Steve Rochester
 |
Steve Rochester has had a long and successful career with Merial. After leaving Lincoln College with a B.Ag.Sci with First Class Honours in economics and nutritional biochemistry, Steve joined MSD Agvet. One of his first roles involved touring the country in a converted bus running training meetings to inform farmers about the new anthelmintic IVOMEC®. He remembers many halls and woolsheds where farmers gathered to hear about this totally new product that represented a paradigm shift at the time.
After two years he became a product manager looking after all Ivomec cattle products and managed MSD Agvet vaccines. Later, as Group Product Manager, Steve launched IVOMEC Pour On. He remembers making the TV news when they took 12 cattle beasts into Auckland’s Hyatt Hotel to promote the launch.
Steve then went to work for the company in New Jersey for two and a half years as Global Product Manager for inline cattle products.
He then returned to New Zealand as MSD Agvet’s youngest ever Country Manager.
During his time running the New Zealand business capsules were launched, as was SR Bolus and later EPRINEX®.
In 1998 internationally MSD Agvet created a joint venture with Rhone Merieux that became Merial. And in 1999 Steve was involved in buying the capsules business from Nufarm.
In 2000 Steve went to France with Merial as head of global enterprise for the entire Merial ruminant business. In 2002 the Merial head office relocated to Duluth, Georgia in the US. Steve moved to Duluth and eventually became head of the Production Animal Group Enterprise for North America and Country Delegate for the US.
In 2005 he returned to New Zealand to manage the Oceania business for Merial which includes New Zealand, Australia and, curiously, the Kingdom of Tokelau.
Outside of work Steve is a dedicated petrolhead owning a race car, an original ’67 Pontiac Firebird convertible with a works 400 cubic inch V8, a 1986 CJ7 Jeep offroad monster truck, a 1935 vintage truck as well as a couple of motorcycles. He enjoys anything to do with motors - “anything you can work on that doesn’t require you pull out your laptop to tune it”.
Click here to view a broadcast message from Colin Harvey and Steve Rochester.
Click here to go directly to the Merial website.
Click here to go directly to the Ancare website.
