Childhood cartoons and a science interest leads to new agricultural career

Mr Schmidt, Churchill, is Genetics Australia's newest Gippsland sales representative and says his newfound passion for agriculture has him looking for land.

He has had experience in sales and industrial sciences, retail, hospitality, industrial laboratories, genetic research and graphic design.

His most recent role was for a chemical engineering company as a key account manager.

He said he always had an interest in science and genetics, after watching cartoons as a kid.

"It was a show called Gargoyles and Spider Man, they were taking bits of something and putting it into something else to make superpowers," he said.

"As a kid I thought that was cool, and learning science in high school I learnt we could take bits out of a jellyfish and out of bacteria and put it into something else.

"It was a huge moment for me, I wanted to be able to do that."

He said he started his career in supermarket retail, before studying at university and working in a lab environment.

"My focus at university was in recombinant DNA technologies, I moved from Texas, US, to Australia when I was 13 and the Texan education system was ahead," he said.

He said he skipped Year Eight in Australia, and studied Year Ten subjects during Year Nine.

"I had a lot of spare periods, and during that time the science teacher said they could teach me chemistry, and the biology teacher was the same," he said.

"I was doing advanced chemistry and biology very early on, so by the time I finished VCE I had all the sciences and it gave me a big step up into university."

He developed his customer service and sales skills at Traralgon's Good Guys store for five years, before he returned to university to study a Bachelor of Science, majoring in biotechnology.

Mr Schmidt said he worked for a chemical engineering company which supplied chemicals to the paper industry, until he realised the industry's volatility.

"I looked at my options and agriculture was going to keep me in the valley, and it wasn't that big of a jump for my background," he said.

"I have the biochemistry and the biology background and the words used in this industry aren't so foreign."

He said while he didn't have any direct farming experience, his grandparents owned a dairy farm which was converted to beef before they retired and sold.

Genetics Australia chief executive Anthony Shelly said Mr Schmidt's diverse background would bring a deep understanding to the cattle breeding industry.

"Rick has sold everything from groceries, fridges, beer, chooks and chemicals, so his sales skills are vast with some great achievements," he said.

"He now has the stimulus to develop a deep understanding of the cattle breeding industry."

Mr Schmidt said he had been in the new role for three weeks, but had already started looking at land to start a hobby farm.

He said alongside his partner, they had rescued more than 50 animals including several reptiles.

"I haven't gotten to cut my teeth yet," he said.

"I'll start meeting farmers soon, I've met most of the retailers who we supply with product, everyone is really helpful."

He said he hoped to emphasise his passion for customer service.

"[My customer service background] means I know how to listen to someone and know how to find the right solution and having the science background helps find that solution," he said.