ABS Global-Canada

The general manager of ABS Global-Canada, was given the task of turning around the Canadian division after several years of declining sales in its principal product, bovine semen used to artificially inseminate cows. On taking charge, he made organizational changes, and then introduced a marketing approach that was successful in the United States. In May 2003, a dairy cow in northern Alberta was discovered with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). In the next several months sales of beef and dairy bull semen dropped to 50 and 30 per cent respectively. He now had to decide whether he should maintain the priorities of his turnaround program.