August 1, 2014

 

Diamond V appoints new members for poultry and research teams

 

 

 

Diamond V^® has appointed new members for the company's international poultry team and research and innovation team.

 

Mike Mitchell, the North American poultry director, announced that Diamond V has gained additional expertise with the appointment of poultry specialist, Francisco Portela, who will serve poultry producers in South American countries and Canada.

 

Portela has more than 26 years of professional experience in layer, turkey, and broiler chicken industries throughout South America and the Caribbean as well as in Spain and Canada. His poultry industry career incudes work with High-Line International (as regional business manager for South America, Canada, and the Caribbean), Hubbard LLC (Group Grimaud & Frères), Hubbard-ISA (Shaver Poultry Breeding Farms), and Canada Packers (Shur-Gain Grain Division).

 

Portela's holds a Master in Science, majoring in Monogastric Nutrition, from the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. He also holds a Bachelor in Science, majoring in Animal & Poultry Husbandry, as well as accreditation as a zootechnician from the University of Costa Rica in San Jose.

 

Diamond V will also welcome Tiffany Kwan, who joins as a research associate in the company's research & innovation group. She will support Diamond V's expertise in animal nutrition and health.

 

Kwan has a background in microbiology, molecular biology, and engineering. Her research experience includes intestinal microbial ecology, anaerobic organisms, microbial fermentation, mathematical modelling, and media formulation.

 

At Diamond V, she will focus on microbial interactions, fermentation technologies, microbial metabolism, and pathogen mitigation.

 

Kwan was previously a research professional managing the labs of Dr Margie Lee and John Maurer in the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center at the University of Georgia. She also worked as a biotechnologist intern at Microbial Developments in the UK.

 

Kwan holds a Master of Science in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences from the University of Georgia, where she investigated the effects of intestinal microbes on Salmonella growth in the poultry gut environment. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University, where she provided assistance on in-vitro studies of microorganisms used in wastewater treatment.