Summer has not been a quiet season for many companies and organizations in the animal feed and agricultural industries. Several have seen the arrival of new faces, while a few others have said farewell to longtime employees.
The following is a quick overview we've compiled of some of the recent industry members' moves and changes.
Summer has not been a quiet season for many companies and organizations in the animal feed and agricultural industries. Several have seen the arrival of new faces, while a few others have said farewell to longtime employees.
The following is a quick overview we've compiled of some of the recent industry members' moves and changes.
Massachusetts-based KnipBio expanded its staff, and most recently adding a new senior vice president.
Russ Heissner was added to the company’s management team in August and named senior vice president of business development and operations.
Previously, Heissner developed a career working with industrial fermentation technology and related products, the company said.
He worked with Verenium Corporation and helped develop and commercialize the company’s cellulosic ethanol transportation fuel technology. He also became the cellulosics technology platform manager and technology licensing manager during his time there.
At KnipBio, Heissner will manage the company’s relationship with its production partner and oversee agreements with feed and aquaculture companies, the company reported.
Iowa-based natural feed additive company Diamond V has been expanding its staff with a series of recent hires throughout the company.
The company saw Doug Smith return as director for Europe poultry food safety in May. Previously, he had been a food safety director with the company.
He also spent time as a faculty member at North Carolina State University and the University of Georgia and currently works with Clemson University through the Extension Service.
He brings to Diamond V’s European business unit a background in food safety. He will be focused on developing and implementing food safety programs for egg and poultry producers, food companies and retailers along with working to limit risk of campylobacter, salmonella, and E. coli.
Smith is based in the Netherlands.
The company also is welcoming Bucky Gwartney as the new director of protein food safety research. In the position, he will oversee global meat quality and food safety research for all production species and proteins.
Gwartney earned his masters’ degree and PhD from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Before coming to Diamond V, he was with the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service in the standardization division where he played a role in creating meat and livestock standards for the red meat industry. He also was the deputy director and science adviser for the US Trade Representative in agricultural affairs and worked with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
Frank Looff joined Diamond V in June and is set to work with the company’s European team as a technical sales support manager. He is set to work with dairy producers, veterinarians, feed manufactures and nutritionists and to help the company develop its ruminant market in several countries.
Originally from Germany, Looff has a background in finance accounting, agricultural science and animal production. He worked previously for Pioneer.
In August, Diamond V also brought in new members for its team in Mexico, adding both Alvaro Ramirez and Sergio Rueda as technical support and sales.
Both are set to provide help with poultry and swine.
Ramirez has a veterinary degree from the Universidad de Guadalajara (University of Guadalajara) and a master’s degree in aquaculture nutrition at the Universidad Autonoma de Nayarit (Autonomous University of Nayarit), in Mexico.
Previously, he was a sales manager for Suma International and worked in sales for the veterinary pharmaceutical raw material industry in Mexico.
Rueda has a veterinary degree from Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana (The Metropolitan Autonomous University) and a specialty degree focused on poultry from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (National Autonomous University of Mexico).
Before coming to Diamond V, he delivered technical assistance for Grupo Nutec and was a field researcher for Boerhringer Ingellheim.
There have been several moves for stakeholders with Bunge Limited this summer as a new member has joined the board of directors and the agribusiness president announced his impending retirement.
Mark Zenuk was appointed to the company’s board of directors in July. He comes with a background as a managing partner with Tillridge Glboal Agribusiness Partners – an agribusiness-focused private equity firm.
Previously, he was the managing director at NGP Energy Capital Management and worked with Archer Daniels Midland Company, where he led the oilseed business unit. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Saskatchewan.
In August, Bunge announced that Brian Thomsen, president of the company’s agribusiness segment, had indicated he would retiring at the end of the year.
Thomsen joined the company in 2004. Before becoming segment president in 2014, he acted as the managing director for grains and oilseeds.
The American Feed Industry Association saw a new director of regulatory affairs start in July.
In the new role, Louise Calderwood is set to provide leadership on regulatory and state issues with a focus on general regulation, pet food and equine nutrition. She also will interact with the Association of American Feed Control Officials and run AFIA’s committees on pet food and horses.
Previously, Calderwood was the government relations director with the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance. While there, she established and implemented policy positions and worked with federal, state and local governments in New York and throughout New England in an effort to benefit modern agriculture. She also ran a maple syrup farm, operated an agricultural consulting firm and worked with Sterling College, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture and the University of Vermont Extension Service.
She earned a master’s degree in dairy science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and a bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Vermont.
Members of the US Grains Council elected a new chairman during the organization’s 58 annual board of delegates meeting in August.
The group selected Jim Stitzlein, manager of market development for Consolidated Grain and Barge Co., to fill the position. He will serve through July 2019.
Previously, he has spent more than 40 years working with commodity grain handling and exports, and with local origination programs, hedging and merchandising, transportation, logistics, facility management, export trading and documentation. He also has been a long-term member of the council and is active with the National Grain and Feed Association.
With his selection, Stitzlein has chosen the theme of “When Trade Works, the World Wins” for his chairman’s position.
“The diversity of the US Grains Council is key to the work it does,” Stitzlein said in a release. “From farmers to traders and agribusinesses, each role is important in the Council’s mission of developing markets, enabling trade and improving lives.
