Novus moves Innovation to the Top

 

SAINT CHARLES, MO (May 7, 2021) – Leadership at Novus International, Inc., recently announced changes to its corporate structure that literally moves innovation and R&D to the top of the organization.

In its monthly company meeting, President and CEO Dan Meagher shared that Alfred Zimmerman would join the Executive Leadership Team as Chief Innovation Officer. “Innovation needs to become part of our DNA,” Meagher said. “It is an integral part of our long-term strategic plans and must be elevated within the organization.”

Zimmerman has been with Novus since 2015, most recently serving as Senior Director of Strategic Innovation & Product Management. He was instrumental in the partnership with biotechnology company Agrivida Inc. that was
announced in January.

In the role, Zimmerman will work with the company’s R&D teams to identify ways to grow the specialty product line while also looking outside Novus for opportunities to bring new technologies and services to customers. He said he’ll work to instill an innovative mindset in his colleagues.

“Innovation is more than just products,” Zimmerman said. “It’s bringing new thoughts and direction to our technologies and capabilities as an organization.” Zimmerman said he wants to develop more collaboration within the Novus workforce that will help cultivate and create new ideas, eventually leading to new services and solutions.

During the meeting, Meagher also announced a new role within the leadership team. Uwe Ranft was named Chief Strategic Marketing and Technology Officer. In this role, Ranft will focus on strengthening the company’s Strategic Marketing and Technical Service teams and oversee the strategic accounts business. This new role has been created to build a strong, customer-focused organization that leads the overall approach for species-solutions messaging and go-to-market strategies.

“I envision building a strong, species-focused organization that supports the business, facilitates and drives the change from product-focus to species solutions, and ultimately accelerates the focus on strategic accounts,” Ranft said. Ranft has been with Novus for 17 years and most recently served as Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). With Ranft stepping away from that role, Meagher announced that Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for Americas, Ed Galo, would become chief commercial officer for EMEA as well.

“Bringing the Americas and EMEA markets together allows for better alignment of support structures and our commercial methionine plans, as well as enables us to better showcase our specialty products,” Meagher said.

Vaibhav Nagpal will continue to drive growth in Asia as Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for the Asia region. Last year Novus International launched Project Destiny, a multi-phase strategic plan to shift the feed additive company’s focus to customer-centric gut health solutions. The launch included an initial organizational restructuring. Meagher said the latest moves are not another restructuring but instead adjustments to point Novus
in a more collaborative and sustainable direction.

“I don’t see an end to Project Destiny; it’s an evolution,” he said. “Yes, the leadership team has specific goals within Destiny to meet, but even after those goals are met, we will continue to evaluate and make adjustments. You cannot grow without change. These most recent changes – and those that are still to come – are meant to improve our company and the value we bring to our customers.”