievement in it-
self, but unbelievably the mother-
of-two also holds the title for being
the only woman heading an AI
company and being its majority
shareholder within the industry.
Marion first became involved with the
family business at the tender age of
seventeen, joining Semen World Ltd
along with her father Fred who had
already began marketing semen from
two of his formidable sires, Tredene
Jan Alidema and Descales Midnight.
“I basically left school, went to col-
lege for a year to do accountancy
and after finishing my course didn’t
really have a job to go to, so father
suggested working at Semen World
in the office. I did it just to tie me over
really, but ended up staying 27-years
later”, she
“
laughs.
However the late
1990’s saw a big turn
I guess thats
around for the Ponty-
pool-based company, what I
with Marion making a
huge decision which
would later thrust the
enjoy- the
small business into
the bigger realms of
the industry.
challenge.
“There was a lot of
turn around when Genius brought
ABS [a stud out in the USA] in the
1990’s. Once they had purchased the
stud they owned their own production
facility, prior to that they were market-
Cow Talk
eing the only But despite the dramatic company
growth, the managing director still
believes that its family ethos has
dent that Marion oozes oodles of this.
“I love the business, always have and
its that passion and positive attitude
been key to its success over the
years.
that makes you good at what you do
and the determination is the back-
“In a family business there is always bone that won’t let you give up.
ing a lot of World Wide Sires (WWS)
product from the USA and the new that advantage that you really do We’ve faced a lot of difficulties; milk
acquisition meant that they no longer care what the customer thinks and quotas, BSE, Foot and Mouth and TB
needed anyone else’s product as you want to give them the best prod- but we have overcome them and we
they had their own.” uct that will give the results they are are still here. Foot and Mouth was
“There were some merges of AI or- looking for. Its not just making a sale the hardest thing we had to cope with
ganisations, Avoncroft took over its doing a good job, its as simple as as a company. They’ll be other chal-
Herdwise and Black and White Sires, that.” lenges to come, but we will get over
but after a short period went into liq- Arguably being brought up on farm them!”
uidation. At that time they were sell- which boasts one of the bests pedi- “Looking in the future I predict less
ing the WWS USA product, so WWS gree herds in the UK, has given Mar- dairy farmers with bigger units and I
really had to look at the UK market ion an edge over her competitors, as think there will only be three main AI
and decide where they were going to she has had a great insight into the companies left, so I certainly want
put their product, where they thought benefits of good genetics. WWS UK to be one of those three
they could get good growth. We were “Its a huge benefit being a farmers and we will be working towards grow-
lucky enough to have that opportu- daughter, people sell to people, and ing our market share so that we
“
nity. So in 2001 we signed a contract our team of make sure od that.”
with the USA to sell all of their prod-
uct in this country. It was a turning
salesmen,
evaluators, Just remem- But Marion ad-
mits that her sex
point in the history of the company. It
secured our product supply and un-
doubtedly gave us a far greater prod-
uct line than any of our competitors.”
distribution and
administration are
some of the best
people you’ll find
ber attitude is “ had been a dis-
advantage within
the industry over
the years.
The company has under-gone some
considerable adjustments in the past
worldwide and we
are really proud ofeverything! “Its been a sharp
learning curve, its
three years in order to adapt to the them. They know a very male-orientated industry and I
change, including bringing in a new they’re cows and they know what think its taken a long time for our
board of directors and shareholders they’re talking about and connect competitors to realise that I was seri-
and re-locating the business from the very well with the breeders and thats ous about taking the company for-
family farm to a much larger prem- great!” ward.”
ises where everything is structured Regardless of her accomplishments But despite the difficulties she has
under one roof. the businesswoman remains modest. had to endure Marion remains opti-
“With all busi- “I’ve been here for 27 years and we mistic about women entering into the
are now one of the major players,
“ nesses you get to
the stage where
you realise that
thats quite an incredible achieve-
ment, but thats not just down to me,
industry.
“Things have changed dramatically in
the business world and woman are
you need to imple-
ment many
the success is also down to the peo-
ple who work for us. Also if it wasn’t
for the opportunity that my father
just as competent as men. I would
really push more women into the in-
changes to be dustry, especially at higher levels, it’s
able to cope with
the growth.
gave me it would never have hap-
pened! You always have to remem-
a very rewarding career and you’re
working alongside great people,
Changes are al- ber where you started from and I’m farmers, who really are the salt of the
ways very difficult
to implement and
grateful to my father for that.”
The company has gone from have a
earth. My advice is just be strong and
remain focused. Determination also
its always chal- small market share in the eighties to plays a huge part in anybody’s suc-
lenging, but I guess thats what I it becoming a major contender in the cess, it doesn’t matter what your
enjoy, the challenge. Some find it dif- industry today. Sheer determination going in for. And just remember atti-
ficult to endure, but in this industry and passion have been fundamental tude is everything!”
there is only one guarantee- that in getting the company through turbu-
there will be plenty of challenges!” lent times over the years, but its evi-