Pethrick plots future trends

Perth-based futurist Wayne Pethrick has undertaken a consulting role to US-based Cobb-Vantress, a subsidiary of Tyson Foods, one of the world’s largest processors and marketers of chicken, beef and pork.

Mr Pethrick, a director of The Futures Lab, will aim to future-proof Cobb-Vantress in conjunction with the consultancy’s US head office.

The Futures Lab’s growth strategy for Cobb-Vantress will look at a seven to 12-year “time horizon”, with Mr Pethrick also looking at ways to increase the food company’s market share across global markets.

Founded in 1998 by Texan Derek Woodhouse, The Futures Lab now has offices or is affiliated with similar companies in eight countries.

Mr Pethrick says he speaks from his Applecross home office with his co-founder on a daily basis via video-link and travels to Texas every three months or so. The pair also co-authored Future Frequencies, a 330-page book published last year.

The Cobb-Vantress job will be coordinated between the two men, with the Perth office having an important role, Mr Pethrick said.

Cobb’s parent company, Tyson Foods, was founded in 1935 and has about 114,000 employees in more than 300 facilities in the US and around the world.

Mr Pethrick said much of the work would centre on expanding the company’s business throughout the world and particularly in China, where it currently had no market presence.

“Our work will involve us creating an in-depth understanding of the future competitive landscape, upon which we will deliver platforms, scenarios, future product concepts and a business case,” he said.

Significant effort would be put into adding value through Tyson’s various business platforms, he said.

The solution The Futures Lab comes up with for Cobb-Vantress was likely to involve all elements of running the business.

“The guys over in the US have been busy in the last week meeting with the scientists in this case, because they’re all about breeding chickens,” Mr Pethrick said.

“They’ll meet with the manufacturing guys, the marketing people and the packaging people.”

Mr Pethrick established the Australian office of The Futures Lab last year after spending the previous three years working in the company’s head office.

Before moving to Houston to complete a Master of Science degree in Studies of the Future at the University of Houston, he had worked as a teacher in Perth and previously ran a small clothing company in Subiaco.

His CV also indicates he has worked as a photographer and musician, playing a role in the recording of nine CDs both as a band member and studio musician.

As a futurist, there is an enormous amount of satisfaction gained in seeing concepts followed through, Mr Pethrick said. At other times, he said the work could be frustrating as it could take a long time for ideas and concepts to come to fruition.

Over the years he has consulted for clients ranging from NASA to Ford to MTV.