Alan Thomson has been appointed global vice president of Aviagen’s technical operations. He is taking over from Bryan Fancher, who will retire in September this year. Thomson was most recently global head of technical transfer, and started his new role on 1 March and will collaborate closely with Fancher over the coming months.
In his new position, Thomson will become a member of Aviagen’s executive management board and will report to the chief technical officer of Aviagen Group Alfons Koerhuis.
Throughout a career in the poultry industry spanning more than 35 years, 26 of which with Aviagen, Thomson has served as global head of technical transfer, general manager for Aviagen UK, and regional commercial and technical manager, supporting customers across western Europe. He has also held senior production and quality assurance roles with chicken and turkey operations in the UK and the US including managing Aviagen’s pedigree operations in the UK and leading the UK sales and customer support team.
“I’m honoured to have the opportunity to lead Aviagen’s global technical operations,” he said. “I have the utmost confidence in the quality of our products, our people, and our infrastructure, and remain focused on ensuring that we continue to provide quality-driven advice and support to our global customer base.”
Thomson will remain based in Scotland and will travel frequently to Aviagen’s global headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama, and around the world, visiting Aviagen operations and participating in customer events.