Meg Harrington
Territory Manager
Hometown: Sheridan, Arkansas
Briefly describe your role:
As a beef cattle veterinary pharmaceutical sales representative for Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health I routinely call on veterinarians, animal health suppliers and producers to educate them on animal health issues within the industry and provide them scientific data to help them make informed decisions about their herd health programs.
Q: Is what you’re doing now what you always pictured you would do?
A: In a way yes, I grew up on a cow/calf operation in southern Indiana, was involved in 4-H showing livestock and have always had a passion for the cattle industry. When I was 16, I started working for a mixed animal veterinary practice and from then forward I knew I would always remain in veterinary medicine in some way.
I spent a lot of time in the sale barn processing cattle; I became handy at working the chute, penning cattle and castrating calves. I learned to put in prolapses and correct milk fever daily in addition to pulling several calves. I would routinely take samples for BVDv (Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus) because we had a BVD Testing Lab in the clinic, at the age of 16 I did not realize its impact but now almost 20 years later I talk about the disease everyday with my customers and its economic impact to the industry. This experience lead me to pursue my bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Technology with an emphasis in Herd Health & Production Medicine from Purdue University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. During my time at Purdue I worked at the Purdue University Animal Science Beef Research Unit were I had the opportunity to broaden my knowledge of the cattle industry.
While on staff, I would do daily health checks of about 350 head of cows and calves. We had cows on pasture, stocker calves and fat cattle in confinement barns many of which that were on some kind of nutrition study. I spent a lot of time in a tractor mixing feed but I also had the chance to get very comfortable with depression scoring cattle and deciding when to doctor calves and what meds to use based on the clinical signs they presented. After college, I went back into the veterinary practice and worked for 4 years prior to meeting my now husband Cody who was from Arkansas. I moved to Arkansas and took a position teaching Veterinary Technology for 1 year before coming to Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health.
Q: What do you see as the greatest challenges for women in your chosen industry? What are the greatest opportunities?
A: In this industry as a woman, we often feel we must prove ourselves through knowledge and experience to gain the trust and respect we deserve. However, with that being said times are a changing and there are more women becoming veterinarians, ranchers, farmers, owning sale barns and owning small businesses and we are soon to be the leaders of our industry not just a piece of it.
Q: Who has inspired you in your life/career?
A: It is so hard to say one specific person has inspired me in my career/life because there have been so many along the way that have influenced me. I am so grateful for Dr. Klent Brown who took the time with a 16 year old high school student and taught me everything he knew. I am also grateful for Mr. Dave VanDoren for taking a chance on me and hiring me in as a PET Rep with Boehringer Ingelheim , because of him I have made it to where I am today in my career. My family continues to inspire me daily; they are always so supportive even when its long days and late nights coming in from work.
Q: What advice would you give to an aspiring professional?
A: Never give up and be persistent if you want something. I cannot stress this enough. In 2010 & 2012 when I was still working in the veterinary practice I applied twice for a Cattle Representative position at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health in two different states and I received a phone interview both times but never got a call back. Fast forward to 2014 while I was in Arkansas I applied again this time it was for a PET Representative but knew it was a great way to get my foot in the door with such a great company. In 2015 the Cattle Representative position opened again I saw my opportunity and applied for the position and finally made it to where I am today but it took me three times of applying and a final move within the company to get to where I wanted to be. Time, patience, persistence, continuing to grow my professional experience and many prayers got me here.
Q: What’s been your secret to success?
A: My secret to success within my career is to make every business relationship be more of a personal relationship. I want my customers to know that I am truly invested in their operation and their success. If they are not successful, I cannot be successful. I want to do whatever it takes to help a rancher be more profitable at the end of the year. My goal is to help cow/calf operations have increased conception rates and wean bigger calves, and I can do so by assisting them with a strategic herd health program based around scientific data and their needs. With my stocker and backgrounders, I want to help them decrease mortality and morbidity rates in high risks calves by utilizing diagnostic tools that give them clear answers to the questions they have when choosing a herd health program.
