Face Behind the Fertilizer: Sabrina Torneden

Success is a major motivator for Sabrina Torneden — and it’s just not her own achievements she’s after. She’s on a daily mission to position others to succeed, and it’s that continuous drive to create collective value that keeps her coming back for more.

Prior to joining Koch, Sabrina held a variety of administrative roles. She’s always been eager to support others and finds it fulfilling to understand what people do, how they work best, and then discover meaningful ways to help them reach their objectives.

Her journey at Koch began in 2019 when she was hired as an administrative assistant for Koch Agronomic Services. Like all new employees, Sabrina was introduced to Principle Based Management™, and she instantly connected with it.

“I remember being so revved up on some of the PBM concepts and thinking to myself, ‘This place is for me,’” Sabrina said.

Motivated by her passion for PBM and a genuine desire to see others succeed, it didn’t take long for Sabrina to pursue a new opportunity at Koch in human resources — along with some not-so-subtle encouragement from her supervisor.

“My first supervisor kind of just kicked me out,” Sabrina joked.

“He got deep with me on self-actualization and what it means. He was such an amazing and supportive supervisor. Rather than keep me where I was, about a year after I started, he essentially said, ‘It’s time to go self-actualize, Sabrina.’”

It was that experience that sealed the deal for Sabrina. Seeing PBM in action from a supervisor who was all-in for her personal development solidified her passion for the power of PBM and its application to support team members across the company.

“There’s nothing that replaces your supervisor relationship,” Sabrina said, reflecting on her own experience.

“Mentors are really valuable — and I’ve had several great ones — but if you have a supervisor who's truly invested in you, that's going to be the most meaningful work relationship you have,” she continued.

So, with the full backing of her supervisor, Sabrina joined the HR team for Koch Ag & Energy Solutions in 2020 as a human resources specialist. Not surprisingly, her motivation to help others made HR a natural fit.

After a year of supporting the HR business partner team as a specialist, she moved into her own business partner role, where she spent the next four years supporting the Koch Fertilizer terminal network and the Wichita operations team.

“Each time my role has evolved it’s been because my supervisor explored the things that interested me, knew what I was good at, and understood how that could be leveraged in our business to create more value,” Sabrina said.

Sabrina’s role continues to evolve. In 2024, she became human resources leader for KAES. In this role, she partners with the KAES operations capability to advance the application of PBM, support talent development strategies, and help supervisors with responsibilities and expectations. She still supports the Koch Fertilizer terminal network and is also currently leading these initiatives for the Koch Fertilizer plants in Beatrice, Nebraska and Fort Dodge, Iowa. She enjoys the dynamic nature of her work — it’s HR after all — and the results she gets to celebrate.

“I love a good high-five moment with the people I partner with every day,” Sabrina said. “Like, you turned the ship around or I just knew you were going to do something amazing. There’s something about it that just really makes me happy.”

Looking ahead, Sabrina is excited to keep fostering an environment where everyone — including herself — can realize their full potential and continue to prove that when individuals are empowered to thrive, the entire company wins.

“There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing people I partner with succeed and how that positively impacts the business,” she said.

That sentiment sums up Sabrina Torneden in a sentence.