Rob Shuey can’t help but walk through the meat department of every grocery store he enters. After working 41 years for IBP, Inc. (Iowa Beef Processors), and Tyson Foods, Inc. (Tyson bought IBP in 2001), his work knowledge and personal interests have converged.

Retired now, Shuey recently added another item to his resume when he accepted the industry representative appointment on the CAB board. 

Shuey’s background provides a unique perspective to a board of Angus ranchers, especially as the industry is working through challenges from tight beef supply.

“The packer is our biggest partner and biggest competitor,” said John Stika, CAB president. He knows the product and understands sales and how CAB partners view the brand. This extends internationally, given he retired from Tyson as the senior vice president of international fresh meats, lending him a global perspective for CAB’s licensed partners.

“It’s important for the industry to understand the entire supply chain and each other’s piece of it,” Shuey said. “I want to better understand the production sector, and while I’m learning that I can help them understand the packer and processer perspective.”

He’s an avid reader of the Angus Journal and keeps up with genetic trends across multiple breeds. Every day he catches up on industry news – live cattle prices, feeder cattle supply, supply dynamics worldwide.

“It’s a matter of me wanting to stay involved in the business,” he said. “That’s mostly indirectly, so I just continue to read and have conversations.”

Now, he’s looking forward to getting back to his roots and working alongside cattle producers – another nod that he’s right for the role.

“I love the production side of the business,” he said. “So, the more I can get to know the guys and gals out there on the farms, ranches and feedyards, the better.”

His first board meeting was in Wooster, Ohio, at the CAB office in December 2024, which brought back memories of his ties to the brand. When he lived in Columbus, he would sometimes shop the Renzetti’s IGA market where the original pound of CAB was sold. He remembers when he worked the ring during the Colvin Scholarship auction at Annual Conference. Or the times he volunteered as a National Junior Angus Show CAB Cook-Off Contest judge years ago.

“That’s how far I go back with CAB and that’s why I love the brand so much,” Shuey said. “I just think there’s a great story behind it and a great story to tell.”

As for Shuey’s time with the board, he is ready to listen.

“We have to continue to keep our eyes and ears open,” he said. “We can’t get set in our ways. We have to listen. We have to be really good listeners, communicators and innovators.”

From his first introduction to the brand, the goal is the same: continue to grow the Angus breed – from the ranch to the consumer.