Josh Abdo may be fairly new to agriculture, but in a very short time, the Iowa City, IA, native has not only jumped into the industry, but has embraced his role at Verdesian Life Sciences. Abdo joined the company earlier this year as Product Line Manager in the Marketing department. In his role, he oversees marketing efforts on a variety of Verdesian product lines, including Seed Treatments & Inoculants, Animal Nutrition, and Aquaculture.
“One thing that excited me about joining Verdesian was that it was an industry that was absolutely new to me. I am curious and have always loved tackling industries that are brand new and especially commercializing new products and go-to-market plans,” says Josh. “The ability to work across these different product lines means the job is always exciting and that I get to impact many parts of the Verdesian business.”
Abdo came to Verdesian from CIVCO Medical Solutions, where he was a product manager for four years. In that role, he oversaw a portfolio of medical equipment manufactured and sold to hospitals.
“Having that experience as a product manager was a great foundation, and that has definitely helped me in my transition here at Verdesian,” he says. “I’ve also been so impressed with the caliber of my colleagues here. It’s exciting to see how we all work together to carry the banner for Nutrient Use Efficiency.”
Josh was born and raised in Iowa (so it was a matter of time until he joined ag). “When I was five years old, I was riding with my uncle in his tractor and he asked me, ‘Do you want to be a farmer when you grow up?’ I replied, ‘I can’t be a farmer – I’m just a normal person!’” Today Josh and resides with his wife Courtney in Iowa City. He enjoys spending time outdoors running, playing soccer, kayaking, camping, gardening, and skiing. He also enjoys creating music (piano & percussion). Josh earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing Management, a certificate in International Business, and a minor in Spanish from the University of Iowa in 2017.
“Frankly I didn’t know what Nutrient Use Efficiency was six months ago,” says Josh, “but now I’m all about it.”
