The Board of Directors of Cooperative Producers, Inc. (CPI) has announced that Gary Brandt has been selected to serve as Chief Executive Officer effective March 31, 2020. Brandt will succeed Allan Zumpfe who served as CEO of CPI until August of 2019.
Brandt has 28 years of experience and leadership in agriculture for both cooperatives and privately-held companies. He was previously the Chief Operating Officer at Cooperative Producers, Inc. Gary started his career with Cargill as a management trainee in McPherson, Kansas before transferring to Kansas City, Missouri. He then worked in Los Angeles for several years before returning to Nebraska to become the Energy Division Manager for CPI in Hastings, Nebraska.
“Gary’s leadership skills, knowledge and experience in agricultural cooperatives, and focus on employees and customers, were key qualities we were looking for in our new CEO,” stated Jeff Loschen, CPI’s Board chairman. Loschen added, “The Board looks forward to working with Gary as CPI continues to grow and move forward.”
Gary was raised in Omaha, Nebraska. He graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics. He graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, with a Masters of Business Administration. He and his wife, Janet, have two children.
