Seasoned industry executive set to retire
Executive vice president, Aart Mateboer, is to retire, effective May 31. He has been in that position since August 2021.
Mateboer has diligently guided the Perstorp animal nutrition team, fostering a culture of confidence and empowerment among its members, stated Ib Jensen, CEO of the Perstorp Group, acknowledging the executive’s invaluable contributions.
Mateboer has a background in the chemical as well as animal nutrition industries. Prior to joining Perstorp he was vice president animal nutrition at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) Europe, and he held several senior positions in companies such as Akzo Nobel, Cargill and Danisco.
The search for Mateboer’s successor has commenced and will be announced in time, reported Jensen.
Animal nutrition remains integral to the business, said the CEO.
Perstorp, a wholly owned subsidiary of Petronas Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG), has an ambitious strategic plan for that division, a roadmap for expanding its business long-term, primarily based on product development and differentiation.
“The focus has been and will continuously be on delivering on this plan," remarked the CEO.
In June 2022, with Perstorp having recently been divested by its private equity owners and sold to PCG, we got the low down from Mateboer on the implications of the acquisition for the Swedish company's animal nutrition business.
A Perstorp spokesperson told us that, currently, numerous stakeholders in the EMEA region are investigating an innovative problem-solving solution tailored for piglets that it has developed. Likewise, a distinct piglet solution is set to be introduced in China in the coming months that addresses the priorities and challenges faced by its customers in that region, he added.
New lead at UK neonate nutrition business
Looking to the UK and personnel changes at another animal nutrition player, AB Agri has named Heidi Burrows as managing director of its specialist neonate nutrition division, AB Neo.
Burrows notes how the neonatal business, with its strong grounding in research and its own trial farm, is well placed to help customers meet the nutritional needs of young farm animals, now and in the coming years.
According to the AB Neo team, exploring and refining their knowledge of neonates and the way nutrition influences lifetime performance is the only way to drive real progress.
Following four years as managing director of AB Neo, Ian Wellock moves into a role at AB Agri sister company, Premier Nutrition, as senior pig nutritionist. That business manufactures and supplies premix and supplement products to feed and pet food manufacturing customers in the UK and globally.
