Team

Sharon Dauk

Sharon draws on twenty-five years of experience as an investor, board member, financial advisor, and business executive in her current role as an Executive Coach, Mentor, and Strategic Advisor to successful leaders and entrepreneurs.

Prior to establishing her coaching business, Sharon founded the investment company, Dauk/Wagner Investments, LLC, where she continues to be an active investor, advisor, and board member in early stage companies. Prior to that, Sharon held positions in the Corporate Finance Departments of both Morgan Stanley and Smith Barney, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, and real estate investing and development.

Sharon holds an M.B.A. from Cornell University and a B.S. from the University of Southern California and has completed Columbia University’s Coaching Certification Program (“C3P”), a partnership between the Columbia Business School and the Executive Education Department, where she earned the highest distinction offered. Sharon is a Member of the Advisory Council of the Entrepreneurship@Cornell Program and is a guest lecturer at Cornell University. She is a Board Member of Student Agencies, Inc., an organization that provides Cornell students with opportunities to start and manage businesses.

Sharon has been a competitive triathlete since 1981, completing over 100 races, and has also been an avid equestrian. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and business partner.

Duane “Butch” Fischer

Butch has over 40 years of experience in the agriculture sector. He is the President of Fischer Consulting Corporation and is a Director of J.D. Heiskell & Co., a leading grain, commodity trading, and livestock feed manufacturing enterprise based in Tulare, California. Butch is credited as the leading architect of J.D. Heiskell’s transformation from a small regional enterprise into a coast-to-coast operation.

Previously, Butch spent 28 years working with the Scoular Company in Omaha, Nebraska where he worked in several capacities, ultimately, as President/CEO. Butch currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln College of Business. He served as Chairman for the National Grain and Feed Association, the California Grain and Feed board, the Transportation and Grain Merchants Association, the International Trade Ag Policy Committee, and the Ag Council of the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. In addition to serving as a Director on these boards, he has also served on the boards of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association and the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce.

Butch graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln with a B.S. in Business Administration. He currently lives with his wife in Colorado.

Richard “Dick” Crowder

Richard has spent more than 50 years in senior executive and policy positions in the food and agriculture industry, advancing the interests of farmers, ranchers, and the industries that produce food and fiber.

Most recently Richard served as Thornhill Professor of Agriculture Trade at Virginia Tech. He currently serves as an advisor to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. He has served on the Board of Trustees of the Farm Foundation and on the boards of directors of other companies including Soo Line Railroad, Penford Corporation and Smithfield Foods. Most of his career has been in executive positions with such companies and organizations as the American Seed Trade Association, DEKALB Genetics Corporation, and the Pillsbury Company.

Richard served as the U.S. Chief Agriculture Negotiator from January 2006 to May 2007, with the rank of ambassador, where he was responsible for directing all U.S. agricultural trade negotiations around the world. He also served as a senior advisor to the United States Trade Representative from May 2007 to April 2008. From 1989 to 1992, he served as Under Secretary, International Affairs and Commodity Programs in USDA.

Richard has received numerous awards, including the Virginia Tech Alumnus of the Millennium award in 2000, the Virginia Tech Agriculture Alumni Hall of Fame, and Outstanding Alumni Award from the Virginia Tech Graduate School. He also received the Distinguished Service Award from the Office of the United States Trade Representative. In 2013, he received the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his career of service to agriculture. Richard received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Virginia Tech University and earned his doctoral degree from Oklahoma State University.

James Davies

James has over 35 years investment management and commercial experience. His most recent executive role was as Head of Funds Management for New Forests, where he oversaw the deployment and management of over AU$2.5 billion into forestry and agriculture assets across Australia, New Zealand, south-east Asia and the United States.

James previously held Director roles at Hastings Funds Management and Royal Bank of Scotland’s Strategic Investments Group, both of which focused on middle market private equity and subordinated debt transactions. James has served as Chairman of Sydney Airport Rail Link, Forico and Timberlink, Australia’s 3rd largest sawmilling and lumber manufacturer. He currently sits on the Boards of two Australian listed companies, New Energy Solar, which holds $1 billion of solar assets in the United States, and Eildon Capital, an Australian real estate financier.

James holds a Bachelor of Computing Science from the University of New England and an MBA from London Business School. He lives in Sydney with his wife and two children.

Jeff Nicholson

Jeff joined AGR in 2017 as an Operating Partner to focus on identifying and developing new investment opportunities. Throughout Jeff’s career, he has founded and operated companies within the food and agriculture value chain.

Most recently, Jeff was the Chief Operating Office for partner company, Vintage Wine Estates (VWE). VWE produces nearly ten million cases of wine and went public in 2021. Prior to this Jeff was the co-founder and president of Animal Supply Logistics, a preferred distribution company to independent pet supply retailers, which subsequently merged with Animal Supply Company. Before Animal Supply Logistics, Jeff co-founded Link Logistics, working alongside companies such as Starbucks to reduce procurement costs and improve distribution and transportation. In addition, Jeff has over twelve years of sales and marketing experience during his time with Ralston Purina and Pacific Cartage & Warehousing.

Jeff serves as an Advisory Board Member at BrightPet Nutrition Group and lives in Northern California with his wife.

Dave Hoogmoed

Dave has over 40 years of experience in the animal nutrition, animal production, and related grain sectors. He started his career at Ralston Purina and held a variety of sales, general management, operations, and executive-level positions within the company. Most recently Dave retired after 12 years as President of Purina Animal Nutrition, and EVP of Land O’ Lakes, the parent company. Dave is actively involved in projects and consulting.

Dave’s responsibilities have included various international business components in the Philippines, China, and Kenya. He has had long-term leadership of Innovation-Research and Technical implementation along with teams in the livestock and poultry business, lifestyle segments such as equine, companion species, and exotics (zoo).

Throughout his career, Dave has served on several boards including the National Grain and Feed Association where he is a former Board Chair and Exec Committee, member.

Dave graduated from Rutgers University with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics. He and his wife reside primarily in Florida.