Chr. Hansen’s Animal Health business gets a new leader at the helm

Vilson Simon has joined Chr. Hansen as Senior Vice President (SVP) to Animal Health, reporting to Christian Barker – Executive Vice President to Health & Nutrition.

Chr. Hansen is a global leader in the development and production of all-natural bacterial solutions for Animal Health. In connection with Chr. Hansen’s Nature’s no. 1™ strategy, the Animal Health business has grown in size and importance over the last few years, not least through the acquisition of the Nutrition Physiology Corporation (NPC) in 2016. Vilson’s responsibilities will include sustaining high sales growth in the years ahead, capitalizing on the NPC acquisition, ensuring successful launches of our innovations, and further strengthening our route to market in key geographies.

A good fit for our business

Christian Barker, EVP Health & Nutrition Business Unit, is confident that the right leader has been found:

“The market for bacterial solutions supporting animal health in livestock production continues to hold attractive opportunities for Chr. Hansen, and we have an exciting agenda ahead which includes capitalizing on our recent acquisition of NPC, launching new innovations in poultry and swine, and getting closer to customers in APAC. Against this backdrop, I am confident that Vilson’s industry experience, expertise, and passion for both people and for the industry position him well to lead the team”.

Vilson brings more than 25 years’ experience from the Animal Health industry, and joins Chr. Hansen from Merck Animal Health where he was a member of the global Animal Health Leadership Team with responsibility for Global Commercial Operations. Vilson has also held a number of regional general management and Business Unit leadership positions at MSD, Phibro, Cargill Animal Nutrition, and Schering Plough.

A native of Brazil, Vilson is currently based in New Jersey and expects to relocate to Milwaukee later this year to be closer to the North American organization of Chr. Hansen, which represents the biggest market for Chr. Hansen in Animal Health.

“It is a privilege for me to join Chr. Hansen and take the helm of the Animal Health business. As a market leader, Chr. Hansen is an exciting company. The Animal Health business plays a key role in supporting the development of better proteins to feed humanity. This is a very noble mission and it was one of the critical factors in my decision to join. Within Animal Health we are equipped to accelerate the growth through our complete portfolio of solutions that provide our customers the right tools to fulfill the consumer needs in terms of healthier foods,” says Vilson Simon.

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Vilson Simon’s CV

Vilson has worked for the last seven years at Merck Animal Health where he was a member of the Animal Health Leadership Team with responsibility for Global Commercial Operations.

Vilson previously held a number of regional general management and BU leadership positions at MSD Animal Health, Phibro, Cargill Animal Nutrition, and Schering Plough.

He has practiced as a veterinarian, and has an educational background that includes degrees in Veterinary Medicine, Swine & Poultry production, and Agroenergy – as well as an Executive MBA.