April 26, 2017

 

Chairman of Hendrix Genetics' International Advisory Board retires

 

 

 

Richard van Wijnbergen has retired as chairman of the International Advisory Board (IAB) of Hendrix Genetics on April 20, 2017.

 

He will be succeeded by Aalt Dijkhuizen, member of the board since 2007. Van Wijnbergen's ten years of leadership has contributed to Hendrix Genetics' current market position. Under his inspiring chairmanship, Hendrix Genetics has grown into a global leader in multi-species animal genetics and research.

 

Thijs Hendrix, president of Hendrix Genetics says: "We are thankful to Richard for his advice over the past ten years and for his contribution to the success of our company. We wish him well for the future."

 

After graduation at the Wageningen Agricultural University in 1968, Richard van Wijnbergen started his career as marketing manager at Hendrix' Feed, to become its general manager in 1977.

 

In 1988, he was promoted to deputy managing director and in 1991, to chief operating officer of BP Nutrition's global activities, responsible for more than 100 operating companies and over 22,000 employees.

 

Van Wijnbergen led the management buy-out in 1994 and founded Nutreco. After serving as chief executive officer and chairman of the executive board of Nutreco, he retired in 2000. He is considered to be a top industry leader, with great influence on the development of the international food- and agri-industry.

 

With his extensive knowledge in agriculture, research and business processes, Aalt Dijkhuizen, as member of the IAB for many years, will replace van Wijnbergen as chairman of the IAB of Hendrix Genetics.

 

Dijkhuizen is the former chairman of the executive board of Wageningen University and Research Centre from 2002 to 2013 and is today a renowned member of different boards in the industry.

 

During the 1990s, he was a professor at the same university, specialising in animal health. Between 1998 and 2002, he worked for Nutreco as managing director of the Business Group Agri Northern Europe. Dijkhuizen studied at the Agricultural College in Dronten and afterwards, at Wageningen University. There, he graduated in 1977 cum laude in Agricultural Economics and Animal Science. He earned his PhD in 1983 at the Veterinary Faculty of Utrecht University.

 

Together with the other members of the IAB - Johan Terpstra, on behalf of shareholder NPM Capital N.V. (part of SHV Holdings N.V.), and Cyril Melin, on behalf of shareholder Sofiprotéol S.A., the board will continue to provide guidance and support to the company's executive board and management committee.

- Hendrix Genetics