Harm Smit has joined Wageningen Livestock Research in the Netherlands as a project manager focused on the area of emissions reduction and manure valorisation.
"The combination of emissions reduction and manure valorisation is essential to develop new animal production systems that comply with future standards for the environment and are also economically viable," he noted on LinkedIn.
Smit studied animal sciences in Wageningen and undertook a PhD on the effects of perennial ryegrass cultivars in relation to animal performance.
He worked for many years as a policy advisor at the Dutch ministry of agriculture, nature and food quality, dealing with policies concerning animal production and its environmental effects on climate, water and biodiversity. More recently, he was responsible for policy on manure processing and the (international) trade of fertiliser products.
He outlined how his background helps him understand the demands of policy developers and the role research plays in addressing such demands.
Reducing the environmental footprint of livestock production in the Netherlands is a great challenge, but one that presents major opportunities for research and innovation, according to Smit.
Benson Hill has named Kim Hurst as its chief transformation officer. She will drive the soy producer's development and manage strategic initiatives.
“This newly created role underscores Benson Hill’s commitment to execute its long-term strategic playbook with a focus on operations, commercial and strategic initiatives.”
Hurst is charged with leading cross-functional projects to drive efficiencies in the business, direct companywide resourcing, and develop operational strategies for achieving the company’s financial objectives.
She will also oversee the exploration of robust partnership models that leverage the full power of Benson Hill’s technology platform, research and development pipeline, assets and capabilities, and intellectual property portfolio while it propels its strategy and evolution forward.
Hurst will join the Benson Hill executive leadership team and will report directly to Deanie Elsner, interim CEO.
“Kim’s strategic insight and business development success within Benson Hill made her a clear choice for this important position,” Elsner said. “Unlocking the full potential of our technology, particularly for large-acre livestock and international markets, requires internal and external collaboration that maximizes synergies of our assets and capabilities with the products and processes of others. Kim’s deep financial acumen and extensive experience across the agri-food value chain will serve us well in this role.”
Hurst has extensive strategic, financial, operational, and supply chain expertise in both the CPG and agribusiness sectors. Prior to joining Benson Hill in 2020 as VP of corporate development, she served as senior vice president of long-term planning at Post Holdings during its transformation into a diversified food holdings company. She also served as senior director of corporate financial planning and analysis and business development, vice president of supply chain for the cereal business, and held various leadership roles in integration and international sales. Prior to Post, Hurst worked as director of commodity procurement and risk management for Ralcorp after serving as the regional director for the US Grains Council in Southeast Asia. She comes from a family of entrepreneurs and is the co-founder of Finally! Foods.
Soy based protein ingredient producer, Hamlet Protein, has hired UK national, Simon Martyn, as its new commercial director.
Martyn, who will join the management team of the Denmark headquartered multinational, has been appointed to further drive the company’s growth agenda.
He is a graduate of Bicton College of Agriculture and has gained extensive international management experience in global companies like Nutriad and Adisseo. He takes over from Jan Kamphof, who recently joined Schothorst Feed Research as its new director.
Martyn brings business continuity, hands-on market knowledge, and a strong track record of collaboration with distributors and key accounts to the role, commented Hamlet Protein CEO, Erik Visser.
“He is in a clear position to accelerate the momentum that we have achieved at Hamlet Protein in delivering best-in-class solutions for young animal nutrition.”
Photo L to R: Patrick Beyeler, Chris Burton, Luke Barnard, and David McBride.
Cargill has move to extend its UK poultry team, via the addition of three technical and formulation poultry experts.
Luke Barnard has been hired as UK technical application specialist, supporting the sales team by offering individual and tailored support to customers.
Since graduating in biological sciences, he has gained 12 years of experience in technical and product development roles in global animal nutrition companies, focusing on monogastrics. Most recently, he had a European role promoting new product development and technical services in gastrointestinal health of poultry.
Barnard is a member of the Poultry Science Association, and he has had several peer-reviewed papers published.
