MEET AARON OBERMAN, NETWORK SERVICES MANAGER
Meet Aaron Oberman, IT Network Services Manager at Foremost Farms. Over more than two decades working with Foremost Farms, Aaron has grown into a key leader overseeing the setup, security, and upkeep of the cooperative’s network systems, ensuring operations run smoothly and reliably. Recently recognized with the Foremost Farms Udder Excellence Risk Taker award, Aaron isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo and deliver solutions that strengthen the entire cooperative.
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH FOREMOST FARMS?
I currently serve as Foremost Farms’ Network Services Manager. I have been cooperative since 2004, originally as a consultant for the IT department. In 2015, I joined Foremost Farms as a full-time employee.
WHAT ORIGINALLY BROUGHT YOU TO FOREMOST FARMS AND WHAT HAS KEPT YOU HERE?
My original efforts were providing managed services for all the server systems in our data center and in our plants. I have always enjoyed the culture at Foremost Farms and truly appreciate the people I interact with, both at headquarters and in our plants. When the opportunity came to join the team directly in 2015, I was excited to make the switch and have never looked back.
PLEASE DESCRIBE SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR ROLE WITHIN FOREMOST FARMS:
I’ve had the opportunity to work in diverse environments and collaborate with many teams across the cooperative. In addition to working with an excellent IT department, I also travel to our various locations to support our plant teams and lead various technical projects. It has been exciting to oversee some of our digital transformation initiatives such as our phones, paging systems, cameras, and door access controls.
YOU RECENTLY RECEIVED THE RISK TAKER AWARD AS PART OF THE 2025 UDDER EXCELLENCE AWARDS. WHAT DOES THIS RECOGNITION MEAN TO YOU?
It’s wonderful to be appreciated for your efforts. I could easily have turned around and nominated my nominator for the same initiative. That level of teamwork is what I love about Foremost Farms!
YOUR NOMINATION HIGHLIGHTED YOUR EXCEPTIONAL WORK IN INTRODUCING AN IMPROVED IT SERVICE DESK CALL ROUTING SYSTEM. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE A COMPLETELY NEW APPROACH TO THE EXISTING PROCESS?
I knew our phone systems were capable of the requirements necessary for our helpdesk team. The Service Desk team did a spectacular job modifying their processes to support a new approach.
HOW HAS THE NEW SYSTEM IMPROVED THE EXPERIENCE FOR BOTH THE SERVICE DESK TEAM AND FOREMOST FARMS EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION?
When travelling between plants, a common frustration that I often encountered was the challenges in working with a 3rd party helpdesk provider that often struggled with Foremost Farm’s plants, processes, and people. With these changes, our internal helpdesk is now serving our after-hours employees again. This allows us to provide direct emergency service when it is needed most, cutting down time to resolution, eliminating risk, and hopefully offering greater peace of mind.