Leading Digital Enablement Provider for Agribusinesses Enlists Best-in-Class Leadership to Drive towards a Digitally Connected Future

AUSTIN, TX — November 8, 2022– AgVend, agriculture’s leading digital enablement solution provider, is excited to announce the appointment of Shane Thomas as Vice President of Strategy.

As VP of Strategy, Thomas will help recognize and drive growth opportunities for both AgVend Partner Retailers and the company as a whole. He is a well-known analyst and public speaker within the ag industry, and in 2020 founded his consultative business, Upstream Ag Insights, along with its weekly newsletter that delivers essential news, analysis, and insights to agribusiness leaders*.

“I first spoke to Alexander in 2018 and have been a big fan of AgVend ever since. I’m thrilled to officially join the team,” said Thomas. “AgVend is fundamentally changing the way ag retailers go to market–giving agribusinesses a holistic solution that enhances teams and the customer experiences they deliver. I’m looking forward to jumping in and helping continue to bring that to life.”

Thomas was on AgVend’s Strategic Advisory Board prior to joining, and has also served as an advisor for Ukko Agro, and Verdant Partners. Previous roles include Global Digital Ag Leader at Farmers Edge, Director of Marketing at Richardson International, and various senior agronomy roles within the crop inputs industry.

“Shane has been a critical force in helping AgVend–and in a lot of ways the whole industry–get to where we are today,” said Alexander Reichert, CEO & Co-Founder of AgVend. “His expertise and love for ag will undoubtedly increase the value for our Partner Retailers as we continue to drive toward a digitally connected ag supply chain.”

Shane’s appointments come on the heels of several AgVend milestones this year, including:

• Tracy Linbo joined the team as Chief Commercial Officer and leader of the Business Development organization in May
• The AgVend-WinField United collaboration announcement in July, which integrates WinField United’s proprietary programs with AgVend’s Digital Enablement Platforms
• The inaugural AgVend Partner Summit, “Enabling Change”, in September, at which AgVend Partner Retailers came together to share and discuss how they’re navigating current and future industry disruptions and digital initiatives to mitigate impact
• Adding new strategic features to the AgVend-built Grower Portal and Sales Hub, including  enhanced two-way communication and marketing campaigns

ABOUT AGVEND

AgVend is the leading digital enablement solutions provider in agribusiness. The industry’s most innovative ag retailers use AgVend’s white-labeled solutions to empower their teams, enhance visibility, and exceed customer expectations. The AgVend team brings decades of experience in agriculture, digital marketing, and enterprise software for the Fortune 500. Headquartered in Austin, TX, AgVend operates a distributed organization model with local coverage in all major U.S. and Canadian ag regions.

  *The Upstream Ag Insights newsletter will remain independently run by Thomas and continue to serve as an unbiased news source for the industry.