Meet Beau White, an up-and-coming livestock agent who progressed through the Elders Early Careers Program, and recently has been appointed as a Territory Sales Manager based at Clermont.
Born and raised in Inverell, New South Wales, Beau was inspired to pursue a career in agriculture, following in the steps of his older brother.
“I didn’t always know I wanted to get into the agriculture scene until my older brother got a traineeship as a stock and station agent in northern NSW,” he said.
“I was about 13 or 14 at the time and thought I better give it a crack and began showing cattle here and there.”
Beau’s interest in agriculture led him to Elders in 2022, where he began his career as a livestock trainee in the Early Careers Program.
Travelling through the network in the program, Beau gained valuable knowledge and insight into the industry, under the guidance of seasoned mentors.
“I began my traineeship in Longreach, kickstarting my career by developing my contacts and gained experience selling different livestock other than cattle,” he said.
“Tom Cameron, Territory Sales Manager at Elders Winton, always made sure to bring me along to meet new clients and connect with people in the network.
“Having never worked with goats or sheep previously, the branch manager at the time introduced me to working with different types of livestock and selling through the AuctionsPlus platform.”
In the second half of his traineeship, Beau shifted to Roma, and had the opportunity to work in the largest selling centre in the southern hemisphere.
“It was an eye-opening experience returning to back my roots of cattle sales, seeing it on a whole new scale and in the heart of the market,” Beau said.
Following the completion of his traineeship, Beau was offered a role as Territory Sales Manager back in Emerald. Soon, he will shift to Clemont to take on a similar role. “I am looking forward to establishing a strong connection within the Clermont community,” he said.
When it comes to building his client base, Beau has learnt that lasting connections are built on a foundation of trust.
“At the end of the day, as stock agents, we are dealing with the livelihoods of our clients who depend on us to source the best outcomes for their livestock in the market,” he said.
“It’s a huge responsibility which is all based on trust, and the best way we can establish this trust is to show them, sometimes in very simple ways, just how invested we are in the best possible outcome for their business.
“It can be as simple as picking up the phone once every week, catching up over a cuppa or heading down their way on a Friday afternoon.”
Beau said the best part about working for Elders is undoubtedly the network and people he works alongside.
“There is such a vast community of agents across the country, who all work to support each other,” Beau said.
“It’s amazing to see the opportunities which are made possible through the support and comradery of more seasoned agents.”
Don Tucker, Livestock Manager at Elders Emerald, is one mentor Beau calls out for teaching him technical skills beyond the basics of livestock auctioneering.
“Working alongside Tuck has been an eye-opening experience,” Beau said.
“He is one of the longest serving agents in Queensland and has taught me skills beyond that of the Early Careers Program.
“It’s through mentors like him that you really learn to take your career that one step further, handling accounts between branches, commission fees and all the technical aspects in-between.
“It’s a huge step in responsibility going from a trainee to a Territory Sales Manager, and one I am excited and ready to take on in Clermont.”
