[HASTINGS, NE May 26, 2020] — Cooperative Producers, Inc. (CPI) has announced that Rick Ackerman has been hired as Chief Financial Officer effective May 26, 2020. Ackerman succeeds Mark Thieszen who served as CFO until January of 2020.
Ackerman has 34 years of experience and leadership in agriculture for both cooperatives and private/public companies. He was previously the Financial Controller at CHS-Holdrege and Chief Financial Officer for Agri Coop. Rick started his career as Controller with Ag Valley Coop in Edison, NE before taking a CFO position with Agri Coop in 1998, which then merged with CHS-Holdrege, NE in 2009. He was most recently the Manager of Trade Operations Finance at Green Plains Inc in Omaha.
“Rick brings a unique combination of cooperative experience, knowledge of CPI’s lenders and suppliers, and familiarity with CPI’s territory and patrons”, stated Gary Brandt, CEO. Brandt added, “CPI’s leadership is excited to have someone with Rick’s experience to help us become even more successful.”
Rick was raised in Gothenburg, Nebraska. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting. He and his wife, Kelli, have three children and five grandchildren.
