OUR TEAM

TERESA OIUM-ZUBE

Teresa Oium-Zube is an accomplished agribusiness and operations management professional with more than 30 years of operations, strategic planning, business expansion and organizational design experience.  Teresa is a skilled leader and highly capable change agent who consistently refines and revitalizes strategies and procedures, introduces innovations, designs change, and facilitates solutions driven by team collaboration.

Since 2012, Teresa has been responsible for managing all aspects of SSR Lifesciences and establishing the company as “supplier of choice” for porcine material within the medical industry.  Prior to SSR Lifesciences, Teresa worked in a variety of leadership roles at Johnsonville, LLC, managing multiple facilities within their network.

Teresa earned a Master’s Degree in Agribusiness from Kansas State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science with a Chemistry minor from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls.

Teresa Oium-Zube is an accomplished agribusiness and operations management professional with more than 30 years of operations, strategic planning, business expansion and organizational design experience.  Teresa is a skilled leader and highly capable change agent who consistently refines and revitalizes strategies and procedures, introduces innovations, designs change, and facilitates solutions driven by team collaboration.

Dale Perez

Dale Perez is a Research and Development Scientist. He leverages his background in science and research to evaluate opportunities for investment. He is also a technical resource for customers regarding scientific matters. 

In addition to his role with SSR Lifesciences, Dale works as an R&D scientist for Johnsonville, LLC. Prior to joining Johnsonville, he spent five years as a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. His research focused on vitamin E metabolism and lipid oxidation in poultry.

Dale received a PhD in Animal Sciences and Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Animal Sciences and Poultry Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

JESSICA FREEMAN

Jessica Freeman is the Business Development Coordinator responsible for partnering with current and prospective clients, operations management, and coordinating with the facility teams on specifications and procedures. She leads a team that defines and establishes the ideal process for delivering custom porcine materials that meet the detailed requirements of each customer.   

Jessica previously worked as an Animal Health Technician and an Animal Control Officer in Iowa.  She also spent two and a half years serving in the Peace Corps as a Rural Aquaculture Extension Agent developing a sustainable protein food source in Zambia.

Jessica holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) in Natural Resource Ecology and Management:  Animal Ecology/Wildlife from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

DUANE DRAEGER

Duane Draeger is a Commodity Purchaser and Sales Coordinator. In his current role, he is focused on production planning and meat purchasing for Johnsonville, LLC, as well as sales for SSR Lifesciences.

Duane has been with Johnsonville for 35 years. In that time, he has worked in a multitude of areas, including formulation, harvest processing, packaging, shipping/receiving, and production scheduling.

Duane began supporting SSR sales in the 1990s. He has great experience and knowledge about the commodity market, and sells meat, offal, and pharmaceutical items to both domestic and international markets. He has built and maintains strong relationships with many customers on behalf of Johnsonville and SSR Lifesciences.