"Working with those diverse perspectives within the global trade market is one way to encourage effective and efficient trade in both supply and price for international customers, steady growth in world markets and political stability throughout the world,” he added.
Whole Oceans is expanding its staff with the addition of a new chief production officer.
Joe McElwee started with the Maine-based indoor aquaculture company in July. He brings a background of experience working in the aquaculture industry in general and specific knowledge of the design and operation of land-based recirculating systems.
Previously, he was with Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems, where he was the global head of sales, and oversaw sales and provided advice the design and installation of recirculating systems.
McElwee earned a master’s in business administration from the Open University in Ireland, and has a diploma and certification in aquaculture from the Galway Institute of Technology.
The National Sorghum Producers have added two new staff members to the Texas-based organization.
Jamaca Battin joins NSP as the new industry relations director, and Amanda Flores will be the new administrative manager.
Battin’s role with the feed crop organization includes developing and supporting relationships with producer members and industry partners, the organization said. She also will be leading program efforts and the Sorghum PAC.
Previously, Battin had been a part-time employee with NSP working as the Sorghum PAC coordinator. She also worked for the USDA Farm Service Agency in Kansas for a number of years.
Flores is set to help with administration operations for both the NSP and Untied Sorghum Checkoff Program.
Prior to coming to NSP, she had gathered experience working in office management and business organization.
Minnesota-based agri-giant Cargill saw its strategic marketing director announce his exit at the end of July.
Ian Carr said he was planning to seek new challenges to build upon his current experience, which have predominantly been in the aquaculture sector.
Before starting at Cargill, he was with EWOS, which was purchased by Cargill in 2015.
The biological crop input and bio-stimulant provider Agrinos is adding a new executive vice president for its commercial operations in North America.
Breen Neeser has joined the company to lead the business unit and will oversee the company’s commercial activities in the US, Mexico and Canada. He also has a role in the company’s global leadership team and is set to work with stakeholders throughout the company.
Before coming to Agrinos, Neeser worked with Agrium for 25 years, and he was the vice president of sales for industrial and feed products with Nutrien.
The Brazilian biotechnical product company Biorigin has hired a new technical manager working with poultry and pigs to cover Brazil for the company’s animal nutrition segment.
Eliana Ottati Dantas brings a background in veterinary medicine – she earned a master’s degree and PhD in veterinary sciences at University of São Paulo (USP). She also spent 10 years working in the technical field with multinational companies.
At Biorigin, her duties will include providing support to the global sales team, along with working with clients and distributors.
“The poultry and pigs market is important for Biorigin to reach its aggressive goals of growth in the next years within the animal feed market,” said Alessandro Rocha, feed business manager. “Eliana’s hiring strengthens the team, improving even more the quality of our service in these segments both in Brazil and abroad.”
The American Feed Industry Association’s public charity the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) has named a new executive director.
Robert Cooper started in the role with IFEEDER in June. His position includes working to design and implement an overarching strategic direction for the research- and education-focused organization and helping to complete education and research projects.
He also is set to organize fundraising and donor stewardship efforts, along with working with IFFEDER’s board of trustees and other committees.
Cooper comes to IFEEDER from the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. While there, he was an assistant to the dean for external relations, which involved fundraising, coordinating alumni relations and events, and helping with legislative and advocacy projects.
He also previously worked with the National FFA Foundation and the Maryland 4-H Foundation.
Cooper earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Delaware.
Trace mineral nutrition company Zinpro has added several members to its staff this summer, bringing in new researchers focused on swine nutrition and on dairy production.
Alyssa Cornelison started with the company in June as a research assistant focused on work with swine nutrition.
Previously she earned her master’s degree in animal science at Iowa State Unvieristy and has authored and co-authored texts for peer-reviewed swine research publications and the Cooperative Extension Service.
Wesley Schweer also has joined the company to work with swine nutrition. He was brought onboard to help develop swine nutrition technologies and provide support for customers.
Schweer earned his PhD in animal science from Iowa State University. He has a background in research and several publications related to swine production and nutrition.
Zinpro saw Huw McConochie join the staff as a dairy nutritionist at the end of July. His role with the company will include support for customers in Europe, the Middle East and Northern Africa.
He also is set to help establish the direction for the company’s ongoing diary research and development.
Previously, he was the head of a dairy technical services for a manufacturer of agricultural products, and he has filled several roles in the dairy industry.
McConochie earned his PhD from Aberystwyth University in Wales and will be based in that country.
Merck Animal Health has expanded its staff with a new member fir its veterinary and consumer affairs team.
Jessica Meisinger has joined the company as a consumer affairs account manager, with a focus on efforts to establish partnerships with members of the food and companion animal industries.
The veterinary and consumer affairs team was started as a way to address the needs of company partners in the companion animal and food production animal industries. Its focuses include understanding industry member needs, sharing information, insights, research and helping with informed decision making.
Meisinger earned a master’s degree in meat science and muscle biology from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and a doctorate in meat science from Colorado State University.
Before starting with Merck, she was the director of science, communication, and education for both the National Renderers Association and the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation in Virginia, where she did sustainability work for the meat industry and animal agriculture.
