Learn more about the open roles available at FBN.
Our “Why I Chose FBN” series features stories from employees across different roles, teams, and geographies on how they got to FBN, what it’s like to work here, and how their teams help fulfill our mission of putting Farmers First®.
In this installment, get to know Hiro Ellis.
I joined FBN in June 2020 so I recently celebrated 4 years with the company. I'm based in the San Carlos office. I'm a product manager, and I work on the product management in technology team. Essentially, we are the keepers of the vision and roadmap for the software we develop or what we call “product” here. My domain is the commerce platform, so focusing on all the bespoke software we develop around the FBN.com shopping experience.
One of the features we just launched is an update to price transparency. It's such a compelling feature. It helps farmers understand the value of the thing they're paying for — which was really missing before. FBN’s changing the paradigm. Because of the way we've gone to market, we've actually changed the nature of the market. It’s a very exciting thing.
Whether we're trying to help supercharge a sales team or trying to help farmers navigate a complex market by having the right information to make their own decisions, I'd like to think that we have a huge impact on FBN’s strategy.
I have two kids now, and I think, “where can I work that I feel like I can upgrade a better world for them?” And I do think that spending time in the ag space is so foundational to the way we live. Literally it's the foundation to the energy we need as a society whether it's calories or fuel.
I really admired that every single person in the interview process had this Farmers First® mentality that they talked about and felt motivated by. I really liked the mission-oriented environment. Fundamentally making a difference in ag right now means changing that economic formula for some players in the ecosystem. As far as I can tell, no company has taken such a practical approach to changing ag space as FBN.
I've led software teams at other companies, like Venmo. I guess you could say I have had a number of careers before I landed in software product management, from working at design firms to working as a mechanical engineer.
I like going to my kids' events — soccer and dance recitals. My personal hobby outside of work is surfing. Some friends and I are actually chartering a boat in Alaska to go surfing.
One thing I admire about the way we do things is that you can be pretty scrappy with the way you solve problems at FBN. There is a lot of unspoken knowledge that you need to tap into. Being scrappy is a way to unravel that unspoken knowledge.
Are you passionate about helping farmers? FBN is looking for talented individuals who want to help family farmers succeed. We hire a wide range of positions including marketing, sales, warehousing, procurement, and more.
Learn more about the open roles available at FBN.
Why I Chose FBN®: Kevin Adair, Regional Sales Director for the East Canada Territories
Why I Chose FBN®: Keith Jackson, Fulfillment Operations General Manager
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