AB Agri appoints Simon Heath in new CCO role to drive international expansion

Peterborough, 26 January 2022

  • New role defined as part of ambitious five-year growth plans
  • Simon brings more than 30 years’ senior sales and management experience
  • New remit includes business opportunities across three continents

AB Agri has appointed one of its longest-serving leaders to a new role of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), as part of ambitious and fast-paced growth plans.

Simon Heath, who was previously Managing Director of animal nutrition business unit AB Connect, is now supporting business development and strategy across all divisions of the AB Agri group.

He will oversee plans to expand AB Agri’s geographical footprint with a key focus on South East Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and the Americas. In addition, Simon will support the development of the group’s product and services in the dairy, swine, and poultry sectors.

AB Agri’s CEO José Nobre, says: “With his skills and experience from within our business, Simon is in a unique position to drive our commercial strategy and support me with our mergers and acquisition activities. He will help to ensure we have an aligned, commercial, responsible and sustainable approach to the animal nutrition industry across continents.”

Originally from a farming background, Simon has a passion for agriculture as well as three decades’ experience having joined AB Agri in the late 1980s as part of a graduate scheme.

His career has included a variety of sales and senior management positions in the UK, US, Canada and China. Most recently at AB Connect, Simon had overseen a turnover of £1 billion and a workforce of more than 760 people.

Simon says: “We already have a diverse portfolio of products and services, and an incredibly talented team. Our intention is to continue investing in our people, our products and our assets and grow our business organically and through acquisitions.”

He adds: “I am looking forward to unlocking business opportunities across the world so we can continue to meet our customers’ needs and support them in navigating the changes facing our industry, today and in the future.”

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AB Agri

AB Agri manufactures animal feed, nutrition- and technology-based products and offers data services for the agri-food industry. It operates all along the food industry supply chain. It produces and supplies compound animal feed, feed enzymes, specialised feed ingredients and a range of value-added services to farmers, feed and food manufacturers, processors and retailers.

Associated British Foods is a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group with sales of £13.9bn and 133,000 employees in 53 countries. It has significant businesses in Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia and Australia. Its aim is to achieve strong, sustainable leadership positions in markets that offer potential for long-term profitable growth. It looks to achieve this through a combination of growth of existing businesses, acquisition of complementary new businesses and achievement of high levels of operating efficiency.

Media enquiries contact:
Katie Bramwell, Head of Communications
Katie.bramwell@abagri.com

 


About AB Agri

AB Agri is a £1.2 billion animal nutrition and agricultural services business, part of Associated British Foods.

It operates across the agri-food supply chain from research to retailer, straddling high performance compound feeds and feed co-products from the food, drink and biofuels industries, feed micro-ingredients, analytical and consultancy services, livestock and poultry marketing.

AB Agri began in 1984, working with British Sugar to take bi-product from sugar factories and convert it into nutritious and cost effective animal feed. The business has rapidly expanded through acquisition, technological expertise, nutritional innovation and market development. AB Agri now employs more than 3,000 people and supplies products and services to farmers, feed and food manufacturers, processors, and retailers selling products in more than 70 countries.


Contacts

Pippa Moraitopoulos, Garnett Keeler PR
+44 (0)20 8647 4467
pippa.moraitopoulos@garnettkeeler.com
AB Agri
AB Agri Ltd
64 Innovation Way
Peterborough, PE2 6FL
https://www.abagri.com/