Faculty

Rod Osthus is President of the No.1 Seed Sales Training and Consulting Firm in North America. After 40-plus years in the seed business, Rod has developed a unique understanding of how to stay “relevant” and ahead of all the changes that continue to revolutionize selling.

The selling skills he teaches help salespeople lead 21st century growers where they don’t know they need to go. Because products, technologies, and production practices change so fast, farmers need smart, youthful-thinking sales reps who are constantly working to improve themselves so they can lead their customers into the future.

Rod Osthus was raised on a farm near Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Agronomy from SDSU in 1972, prior to joining the Research Team at Trojan Seed Company. During his five years at Trojan, Rod worked as a plant breeder, agronomist, and later became Research Station Director in Maui, Hawaii. In 1972, Rod also became a Registered Seed Technologist.

In 1977, Rod became the first employee of the newly formed Keltgen Seed Company, where he worked as a District Sales Manager, Regional Manager, and in 1984, was named Vice President of Sales. Later, Keltgen Seed Company became a member of the Dow/Elanco Team where Rod continued to orchestrate his tenure of 17 consecutive years of sales increases. Rod has four decades of successful industry experience ranging from quality control, to research, to sales leadership.

Although Rod’s primary focus has been on the seed industry, the demand for his talents and abilities has taken him into other areas as well. He has experience in training people in crop insurance, real estate, retail selling, direct sales, farm marketing, health and fitness, human resources, the food and fuel industry, and additional agricultural sectors. Rod has helped start new companies, positioned businesses for sale, and facilitated mergers. He has also developed numerous successful new product introduction strategies and created ways to add new life to current product lines by repositioning them in the marketplace.

Rod’s unique training style makes him an extremely popular sales trainer, adviser, and keynote speaker. Rod and his late wife, Sharon, have three grown children and he has lived in Olivia, Minnesota for the past 40 years.

“The secret to success in the seed business is to learn everything you can, regardless of how much you think you already know. Practice at the “insane” level until you have the social skills to apply what you have learned. Then present YOURSELF in a manner that demonstrates the highest level of knowledge and leadership possible. This strategy ensures that the salesperson AND the customer win every time.” — Rod Osthus

Thomas Osthus is Vice President of Marketing for the R.C. Thomas Company. Thomas oversees the entire online and digital marketing sectors for the R.C. Thomas Company.

Thomas operates the entire online presence and marketing campaigns for the company. He utilizes his expertise to leverage the power of the internet, social media, and digital channels to provide access to online sales training tools for companies and sales reps across the globe.

Thomas was born and raised in Olivia, MN (a.k.a. the “Corn Capital of the World”). Growing up in Olivia, his exposure to agriculture started at a very young age working in corn research fields and production fields during the summertime.

After high school, Thomas attended Gustavus Adolphus College where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management in 2004. Since joining the company, Thomas has created and implemented a full-scale customized Customer Relationship Management system, designed and implemented marketing automation, and oversees the company’s multiple websites and content marketing strategies.

Thomas’ entrepreneurial spirit and passion to create, makes him an asset to every client and to the growth of the R.C. Thomas Company.

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn

Alicia Osthus is the CFO of the R.C. Thomas Company and manages the day-to-day financial operations. Her extensive background in auditing, tax preparation, as well as budget development and implementation, makes her an invaluable asset to the R.C. Thomas Company and its clients.

Alicia is a 2003 graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting. Upon graduation from Gustavus, Alicia joined KPMG, one of the four largest accounting firms in the world, where she took a full-time position in auditing at its Minneapolis office. After nearly two years of auditing at KPMG, Alicia turned her attention to tax preparation and accepted a job with a regional tax accounting firm, Myslajek LTD, in the Twin Cities.

In 2006, Alicia became a Certified Public Accountant and today continues tax preparation work for both individuals and corporations at the federal and state level. Alicia’s helpful and caring attitude has made her one of the most sought after CPA’s in her firm. Alicia and her husband, Thomas, live in Olivia, MN and have three sons.