Patrick Beyeler has a master’s in animal nutrition and spent a few years as a technical adviser on farms before joining Cargill South Africa, in 2016, where he took on the role of technical lead with responsibility for larger poultry accounts.
He has worked closely on promoting and supporting Cargill through feed additives, formulations, and technologies in the Sub-Saharan African region, said the firm.
In the UK team, his role is to work in collaboration with clients and senior nutritionists to improve poultry feed formulations along with the nutrient profile of diets using the latest technologies available.
Cargill UK’s new technical sales specialist, Chris Burton, has more than 20 years’ experience in the UK poultry industry, starting his career on broiler units and taking on management responsibilities.
He then moved into the feed industry and managed a Moy Park feed mill with responsibility for the staff and ensuring consistent quality of the finished product. Most recently, after gaining a master’s degree in poultry science from SRUC, he managed sales of feed safety and health products for poultry in the UK and Ireland.
“I am delighted to have an experienced team of inspired and knowledgeable specialists available to UK poultry producers,” says commercial manager for Cargill UK poultry, David McBride. “We have the expertise to bring the company’s global research and developments to poultry producers here in the UK and the industry knowledge to support them on their own units and with their own individual targets and goals.”
Agribusiness group, Devenish, has named Dr Antonios Chalaris as its aqua business development manager.
Headquartered in the UK and trading in over 40 countries, Devenish has over 70 years’ experience in the pig, poultry, ruminant and companion sectors, but the company only recently expanded into the aquaculture market.
Dr Antonios Chalaris joins Devenish from BioMar, where he was a product manager. He has over 13 years’ commercial and R&D aquaculture experience on fish hatchery production and development of fish feeds across the UK and internationally.
At Devenish, he will be responsible for spearheading sales growth and fostering relationships with new and existing customers in the aqua division, supported by the wider international and technical teams.
“Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food system in the world, and with the global population rapidly increasing, the need for nutritious and sustainably produced food is greater than ever. It represents a huge opportunity for Devenish as we have a number of core technologies and products that can be adapted for the aquaculture market.
“As a research-led business, Devenish has a portfolio of exciting innovations for aqua application, proven in trials completed with some of Europe’s most respected aquaculture research facilities. I am very pleased to welcome Antonios to the team, with his technical expertise and commercial experience, he will be well placed to grow our business in the aqua sector,” said MD of Devenish International, Ian Atterbury.
Antonios has a PhD and MSc in Aquaculture from the University of Stirling (Scotland) and a “Ptychio” in Ichthyology from the University of Thessaly (Greece).
In addition, he is on the board of directors of the European Aquaculture Society (EAS) and a member of the Geotechnical Chamber of Greece (GEOTEE).
Novus International Inc announced that it has added Michaela Braun to its methionine team serving customers in North America.
Braun has joined the company as senior liquid systems and sales specialist. In this role, she is responsible for the automated inventory management system (AIMS) located on the sites of customers using that supplier’s liquid source of methionine, its ALIMET supplement.
She will also provide feed mill technical support for the company’s sales teams in the US and Canada.
Hands-on experience while earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in feed science and management at Kansas State University (KSU) cemented Braun’s career in animal agriculture, according to Novus.
Prior to joining Novus, Braun served as a feed manufacturing consultant with NutriQuest Manufacturing Services where she provided customers with insight on all aspects of the feed manufacturing process from drafting regulatory plans to overseeing process improvement projects.
She also managed the Feed Technology Center at the University of Illinois (U of I) where she coordinated the new center’s initial startup, including training all employees and student workers.
Novus regional methionine sales manager, Bobby Crowe, says Braun’s experience is valuable for NOVUS as the company’s methionine customers. She said her education and training at KSU and her practical experience in feed manufacturing at U of I make her a “natural fit” for this role at Novus. “She can relate to what feed manufacturers are working to accomplish every day and can help them find solutions not only to items related to the application of liquid methionine but other components of the feed manufacturing process as well.”
