March 22, 2016

Pas Reform mourns passing of poultry industry veteran

Pas Reform has announced the passing of Marek W. Pospiech on March 17. The 65-year-old has been described as the driving force behind the company's commercial services in Central & Eastern Europe.

With more than 40 years' experience in the poultry business, Marek held numerous positions in the poultry industry on both sides of the Atlantic, including poultry specialist, economist, geneticist and breeding production manager.

He holds a Master's Degree in Science and Agricultural Engineering from the Academy of Agriculture at Poznan, Poland, in 1973.

During his scientific career at the Polish Research and Development Centre, Marek received his Doctorate in Animal Breeding and was responsible for successfully introducing several commercial laying hen strains to market.

In 1990, he became Visiting Professor at the Poultry Science Department of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the US. In 1991, Marek was appointed Country Manager for Euribrid in Poland, where he would be promoted to the position of Area Manager for Central & Eastern Europe.

Alongside his commercial activities, Pospiech was Director of the Polish-Swiss Foundation for the Development of Agriculture and the Food Industry since 2000, while also working as technical expert and market development consultant for the Cobb Breeding Company and, later, Cobb Europe.

Bouke Hamminga, Pas Reform's Director for Sales & Business Development, worked with Marek for several years.

"It is almost ten years to the day that Marek joined Pas Reform as our representative in Central and Eastern Europe," Hamminga said. "Marek's skill, professionalism and deep commitment to the highest standards were pivotal to Pas Reform's growth in the region. He was a greatly valued member of our team and he will be sadly missed."