Argentinian national, Leandro Royo Volta, has joined French company, Animine, as its new ruminant product manager.
Annecy, France based Animine is a global supplier of trace minerals.
Royo Volta has 15 years’ experience working in the area of ruminant nutrition, in both technical and marketing roles. He has worked in agricultural research centers and multiple companies in the animal feed sector in Latin America and Europe.
He holds an MSc in animal production from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and also an MBA from the European School of Business and Management in Spain.
Animine envisages that Royo Volta will be a pivotal link between the R&D and sales team, supporting distributors and customers worldwide, and conducting training and field trials to demonstrate the effectiveness of products.
dsm-firmenich has appointed Katharina Stenholm as its chief sustainability officer.
She takes up that position from July 1, 2023, and is charged with consolidating the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy for the company, one that builds on the strengths of both DSM and Firmenich's previous plans and actions.
Geraldine Matchett and Dimitri de Vreeze, co-CEOs of dsm-firmenich, said Stenholm is widely recognized as an exceptional leader and innovator in the field of ESG.
Under her leadership, the company said it intends to generate ambitious and measurable sustainability targets and plans to rapidly achieve them.
Stenholm joins dsm-firmenich from PepsiCo where she led the European sustainability function. Before that, she held various positions at Danone, including SVP Strategic Projects, MD of DanTrade, and Global CPO, with sustainability under her responsibility. She also held various positions at SABMiller, culminating in the role of global CPO, and was CEO for a food ingredients company in the Nordics with global sales.
“Over the years, Katharina has established herself as a recognized leader in change management. Her expertise lies in driving successful market entry, transformation, and operating model re-design programs. She possesses a comprehensive understanding of the entire food value chain, with a particular focus on sustainability and circular economy practices.”
She holds a PhD in biotechnology from Helsinki University of Technology in Finland.
The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) names Kim Atkins as its new manager of membership and engagement.
Atkins will be responsible for prospecting, attaining, retaining, and servicing AFIA member companies, working to develop and continuously improve a system of involving members in the association.
Previously, Atkins served as vice president of public affairs and policy for LWP Consulting and as the vice president and COO for the US Grains Council. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science, with an emphasis in American politics and public law, and a minor in communications studies from the University of Montana.
In addition, the AFIA said it has adapted the titles of two of its policy staff to better reflect the depth and breadth of work they do for members on a global scale.
Gina Tumbarello, who has been with the association since 2011, has been named senior director of global strategies, policy and trade, and Mallory Gaines, who has been with the association since 2019, has been named director of market access and multilateral affairs. Tumbarello currently sits on the US Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee for Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds and serves as the staff contact for the AFIA International Trade Committee.
“When viewing the global policy landscape for US animal food products, it is clear to see that pursuing trade agreements or holding trading partners accountable is only one part of the equation for the industry to successfully enter or maintain markets,” said AFIA President and CEO Constance Cullman. “Much work goes into monitoring and engaging in multilateral discussions happening beyond government, and the title changes for Gina and Mallory reflect the comprehensive work they do to boost the positive image of US animal feed, feed ingredients and pet food and encourage science-based decision-making.”
Emma Bower, a senior at The Ohio State University, also joins the AFIA as a communications intern.
João Marcelo de Castro Gomes, formerly president of Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health – South America, a position he has held since joining the company in 2019, is moving into the food business of the group.
He has been appointed president of Kemin Food Technologies Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Under his leadership, the Latin America focused animal nutrition and health business unit doubled its growth in net sales and achieved record growth in net income: “Gomes also made an impact in people management, with the Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health – South America team reaching some of its highest scores in employee engagement.”
A highly experienced international business senior executive and a licensed veterinarian, Gomes has assumed different commercial, marketing, business development and management positions for several companies, including Bayer Animal Health, Fort Dodge Animal Health, Ceva Animal Health, Vallée S/A and Novus International. He was also general director at VetBR, one of the largest animal health and nutrition distributors in Brazil.
He earned his degree in veterinary medicine from Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, and is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and English.
UK based Ocean Harvest Technology Group (OHT) plc, a producer of animal feed additives from multispecies seaweed blends, reports that Stephen Walker has joined its board as a non-executive director.
Walker is a representative of Terance Butler Holdings Limited, a shareholder in OHT since 2015.
Mark Williams, CEO of OHT, said the new appointee brings a wealth of experience that will bring new perspectives and capabilities to the board, as OHT looks to deliver on its growth strategy.
Walker has significant experience within the investment management and private client facing environment, according to the feed additive company. He was head of equities research and market strategy at Ashcourt Rowan Asset Management, a private client investment management firm, until 2015. He subsequently joined Terance Butler Holdings Limited, a privately owned property development and investment company, as director of investment and economic strategy. He completed a bachelor’s degree in economics, and an MA in finance and investment. He is also a CFA and CAIA charterholder.
OHT raised £6m (US$7.4m) after listing on a sub-market of the London Stock Exchange, the AIM, in April this year.
