CEO of Influence – Alex McCoy – American Ostrich Farms and Sustainable Meats

Alex McCoy’s first job as an ice cream scooper at Haagen Daz in Ketchum taught him something that he still uses this day: The art of customer satisfaction.

He said, “Everyone wanted me to tell them their favorite flavor! I learned quickly that, to succeed, I needed to lead the customer to where I believed they would ultimately want to end up, even if they didn’t yet share my vision.”

There have been many role models in McCoy’s life over the years that have made an impact on him and helped guide him to where he is today, but his father was ― and still is ― the most impactful person in his life. He was a pioneer in his field and was always comfortable blazing his own trail and this is something that McCoy has modeled.

Today, as the CEO of American Ostrich Farms and Sustainable Meats, he is helping champion responsible red meat consumption by introducing people to ostrich meat. It was more than 13 years ago that he first encountered ostrich and learned of the health benefits of the meat, and under his leadership, McCoy’s company has become a worldwide leader in vertically integrated ostrich production.

“Ostrich meat is going to be a staple protein worldwide one day and it needs a leader that has the conviction to get us there,” he said. “The opportunity to significantly influence the future of a massive global food category is something that gets me and my fantastic team out of bed every day.”

McCoy believes that a leader needs to be both a servant leader but also be able to help motivate people to achieve goals.

“I take seemingly grave challenges in stride and never give up,” he explained. “I lead by example and don’t expect more of anyone than I do myself. I don’t ask anyone to do anything that I haven’t already experienced myself and I demand an open feedback loop so that everyone on my team feels comfortable sharing their ideas when they believe something can be done in a different and potentially better way.”

When asked what words of wisdom he had for other aspiring leaders, McCoy said that it starts with becoming the type of person that people want to follow.

“You don’t have to be a CEO to be a leader, and you’ll need to be a fantastic leader long before becoming a CEO,” he shared. “To lead others is a great honor that should only be trusted to those who demonstrate grit and never, ever, give up.”

When McCoy isn’t working, you can find him exploring Idaho’s countryside by hiking, cycling or skiing with his wife, daughters and dogs.