In this role, Mr Thomson will lead the team of Technical Managers and will be responsible for developing strategies to further provide high-quality technical advice and support to Aviagen's customers and distributors in Greece, Finland, France, Italy, Portugal, Scandinavia, Spain and the UK.

Alan Thomson

He has extensive experience of Aviagen and the global poultry industry, having been with the company for over 12 years. He has held senior production and quality assurance roles in Aviagen's chicken and turkey operations as well as being responsible for the provision of technical support to customers in Australia and New Zealand.

Graeme Dear, General Manager of Aviagen Ltd, said: "In addition to his technical responsibilities, Alan will have commercial accountability within the UK and will work closely with myself in continually strengthening relationships with our UK customers. He is a valuable asset and will be a person our customers can rely on to deliver the exceptional service they come to expect from us. I am delighted to welcome Alan into this role and am confident that customers will benefit from his experience and first-rate knowledge of our products."

Mr Thomson said: "Aviagen has a strong reputation in the region where we are the leading supplier to the poultry breeding industry. We have reached this position by delivering a superb product and the right support to ensure performance is maximised. My goal is to enhance this reputation by getting to know our customers and their businesses better and further develop effective technical support that is tailored to their requirements."

Mr Thomson will work closely with Jonny Harrison and Otto van Tuijl, the other Regional Technical Managers for the pan-European region, to ensure that the technical advice provided continues to be consistent, timely and relevant. He will be supported by a strong team of well-known technical managers and will be meeting customers over the next few months during visits and industry events.