GET TO KNOW dōTERRA CORPORATE
Tim Valentiner — Director of Strategic Sourcing —
FEATURE ARTICLE
GET TO KNOW dōTERRA CORPORATE
Tim Valentiner — Director of Strategic Sourcing —
Originally from Utah , Tim Valentiner became involved at a young age with humanitarian work , primarily in Mexico , as his parents encouraged their family to volunteer . Tim became passionate about working in poverty and international development after living in Bolivia for two years as a missionary for his church . Following completion of his bachelor ’ s degree in political science at the University of Utah , he moved to Washington , D . C ., where he worked on economic development projects in Latin America funded through USAID .
Tim then earned his master ’ s degree from The Johns Hopkins University Paul H . Nitze School of Advanced International Studies , studying economics and international relations . Following graduation , he worked in the agriculture and rural development unit at The World Bank , where his work concentrated on promoting small-scale farmers , biodiversity conservation , and natural resource management . He then moved back to Utah to work with a start-up company , focusing on improved agriculture and irrigation technologies in developing countries .
When Tim was introduced to dōTERRA , he was unfamiliar with essential oils but was passionate about continuing to work with small-scale farmers in developing countries . He was intrigued by dōTERRA as he saw the company ’ s focus on sourcing raw materials and plants from the countries where those plants grow best — which included many unique and impoverished areas around the world . As the goal of dōTERRA has always been to become as vertically integrated as possible in the supply chain for our oils , Tim was thrilled to join dōTERRA as the Director of Strategic Sourcing in 2013 to help lead our oil sourcing efforts , and also to continue the dōTERRA mission of doing good in the world through our socially responsible and sustainable sourcing program known as Co-Impact Sourcing ®.
What does your role at dōTERRA entail ? Our team ’ s job is essentially to ensure that we don ’ t run out of oil — which is no small task ! We also make certain that we can consistently source the highest quality essential oils in a socially responsible and sustainable way . Ultimately , we work to ensure that we can continue supporting the tremendous growth of the company through strategic planning and developing long-term partnerships with distillers and farmers around the world .
What advice would you give our Wellness Advocates ? Dig deep and share all of the great content available to you on www . sourcetoyou . com . We ’ ve developed this website to help tell our sourcing stories more effectively and to provide meaningful , relevant content about where and from whom our oils come . We ’ re passionate about raising awareness about sourcing and the partners we work with , and we will continue to update this website regularly .
Who are your role models ? My most influential role models have always been my amazing parents and their commitment to giving back and doing good , both in local and global communities . I hope to be more like them in all I strive to do ! I was also very fortunate to have had in graduate school and in my first jobs in agriculture at The World Bank some very influential mentors whom I still rely on for advice and support . They were very influential people for me and helped me gain a passion and understanding for small-holder agriculture and its impact in addressing poverty and improving rural livelihoods around the world in a powerful way .
What challenges do you face in your position at dōTERRA ? Our team ’ s primary challenges include keeping up with the growth of the company , and also navigating the different dynamics that exist in every country , for every supply chain , and for every oil . There are different nuances in each of them depending on how and where the oil is produced . There isn ’ t a one-size-fits-all solution for all of our relationships or supply chains ; each one is dynamic and different , which makes our job challenging yet exciting .
Also , because all of our oils are plant-based and agriculture takes time , turning new farming and distillation growth processes on and off is not easy ; keeping up with the growth of dōTERRA requires extensive planning and launching special initiatives like Esseterre Bulgaria and Kenya .
24 dōTERRA ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP I I NOVEMBER / / DECEMBER 2017