Kincannon & Reed Fills Senior Operations Role for MPS Egg Farms
October 23, 2024 – Executive recruitment firm Kincannon & Reed, which exclusively focuses on food, agribusiness, and the related life sciences, has assisted in the recruitment of Edward Chisholm as vice president of operations at MPS Egg Farms in North Manchester, IN. “A future-focused leader, Edward has a demonstrated track record of success in optimizing operational performance,” said Jim Gerardot, Jr., managing director at Kincannon & Reed. “His ability to build high performing teams and healthy cultures through transparency will benefit him greatly as the vice president of operations for MPS Egg Farms.”
“Edward is known for his empowering approach and mentality of continuous improvement,” said Crystal Strauss, director. “He is a highly motivated leader with deep industry knowledge and a passion for innovation, making him an excellent fit for this role.”
Mr. Chisholm brings more than three decades of poultry industry experience with him to his new role. Prior to joining the MPS Egg Farms team, he held roles with BC Rogers and Sanderson Farms.
In his new position with MPS Egg Farms, Mr. Chisholm will be responsible for steering the company’s operational strategy across all departments, setting and driving performance objectives in areas including production, processing, customer service, mills, vaccination, and labor management. Collaborating directly with the CEOs, he will ensure alignment of objectives and provide regular progress updates. Some of his key responsibilities include developing and implementing biosecurity and business continuity strategies, managing the operational budget, and fostering the growth of direct reports through mentoring and targeted development programs.
MPS Egg Farms is one of the top ten egg producers in the country and is the most dependable shell egg farm in the nation. The company has over 750 valued employees in four locations in northern Indiana, Illinois, Texas, and Georgia who oversee 14 million laying hens, producing an average of 11 million eggs a day. MPS Egg Farms is a sixth-generation family-owned and operated company.
Founded in 1981, Kincannon & Reed serves clients throughout the world from locations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The firm is based in Arlington, VA. Kincannon & Reed’s mission is: “We recruit leaders for organizations that feed the world and keep it healthy.”
Mr. Gerardot has placed leaders around the globe for firms in animal health, nutrition, genetics, production, precision Ag, specialty crop biotech, finance, and industry leading non-profit organizations. After a 28 -year career in the global animal health and nutrition industry, where Mr. Gerardot held senior leadership positions with organizations such as Merck, Merial, Pfizer, Bayer and Novus International, he had the opportunity to lead start-up organizations before joining Kincannon & Reed.
Related: Kincannon & Reed Recruits President and CEO for CropLife America
Ms. Strauss, who is based in Dallas, works on engagements at the board, C-suite, and VP level. Having spent the bulk of her career with boutique search firms, she is known for her ability to recruit across the functional areas of general management, technology, sales, marketing, finance, and human resources. Since joining Kincannon & Reed in 2011, Ms. Strauss has worked on assignments across the food value chain with an emphasis on produce, animal health and nutrition, and crop inputs.
Recent Assignment
Kincannon & Reed recently helped to recruit Ricardo Garcia de Alba as CEO of Meiogenix, Inc., an agriculture biotech company that develops disruptive new products based on its proprietary chromosome editing technology. He will succeed Luc Mathis, who has led the company for the previous four years. Christophe Dumont, Jon Leafstedt, and Stephen Coffey led the assignment.
Kincannon & Reed Recruits COO for Double Good
Kincannon & Reed has assisted in the recruitment of Aaron Scott as chief operating officer – manufacturing at Double Good in Chicago. “A data-driven decision maker, Aaron is a strategic and collaborative leader who is proactive in his approach,” said Paul Izenstark, managing director. “His entrepreneurial spirit and genuine affinity for Double Good’s mission will benefit him greatly in this new role.”
“Meiogenix is now a global company, established in the U.S., that serves a broad, global market and customer base,” said Johan Cardoen, former CEO of CropDesign, former managing director of Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie and Meiogenix chairman of the board. “The deep Agribusiness perspective and experience Ricardo brings, having helped Corteva in positioning farmers for growth with advanced tools, technologies, and strategies, will propel Meiogenix to achieve its vision. We welcome Ricardo and look forward to working with him to take Meiogenix through the next stage of its growth.”
Mr. Garcia de Alba comes to Meiogenix after serving 15 years at Corteva Agriscience, where he held multiple leadership positions in the company’s seed and crop protection businesses. Most recently, he led the company’s Global Row Crop Herbicide and Nitrogen Management Portfolio, overseeing weed management responsibilities for the Enlist System and the company’s corn, soybean, cotton, and sugarcane business.
Related: Kincannon & Reed Recruits President for the Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
