Sitting in his home office sipping a cup of coffee, Paul Larmer is seemingly common. Unbeknownst to the average person, his influence on the dairy cattle genetics sector of the industry is undeniable.
It is for both his remarkable leadership and self-effacing attitude that Larmer is named this year’s World Dairy Expo International Person of the Year.
“As honored as I am, I’m also humbled because there are so many who should be sharing this award with me. First and foremost is my family and their support throughout; Margaret, Catherine and Hannah share this with me,” Larmer says. “It’s truly humbling to know colleagues, boards of directors, even competitors all support this nomination and for an award to come from an organization that I hold in very high regard.”
Larmer was named the International Person of the Year on the tail of his retirement as chief executive officer of Semex. The recognition is the culmination of an already decorated career in the global dairy industry.
“The most rewarding part of this is that it’s international,” Larmer says. “This isn’t about something local or particular leadership of an organization. The award means my reach went further than I ever would have imagined a number of years ago, and that’s what I take the most pride in.”
Formative years, pivotal points in a lifelong career
Throughout Larmer’s career, he was a part of grassroots efforts to improve on-farm services, led companies through several mergers and organizational changes, and facilitated the global expansion of Canadian dairy cattle genetics.
The first pivotal point in his career came a mere three years out of college. It was 1984 when Larmer was hired as a sire analyst for United Breeders Inc. In this role, he assisted in developing a first-of-its-kind total on-farm genetic mating program where the matings could be developed and left on paper at the farm. Nearly a decade later, he was promoted to general manager of the company.
“We retrofitted a Dodge Caravan, and we had a computer in the back, a desk and a short chair. We’d go onto the farm, collect the data on the cows and then run the program in the van,” Larmer says. “I think that relationship with our members assisted in being asked to be general manager at a younger age and, as I reflect now, inexperienced.”
Paul Larmer assists in developing Unimate, the first total on-farm mating program. Photo provided by Paul Larmer.
It was the trust, passion and perseverance of Larmer that the board of directors found fitting for such a respected role.
As general manager, Larmer led the merger between United Breeders Inc. and Western Ontario Breeders Inc. to form Gencor, present-day EastGen, and set the stage for the formation of Semex Alliance just two years later.
“When I was first approached about the merger between United Breeders and Western Ontario Breeders, I thought, ‘Why not?’ because you don’t know what you don’t know, and I knew this is right for our members,” Larmer says. “In hindsight, the formation of the Semex Alliance was momentous. Many organizations don’t make those kinds of moves unless they need to, and that particular step was before its time and a real changing point for the industry.”
In the initial days of Semex, Larmer served as the international sales and marketing director, encouraging big ideas to become reality. He was reminded to look at the accomplishments of the company by former CEO, the late Robert Chicoine.
“Robert told me, ‘Once in a while, you need to stop and reflect on what we’ve accomplished and not worry about what’s next,’” Larmer says. “That was a good lesson in celebration. Celebrate successes because that creates a culture of success that feeds the next generation of innovation.”
Following the formation of Semex, Larmer stepped away for a short time before returning as CEO in 2007. During his tenure in senior leadership, Larmer propelled the company on a global scale, creating growth and return for member cooperatives, both financially and genetically.
“Those were all different launching pads for new and innovative things for progress of the organization and also our industry,” Larmer says. “When I think about other investments and partnerships, they wouldn’t be possible without those formative times in my career.”
Of course, Larmer’s success did not come without impediments, both personally and for the industry as a whole. Soon after assuming the role of CEO, the advancement of genomics in 2009 turned the model for breeding upside down. Not only did the breeding tactic push the company to manage both male and female programs, but it also changed the organization’s production model and pushed for more capable facilities.
The technology and breeding philosophy has since become more science-based and a large part of the company’s prosperity.
“It was a tremendous challenge, but now is one of our greatest successes,” Larmer says.
Additionally, Larmer oversaw the global expansion of the organization’s in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology, establishing licenses throughout Canada, the U.S., the U.K., France, Switzerland and Italy.
Paul Larmer tours the Semex China A.I. Center in Linyi, China. Photo provided by Paul Larmer.
Throughout those pivotal points in his career, Larmer was reminded of the advice a dear colleague shared – advice he still shares today: Ego is a bad adviser.
“I think of that in terms of business decisions, visions, strategy, even as an individual,” Larmer says. “So much can go wrong because someone’s put their ego first. You have to do what’s best for the people you work for. As an industry, we all work for one person, the dairyman or dairywoman we serve. We have to keep an open mind and open dialogue, working together and across lines all to ensure the stability and profitability of our industry.”
While now retired, Larmer’s impressive acumen lives on in the company and through those he mentored, reflective of the driven individuals leading the organization and the globalization and growth of the genetics company paired with favorable returns to partner-owners.
Mentorship sealed the deal
Larmer never intended to be the face of a global company.
He grew up on his family’s dairy farm, where 4-H and other youth activities shaped his childhood. Even though he was exposed to cattle genetics and respectable mentorships in the business at a young age, it was always youth programming where Larmer saw his career taking him.
That was until his third year of school when he met an executive of a feed and nutrition company who offered him a job upon graduation.
“He put his faith in me when I was young and naïve at the time,” Larmer says. “It turned out to be a great move. I was still able to work with dairy farmers, got to know great people, and attend shows and events.”
Paul Larmer mentors youth in the 4-H Youth Classic at a former Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Photo provided by Paul Larmer.
It was during that time that Larmer met Kevin Lang, who further developed an interest in the genetics side of the industry and propelled Larmer’s career.
“My path is different than what I had perceived going into my career out of university, but it was a very rewarding path,” Larmer says. “Because of those connections and how they led to my career, anytime I’ve had an opportunity to interact with youth and be a mentor, I take it. It’s great for the industry and great for young people as individuals.”
Larmer encourages young people to take chances and grasp opportunities early on in their careers, however unfamiliar the situation may be.
“Failure is the first seed to success, and it’s OK to fail,” Larmer says. “The worst failure is not being involved. You can learn and meet some people that many times come around to influence your career down the road.”
Larmer knows this all too well.
