AgHires Completes National Agriculture CEO Search for Centerra Cooperative

Executive search firm places experienced cooperative leader Josh Hilbrands as Centerra’s next Chief Executive Officer

LAMBERTVILLE, MI, UNITED STATES, August 4, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- AgHires, a national agriculture executive search and recruiting firm, announced the successful placement of Josh Hilbrands as Chief Executive Officer of Centerra Cooperative, effective September 1, 2026.

Centerra Cooperative, a member-owned agricultural cooperative serving Ohio and Pennsylvania, selected AgHires to lead a national executive search following the planned retirement of longtime President and CEO Jean Bratton. The search focused on identifying an experienced agricultural cooperative leader who could guide the organization’s next chapter of growth while remaining committed to its members, employees, customers, and communities.

“Selecting a CEO is one of the most consequential decisions a board of directors will make,” said Lori Culler, President and Owner of AgHires. “Centerra’s Board approached the process with discipline and a clear vision for the organization’s future. Josh brings extensive cooperative leadership experience, a collaborative leadership style, and a strong record of building organizations that serve members and employees well.”

Hilbrands brings more than 18 years of executive leadership experience in the agricultural cooperative industry. Throughout his career, he has led initiatives focused on operational leadership, strategic planning, financial stewardship, organizational development, and building engaged, high-performing teams. This combination of industry knowledge and executive experience positions him strongly to lead Centerra Cooperative through its next phase.

“The strongest executive candidates are often not actively applying for new roles,” Culler said. “Our responsibility is to deeply understand the organization, identify leaders who fit the opportunity, and manage a thorough search process from strategy through offer. We are honored that Centerra trusted AgHires with this important leadership transition, and we congratulate Josh and the entire Centerra organization.”

“AgHires made the entire search process easy, organized, and transparent from beginning to end,” said Karen Alsop, Chief Human Resource Officer at Centerra Cooperative. “Our Board was extremely complimentary of the team’s preparation, the quality of the questions, and the guidance provided throughout the process. We were very pleased with the experience and would absolutely partner with AgHires again for future leadership searches.”

Agriculture Executive Search Expertise
AgHires specializes in executive search and professional recruiting across agriculture, agribusiness, food production and processing, agricultural cooperatives, horticulture, animal health, feed and nutrition, biotechnology, and related industries throughout the United States and Canada. The firm partners with boards of directors, owners, and executive leadership teams to recruit CEOs, presidents, chief financial officers, chief operating officers, vice presidents, executive directors, and other senior leaders.

About Centerra Cooperative
Centerra Cooperative is a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative serving members and customers throughout North Central and Northeast Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, and beyond. Centerra provides agronomy, grain, feed, energy and retail products and services while remaining committed to supporting the success of its members, customers, employees, and communities.

About AgHires
Founded in 2014, AgHires is a national executive search and recruiting firm specializing in professional, management, and C-suite placements across agriculture, agribusiness, food production, horticulture, animal health, biotechnology, and related industries. Through industry expertise, proactive candidate outreach, and a consultative search process, AgHires helps organizations identify and hire the leaders who drive their continued success. Learn more at AgHires.com.

Ryan Young
AgHires
ryan@aghires.com

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