THE INDUSTRY FACES

PMMI welcomes first female Board Chair

PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, announces Patty Andersen from Delkor Systems as the 2023 chairperson of the Board, the first time a woman has held the position at the association.

As co-owner and vice president of human resources and aftermarket services at Delkor Systems, Andersen plays a pivotal role in guiding the company’s strategic vision and direction and she brings this expertise to her role as PMMI chairperson.

“Patty has provided PMMI with valuable guidance as a leader and a Board member. We are excited as she takes on a larger role in the strategic direction of PMMI as our first female chair,” says Jim Pittas, president and CEO, PMMI. “Her more than 20 years of packaging industry experience coupled with her ability to inspire others to work together and think creatively to solve problems, makes her an incredible asset to the association.”

Instinct Pet Food announces new CEO

After over four years as CEO of Instinct, Neil Thompson has accepted the role of Chairman, Instinct Pet Food.

Replacing Mr Thompson as CEO is Gordon Dumesich, who was previously Chief Growth and Marketing Officer at Instinct. Over the last four years, Mr Dumesich has built a highly cohesive and effective commercial team that has been instrumental in delivering consistent strong double-digit growth and ever-increasing market shares while strengthening our retail partnerships with a renewed focus on the Independent Neighborhood Pet Trade. Gordon has effectively positioned Instinct as one of the leading brands in the fastest growing ‘alternative petfood’ category, valued at over $1 billion.

Under Mr Dumesich’s leadership, the Instinct business has significantly strengthened its financial position, allowing it to invest over $100 million in the first phase of a new Center of Excellence manufacturing facility in Lincoln, Nebraska. This expansion will contribute to a more efficient and sustainable production footprint. In recent years, the organisation has also made significant advances in the areas of operational stability, product quality and safety, and external relationships. Additionally, Instinct has invested in the scientific discovery process to quantify the benefits of raw feeding with the University of Helsinki. This research provides the company with unique and ever-increasing insights.

In his role as Chairman, Mr Thompson will work to further strengthen external relationships and will remain a member of Agrolimen’s Petcare Board. Instinct is grateful to Mr Thompson for his strategic leadership in shaping a bright future and empowering our team to reach new heights. Now, the company is excited to welcome Mr Dumesich to his promotion as CEO.

Dr Roy Brister joins Alltech as Strategic Poultry Advisor

Alltech is pleased to announce that Dr Roy Brister has joined the team as a Strategic Poultry Advisor. With nearly four decades of experience in the poultry industry, he will focus on supporting sales and technical teams, bridging the gap between suppliers and poultry integrators, and driving new research. He is also passionate about creating actionable steps that help the poultry industry meet its sustainability goals.

Dr Brister began his career as a technical nutritionist at Nutrius Inc./Diamond Shamrock and later Spring Valley Farms, the latter of which was acquired by Tyson just months after he joined. His 37 years at Tyson Foods included roles as director of nutrition and feed milling. He specialises in nutrition and feed milling management and is particularly interested in growth modelling as an innovative technology that can help producers achieve increased efficiency and sustainability. He is also interested in alternative ingredients that support circular nutrition and in utilising data to guide critical decisions.